No bubbles on a small batch

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gyllstromk
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No bubbles on a small batch

Post by gyllstromk »

Hi all,

I'm a bit new to brewing and did a small (2 gallon) batch on Saturday. I put a vial of liquid yeast in cold (forgot to pull it out of fridge early). I haven't seen any bubbles on the lock yet. Monday I got antsy and pulled the lid off the fermenter and there seems to be some good activity with bubbling on top. So my question is: why no bubbles in the lock? Since I'm brewing 2 gallons in a fermenter designed for 5 gallon batches, is it possible there isn't enough pressure yet?

Thanks
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Suthrncomfrt1884
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Post by Suthrncomfrt1884 »

More than likely, you won't get bubbles. You're right...your fermentor is way too big. Next time, try picking up a 3 gallon glass carboy if you're doing a 2 gallon batch.

Also, bubbles are a misleading sign. I know that beginners brewing books tell you to watch for the bubbles, but they don't always come. Even if they do come, with a small batch like 2 gallons, you probably already missed them. A vial designed for 5 gallons will probably ferment much quicker in a two gallon batch.

Don't open up the container again. Next time, just wait at least 10 days. This is one huge advantage of using glass. You will be able to see if there's activity and if there's not, you can take more actions.

Your beer sounds like it's doing fine, so I'd leave it for another 7 days and then open it up to check the final gravity.

Good luck.
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slothrob
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Bubbles

Post by slothrob »

It's pretty common for buckets to not be air tight, resulting in no bubbles. I think thats all that happened here. Next time you can try and seat the lid better, maybe put a little sanitizer on the gasket to help it seal, but I wouldn't worry.

Don't worry about pitching the cold vial of yeast. I always pitch cold. Fast starts from a vial has more to do with how long the yeast has been stored and whether it's been kept cold during that time. Warming the yeast can actually slow starts if the yeast is allowed to sit around warm, because it will start to consume it's stored energy.

Really fast starts come from using a starter.
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gyllstromk
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Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:06 pm

Post by gyllstromk »

Thanks for the replies!
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