First batch in 15+ years... what if the fermenter is not bubbling?

[RedGuitars]

Followed relatively simple instructions. Haven't seen this where the fermenter won't bubble at all. Brewed on Sunday. Almost at the 48 hour mark and no action.

Am I hosed?

 

[Smellyglove]

You might have a leak in the lid where the co2 escapes. If you pitched enough healthy yeast at the correct temperature, odds are it's fermenting

If you're unsure you just need to take a reading.

 

[RedGuitars]

I had a thermometer. Cooled the wort in an ice bath until it was ~80. Filled the fermenter and pitched the yeast, capped the fermenter.

 

[jpakstis]

If you're using an airlock, do you have enough liquid in it? For my very first brew, I had virtually no noticeable activity and when I looked at the three-piece airlock I used, I had put too little water in it. The little dome piece in the middle was above the water line so while CO2 was escaping, I couldn't notice it. I filled it to the marked line and it was chattering away.

Also, I would just take a peek and see if fermentation activity is going on.

 

[jalc6927]

If there’s no leak and airlock has proper water level

I give it a swirl to see if this will help

 

[brewcat]

How about check to see if you have a krausen.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

RDWHAHB

 

[RM-MN]

You didn't mention what you are fementing the beer in. Bucket lids leak often and never make the airlock move.

If you have a carboy so you can see through it, there should be bubble showing on the top of the beer. If you are using a bucket, pop the lid open a bit and look at the top of the beer for bubbles.

 

[RedGuitars]

We have bubbles!

Fermenting in bucket. Will switch to carboy when bubbles stop.

Don’t have a clue on the abbreviated message above, but assuming you’re making fun of a newbie. Well, I’m not really a newbie. Just been a long time between batches & using all new equipment.

Thanks folks.

 

[Jesse D]

We have bubbles!

Fermenting in bucket. Will switch to carboy when bubbles stop.

Don’t have a clue on the abbreviated message above, but assuming you’re making fun of a newbie. Well, I’m not really a newbie. Just been a long time between batches & using all new equipment.

Thanks folks.

I'm new, but I have been advised not to transfer until/unless you have to. I will be siphoning from my primary to my secondary in a week to free up my primary, it will be the two week mark when I transfer. I had tons of activity, and had to put a blowoff tube on my 2nd primary because it had blown through my airlock. I'm transferring because I'm dry hoping in one of them, adding bourbon and bourbon soaked oak in the other and I want to get it away from the sludge (I did not strain my first batch, I did my 2nd), my secondaries are smaller than both my primaries, that is my last reason.

 

[RM-MN]

We have bubbles!

Fermenting in bucket. Will switch to carboy when bubbles stop.

Don’t have a clue on the abbreviated message above, but assuming you’re making fun of a newbie. Well, I’m not really a newbie. Just been a long time between batches & using all new equipment.

Thanks folks.

There is no need to move the beer to another vessel and it may be to the beer's detriment to do so. Leave it where it is now until it is time to bottle it.

RDWHAHB isn't making fun of you, it is a shorthand for relax, don't worry, have a home brew. It comes from a book by Charlie Papazian which isn't a bad book to read.

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I agree with RM. The only times I've done a secondary were when I experimented with different processes, additions, etc. And when I did, I took extra care and sanitized like a maniac. I keep it in one fermenter for nearly every single brew I do. Cheers!

 

[kh54s10]

We have bubbles!

Fermenting in bucket. Will switch to carboy when bubbles stop.

Don’t have a clue on the abbreviated message above, but assuming you’re making fun of a newbie. Well, I’m not really a newbie. Just been a long time between batches & using all new equipment.

Thanks folks.

Have you kept up with homebrewing advances? If not start reading, recommended procedures have changed quite a bit in the last 15 years. I have seen a lot of change in the 6 1/2 years that I have been brewing. I don't do things the same way as when I started.

 

[jalc6927]

There are other fermenters out there like speidel that are much easier to use and clean then glass carboys, and less expensive

I don’t secondary unless adding fruit or dry hopping after initial fermentation and no longer use glass when I do

 

[RedGuitars]

Thanks all, and thanks for the anagram explanation - but I wasn't going to have a homebrew to drink unless I saw bubbles!

Regarding the secondary, I never used one before. But the new kit I bought came with one. It also uses the same bucket for fermentation and bottling. So if I don't use the carboy for fermenting, do I siphon to the carboy after fermentation, sanitaize the bucket, then siphon back to the bucket for bottling? Or should I just go buy another bucket while it's fermenting?

Thanks again to all!

 

[madscientist451]

Try the domino dot sugar cube trick. Don't transfer the beer, just put a domino dot in a 12 0z bottle, use an auto siphon and racking cane to fill the bottles.
I use a spring clamp to hold the siphon in the carboy at the proper level. If you have 8, 10 or 12 bottles ready to fill (or whatever amount) get the siphon going fill the bottles, then lift the siphon up out of the beer to stop it when your bottles are all full. Get your bottles capped, get the next set ready and repeat the process. They also sell a spring loaded gadget that will stop the siphon.
If you can avoid transferring the beer you'll have less oxidation and better tasting beer.

 

[Greytop]

Welcome back to the hobby. As kh54s10 said, things have changed. I don't even use carboys anymore. IMHO I'd just go buy a 6.5 gallon fermentation bucket with a spigot and get a spring-loaded bottling cane. Use the 6.5 as your bottling bucket this time and for a fermentor in the future.

 

[RedGuitars]

Try the domino dot sugar cube trick. Don't transfer the beer, just put a domino dot in a 12 0z bottle, use an auto siphon and racking cane to fill the bottles.
I use a spring clamp to hold the siphon in the carboy at the proper level. If you have 8, 10 or 12 bottles ready to fill (or whatever amount) get the siphon going fill the bottles, then lift the siphon up out of the beer to stop it when your bottles are all full. Get your bottles capped, get the next set ready and repeat the process. They also sell a spring loaded gadget that will stop the siphon.
If you can avoid transferring the beer you'll have less oxidation and better tasting beer.

So this is instead of the priming sugar? sounds like a great idea. I have a bottling cane.

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks all, and thanks for the anagram explanation - but I wasn't going to have a homebrew to drink unless I saw bubbles!

Regarding the secondary, I never used one before. But the new kit I bought came with one. It also uses the same bucket for fermentation and bottling. So if I don't use the carboy for fermenting, do I siphon to the carboy after fermentation, sanitaize the bucket, then siphon back to the bucket for bottling? Or should I just go buy another bucket while it's fermenting?

Thanks again to all!

My recommendation would be to buy a bottling bucket....even if you use the domino dots. When I rack to my bottling bucket I usually get a little yeast and trub sucked up because I'm a tightwad and want to get every last drop of beer. Then I let it set in the bottling bucket for a bit as I do other things and all that trub and yeast settles out again.

Now for that carboy that came in your kit, of course you use it for fermenting. I suggest a nice mead or cider unless you prefer wine.

 

[kh54s10]

I tried individual bottle priming with my most recent adventure. A cider. I will say that priming each bottle, even with carbonation drops (or Domino Dots) sucks. It is so much easier to prepare a priming solution, add it to the bottling bucket while siphoning the brew into it.

I also do not like the idea of using a bucket with a spigot for fermentation. IMO the spigot is a great place for harboring contaminates.

Another thing is what I don't really like buckets for fermentation. My choice, if money was no object would be a stainless steel conical. But, since that is way out of my budget, I like Better Bottles. They are clear like a carboy so you can see what is happening, but you are not in much danger of severed arteries or tendons like you are if you use glass carboys.

 

[RM-MN]

I tried individual bottle priming with my most recent adventure. A cider. I will say that priming each bottle, even with carbonation drops (or Domino Dots) sucks. It is so much easier to prepare a priming solution, add it to the bottling bucket while siphoning the brew into it.

I also do not like the idea of using a bucket with a spigot for fermentation. IMO the spigot is a great place for harboring contaminates.

Another thing is what I don't really like buckets for fermentation. My choice, if money was no object would be a stainless steel conical. But, since that is way out of my budget, I like Better Bottles. They are clear like a carboy so you can see what is happening, but you are not in much danger of severed arteries or tendons like you are if you use glass carboys.

The spigots that come on the buckets are also easy to break off. All it takes is a bump and all your beer ends up on the floor.

 

[Greytop]

Well, buckets work great for me. I'm OCD about cleaning and sanitation and haven't had an infected batch yet. I always disassemble and clean receptacles right away and sanitize everything before storing it, then sanitize again before use. Haven't bumped a spigot yet either. Seems like you'd have to hit it pretty good to bust it off. I did have the entire bottom fall out of a glass carboy once, so that was enough to make me switch. As always, YMMV.

 

[kh54s10]

Well, buckets work great for me. I'm OCD about cleaning and sanitation and haven't had an infected batch yet. I always disassemble and clean receptacles right away and sanitize everything before storing it, then sanitize again before use. Haven't bumped a spigot yet either. Seems like you'd have to hit it pretty good to bust it off. I did have the entire bottom fall out of a glass carboy once, so that was enough to make me switch. As always, YMMV.

IMO sanitizing before you store is a waste of time and sanitizer unless you store your buckets with the lid on and the airlock hole plugged. Once sanitizers are dry, it is no longer sanitized.

 

[Dcpcooks]

IMO sanitizing before you store is a waste of time and sanitizer unless you store your buckets with the lid on and the airlock hole plugged. Once sanitizers are dry, it is no longer sanitized.

Not all sanitizers are the same, sani clean from 5 star needs to air dry before it’s ready.

I prefer to clean and sanitize gear before I store or use it. Cleaning and sanitizing is a two part process for a reason. Hit the bugs with alkaline then acid and you’ll have a pretty good safe zone for yeast. You can always hit it with another round of sani before use

 

[Greytop]

I haven't been hit by a bus yet, either--doesn't mean I ever will. I do store with lid on and vent covered and I don't drink when I'm brewing so consequently I tend to have fewer accidents when I brew than some other guys. I was just trying to give the OP an easy, cheap option to avoid bringing in a secondary.

 

[hawkbox]

I use kegs but I cold crash it and gelatin fine the beer in a PET carboy cause they're lighter and easier to use. I could probably just use buckets but I kind of like seeing the activity in the carboy. I starsan everything as I get going but I wash everything thoroughly before I put it away. I could probably be more thorough but I've made 120 gallons this year with no real issues.

 

[RedGuitars]

Results...

I call it a fail, but some of my friends like the beer.

I used a cream ale recipe, so expecting a light beer look.

Looked and tasted more bock-ish or amber, and sweet.

Talked to the local homebrew supply house. He says I probably boiled too hot - carmelized some of the malt, which would explain the color and sweetness.

Ready to pour them all out and try again but my my wife's friends won't let me.

So do you boil where it's just barely bubbling? I did a full rolling boil.

 

[jalc6927]

If you’re using liquid extract try putting half in at boil and the rest at the end of the boil

And a rolling boil is all that’s needed

Making sure you stir it in real well