Brewing Master

Question:

OK.. I guess I was jumping the gun. The bubbling did stop like I stated, but the hydrometer tells all. 1.050 – O.G. 1.030 – 30 hours 1.022 – 72 hours 1.015 – 84 hours Is it normal for the airlock to stop bubbling while fermentation still continues? Could I have an air leak in my airlock or bucket?

Leaks around the seals on buckets are quite often the culprit for the "missing bubble" syndrome. It’s very difficult to keep from worrying with your first batch. After you have a few more under your belt (figuratively and literally) you’ll get much better at relaxing, etc. Matt

Response:

OK.. I guess I was jumping the gun. The bubbling did stop like I stated, but the hydrometer tells all. 1.050 – O.G. 1.030 – 30 hours 1.022 – 72 hours 1.015 – 84 hours Is it normal for the airlock to stop bubbling while fermentation still continues? Could I have an air leak in my airlock or bucket? Rob Vreeland Sent Using Microsoft Outlook Express for Macintosh – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m trying to relax but it’s really tough. I brewed my first batch last Friday which was a Brown Ale. I used a dry yeast (Nottingham) and pitched at around 80 degrees. 24 hours after pitching I was getting about 1 bubble a minute. 30 hours after I was up to 2-3 a minute. 48 hours, down to 1 a minute. As of about 60 hours it has stopped. I watched it for 5 minutes with no movement at all. My O.G. was 1.050 and I took another reading last night which was 1.030. I will take another reading tonight to see if there has been any change but I have a feeling I might have to pitch again. What are the procedures for pitching again? ( do I need to aerate again ) Will it effect the flavor of the beer? Should I use an entire package of dry yeast? How do others go about aerating? I have a feeling I didn’t aerate enough. To aerate I vigorously poured my cool wort into my plastic bucket fermenter. Once I pitched the yeast I then stirred vigorously with my spoon. That was it. Thanks for all the help so far. Rob Vreeland

Response:

        Several things you might try; a starter culture (1.020 wort in a sanitized increase the pitching rate to ensure a healthier fermentation. This is more important with higher gravity beers, but is always a good idea. Also, aerate your wort by: 1) siphoning so as to splash the cooled wort into the carboy, 2) shake the filled carboy vigorously to aerate the wort more, and 3) make sure the yeast is at comfortable temperatures and does not undergo rapid temp. changes when pitching especially, as this can shock the little critters into going on strike. Attention to these steps can help make sure subsequent batches will ferment vigorously.         For this batch, I would repitch a bottle of yeast slurry (a starter culture in a bottle from a smack-pack) and see if it helps. To reduce temperature shock, you can pour a small amount of wort from the fermenter into your bottle or yeast-pack and swirl to bring the yeast solution closer to the temperature in the fermenter, then pour in. this step-process can help sometimes. Happy brewing! **Blessed is she who gives birth to a brewer.**

Response:

In the past, I have rocked my carboy which seems to get the flow of carbon dioxide going again and wards off any harmful air infiltration usually I will get a "peak" for another day or two and that seems to satisfy my "happen now" ego .  After about 5 days though I will rack to the secondary. Marc

Response:

I’m trying to relax but it’s really tough. I brewed my first batch last Friday which was a Brown Ale. I used a dry yeast (Nottingham) and pitched at around 80 degrees. 24 hours after pitching I was getting about 1 bubble a minute. 30 hours after I was up to 2-3 a minute. 48 hours, down to 1 a minute. As of about 60 hours it has stopped. I watched it for 5 minutes with no movement at all. My O.G. was 1.050 and I took another reading last night which was 1.030. I will take another reading tonight to see if there has been any change but I have a feeling I might have to pitch again. What are the procedures for pitching again? ( do I need to aerate again ) Will it effect the flavor of the beer? Should I use an entire package of dry yeast? How do others go about aerating? I have a feeling I didn’t aerate enough. To aerate I vigorously poured my cool wort into my plastic bucket fermenter. Once I pitched the yeast I then stirred vigorously with my spoon. That was it. Thanks for all the help so far. Rob Vreeland

Response: