7/7 day 30 bottle wine kits

jannis

hi, there
wondering what I have done wrong with last x2 wine kits. have used loads before, throughout the seasons with no problem. always keep 5 gallon bucket covered with soft fleeces, has always worked well. wine is fermenting but gases not coming from air lock, having to push down on lid to release gas.
HELP jane

WCG

Lid not forming a good enough seal ( Good enough to allow pressure to build up, but it's escaping from the lid before it's built up enough to activate the air lock ) ?

HBO_Staff

Hi Jane, as WCG says the lid may not be fully sealing so it would be worth ensuring it is well pushed down into place, also gas will escape for around the airlock/grommet if the stem of the airlock is not sealing fully.

The other very common reason is the fermentation itself, often a brew will ferment quite slowly, especially if it is cool, sometimes the lid will dome to show it is holding pressure but there is not enough gas to make the airlock bubble.

http://homebrewonline.vanillaforums.com/discussion/903/airlock-not-bubbling#latest