Went from 1.040 to 1.010 with no airlock activity

[Dudest]

Would bacteria do this over a week?

 

[GuldTuborg]

That nasty bacteria called a "bad seal." Seriously, air probably just had an easier way to escape from your fermentation vessel. Or it finished while you weren't looking.

But really, we know nothing about your fermentation other than it dropped in gravity. I'm guessing it's beer, based off the forum you posted in, but I'm not even sure of that. Care to share any other relevant details about your beverage, including why you think bacteria is involved?

 

[hunter_le five]

+1 to GuldTuborg

Bad seal. One of my bucket fermenters never has airlock activity for that reason. I use the term "bad" to mean that the seal is not airtight, not as any kind of suggestion that this is a "bad" thing. Your fermentation vessel need not be airtight to produce great beer.

Bacteria would produce bubbles just like yeast, so this is not an indicator of infection. All it means is that the CO2 found a path of lesser resistance than the airlock.

 

[Dudest]

1 can Minton's bock 1lb light DME total four gallons.Boiled 1 gal tap water added LME and DME stirred. Added 2.5 gal spring water stirred again. Two packs Minton's yeast. Thought it didn't kick off added 1 pack Nottingham. Still nothing measured SG after 1 week got the numbers above this time added wyeast American smack pack to be sure the airlock is floating now and I saw one bubble at 73 degrees. Could the SG read low because It was not mixed good enough?

 

[LovesIPA]

I doubt it. Fermentation itself does a good job of mixing everything around.

Your beer is fine. Package it and drink it.

 

[kh54s10]

1 can Minton's bock 1lb light DME total four gallons.Boiled 1 gal tap water added LME and DME stirred. Added 2.5 gal spring water stirred again. Two packs Minton's yeast. Thought it didn't kick off added 1 pack Nottingham. Still nothing measured SG after 1 week got the numbers above this time added wyeast American smack pack to be sure the airlock is floating now and I saw one bubble at 73 degrees. Could the SG read low because It was not mixed good enough?

What do you mean by low? 1.040 to 1.010 sounds like a perfectly normal fermentation. I would guess that happened with the original pitch of Munton's yeast and you only wasted the Nottingham and Wyeast.

Airlocks are not a good indicator of fermentation. Like what has already been said. Your fermenter probably had an easier passage to release the gas than through the airlock. Wait another week or three then take another reading. If it is still 1.010 you are safe to bottle.

 

[zoomzilla]

1.040? Is this for a yeast starter?

 

[unionrdr]

I had a Cooper's beer do that once in my Micro brew FV. Not one bubble, but it came out great. I found some molding flash on the seal area I had to trim off. Seals good now. So it could just be that.