No Fermentation after 72 hours? Any suggestions please?

raredelight

Hi . ordered my Homebrew online starter kit with the Norfolk Wherry pack. Followed the instructions exactly ie sterlising ,rinsing, mixing ,temperatures etc Brews been on now over 72 hours and not a sign of activity and im gutted. Any clues good people ? Can i salvage it, do i leave it?

onered05

im having the same problem as you, no bubbles and no froth on top of the brew..
:-/

JohnB

I have a brew on the go at the moment using the Cooper's Pale Ale kit and have yet to see a bubble through the air lock. Nor I had I seen a yeasty 'foam' on the top. I wasn't too worried though as there were other signs of fermentation. Have a look to see if the bin lid is dished upwards or has condensation on it. You might also see a dark brown collar on the side of the bin above the liquid level.

Back to my brew. I had to lift the lid after 72 hours to add some dry hops and took the opportunity to measure present gravity. Happily, it had dropped from 1040 to 1010 which confirmed that not only had fermentation taken place but that it was nearly complete! I wouldn't be at all surprised if your brew has fermented without you noticing. If you're still worried a hydrometer reading should set your mind at rest. Good luck.

raredelight

Hi JohnB . Thanks for your post! Will take the lid of and take a reading. I will post the outcome. thanks again .

HBO_Staff

JohnB has it spot on, fermentation can be vigorous or slow, it varies between brews and there is no right or wrong way for it to ferment exactly. The biggest factor is usually the temperature, a slow ferement can be encouraged by keeping the brew warmer, say 20 to 24 degrees generally speaking. The best way to check the progress is as JohnB says to use a hydrometer. Just make sure it is sterilised, and then check the readings, they should decrease in number as the brew completes, and then will stop and stabilise

raredelight

Thankyou. I have just drawn a small amount of liquid from the tub with a sterlised glass and  used the Hydrometer. Reads bang on at 1.014. after 5 days. i will check again tommorow and then barrel it. Another question if i may, there are  lots of little bits /flakeson the top of the liquid is this normal or do i need to filter these out? Thanks again John B and the HBo staff for helping me out. Kind Regards Rich

HBO_Staff

The reading sounds good, so if it stays the same it can be kegged. Often you get a scum or residue on the top, but as you syphon it over draw the liquid from below the surface which keeps any bits in the fermenting vessel. The more you leave behind the better, and try not to disturb the sediment in the bottom of the vessel as this will result in a clearer finished brew when you pour a glass