Nice krausen but no CO2... Apparently.

[PedroGhirotti]

Hello all,
My first ever post!

I brewed an amber ale last saturday, so 5 days into fermentation right now, with an OG at 1.048. I usually use S-04, but this time I used US-05 to get a higher attenuation. I re-hydrated and pitched at 74f (24C).
I noticed something was a little slow when the next day there was no activity on the air lock. I didn't worry too much. Things started bubbling later in the day. Next day (2nd day into fermentation) the air lock was going crazy, so I was happy.
3rd day the air lock was still, that didn't concern me because I had very fast fermentation before, but as I gently pushed the bucket top a little bit, the air lock didn't move at all. I had never seen that. So I opened and for my surprise the krausen was beautiful. I quickly closed and gave it 1 more day.
Next day (yesterday) I took the gravity, 1.014 (i'm supposed to finish at 1.009) and the krausen was even better.
How can the krausen look like that but i have nothing on my air lock? I've read around the forum that bubbles mean nothing for a good fermentation, but not even a little puff would be coming out? Maybe I have a leak on my bucket??
Should I just give another day, take the gravity and bottle when it stops changing? Is it to late to pitch more yeast? Do i need to? Should I just relax and pop a bottle from the fridge?

I've been brewing for a year now and this was the first time I have had this. I read somewhere at HBT about US-05 showing slow start, but couldn't find the thread again..
Sorry for the long ramble...

Thanks for any advice and happy holidays!

 

[RM-MN]

Bucket lids often leak a little. When the yeast are the most active they produce so much CO2 that it overcomes the leak and makes the airlock bubble but when the production of CO2 slows a little the back pressure of the liquid in the airlock causes the CO2 to escape around the lid.

 

[flars]

Don't worry you have a good fermentation going. No need to take a lot of SG readings to find out exactly when the fermentation ends. It will take a week or longer for excess yeast and sediment to drop out after the fermentation ends. If you bottle on the day the fermentation ends you will end up with all this excess yeast and sediment dropping out in your bottles. Less sediment in the bottle will mean more beer to pour into your glass from each bottle.

 

[PedroGhirotti]

Thanks guys! I had a gut felling that everything was fine, but again I had never had the air lock this quiet.
I should at some point get myself a carboy. I actually wonder how long a bucket lid can last...
I checked the air lock just now and finally I see much more action, and some of the krausen is actually flowing through it.

 

[PedroGhirotti]

Less sediment in the bottle will mean more beer to pour into your glass from each bottle.

I like that way of thinking. :rockin:

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks guys! I had a gut felling that everything was fine, but again I had never had the air lock this quiet.
I should at some point get myself a carboy. I actually wonder how long a bucket lid can last...
I checked the air lock just now and finally I see much more action, and some of the krausen is actually flowing through it.

Skip the carboy. I don't know how long a bucket lid can last but mine is on year 11.

 

[PedroGhirotti]

Skip the carboy. I don't know how long a bucket lid can last but mine is on year 11.

The whole bucket itself? That's good information.
A little of topic, but what about the plastic getting saturated with beer odor? I heard some people saying that can happen.

 

[RM-MN]

The whole bucket itself? That's good information.
A little of topic, but what about the plastic getting saturated with beer odor? I heard some people saying that can happen.

Yes I still have and use my original bucket but I've added a few more so I can brew several batches at once and not have to rush to bottle so I can brew again. I hardly ever have more than 5 batches in fermenters at a time.

The buckets will have beer odor after the first brew. It can be washed out but if you are going to use the bucket for brewing again that odor won't hurt the next beer. If you keep the lid on the bucket when it isn't being used (does that happen to anyone else?) it keeps the odor in the bucket and not in the room where it is stored. My buckets also have a stain from the beer. I haven't worried about that since that is all that goes into the buckets.