Fermentation.

[mancer62]

Hi there on Monday evening I made 3 brews one of which is bubbling away famously while the other two aren't.

Brew (1) Wilko's Black Velvet Stout made with 1 kg Brewing Sugar & 1 can (454g) Black Treacle. I made this to 40 pints OG 1040. Does this OG seems about right?
This is brewing away so much I have actually had to use a blow off tube as the Airlock couldn't cope.

Brew (2) Wilko's Black Velvet Stout made with 1 kg Demerara Sugar & 1/2 can (227g) Black Treacle. I made to about 36/38pints
OG 1040.That sound about right?
This is showing no airlock activity whatsoever although taking a peek inside there does appear to be something happening.

Brew (3) Woodforde's Wherry Real Ale. Nothing to add apart from yeast.This was made to 40 pints with an OG of 1046. Again nothing happening in the airlock bubbling department.

I think I may have pitched in the yeast when temps perhaps were a little high maybe 28/30 degrees or so. But I did follow the instructions regards the amount of boiling & cold water. Would this have any bearing?
Look forward with interest to replies. :

 

[jondread]

I have two brews on the go at the moment too, one of them is a Wherry (like yours) and one is a Burton Bridge Summer Ale. The Burton Bridge is bubbling away like mad and has been for 2 days. The Wherry has no bubbles in the airlock at all. Both of them have a lot of krausen on top though so I know fermentation is underway.

Do you have the exact same fermentation vessel for all three of your brews? The one with the Wherry in might not be completely airtight. I can't really explain it other than that, I'm using two different FVs though so that could make sense of it. Also airlock bubbling isn't the only way to tell if you've got fermentation or not. Krausen and hydrometer readings are more of a sure method. Hope this is helpful :)

 

[abeyptfc]

is there a krausen insid the fv at the top? if there is then it's fermenting fine, or try testing with a hydrometer to see if the reading has dropped.

 

[mancer62]

All replies, comments and opinions are very welcome jondread tyvm.
Yes there appears to be plenty of Krausen in every FV.
The vessel that the two stouts are in are traditional 5 gallon plastic buckets. 1 fermenting like crazy the other doing very little (bubbling wise that is) who knows what's lurking beneath the surface? lol.
The vessel I am brewing my Wherry in is a 5 gallon plastic Wine fermenter with 4" lid and airlock. It is 100% airtight and have used it before without any problems. :

 

[jondread]

Krausen is the telltale sign of fermentation :) I find this intriguing how my Wherry and your Wherry both arent showing signs of bubbles in the airlock, maybe its something to do with the type of ale itself?

 

[mancer62]

Anyone out there enlighten both myself and jondread? :

 

[AllAleCrumpy]

Hello the two of you... I've just finished bottling my Woodfordes Wherry. I started to get fermentation action after around 24 hours and got pretty active air lock action for a week and then it bubbled away for another week and a half. So not so if it was due to the temperature you added your yeast at or it's anything else. What temp are you keeping your brew at?

Cheers - Crumpy

 

[mancer62]

I just have it in under the kitchen table and the temp reading on the side of the bin says 20 degrees.
If I put it on the worktop it rises to 22 degrees.
I also have a heating belt I can use if need be.
What do u suggest? :

 

[jonnymorris]

You only made them 24hrs ago then? Leave them another 12 at least before getting concerned and even then, don't. I'd bet my bottom dollar they'll be going by tomorrow AM.

 

[Moby]

It seems to be quite common with woodfordes wherry. My son brewed a kit at uni which had virtually no airlock activity at all in the first week although it did have a small krausen after 24hours. He tried putting another sachet of yeast in after 7 days but still had virtually no activity. He waited another week and then transferred it to his barrel. It turned out to be ok. I have seen other posts asking the same of wherry on other forums, maybe its just a characteristic of this kit. I normally brew all grain but I did make a wherry kit someone bought me for Christmas a couple of years ago but that had quite a vigorous fermentation. I did brew it in a temperature controlled fridge at 20c so maybe its temperature sensitive?

 

[mancer62]

Sorry I have just realised I said in my initial post that I had brewed on the Tuesday evening. It was in fact on the Monday night that I had. Is this more cause for concern or do I just sit tight and believe there is a home brew god up there? lol :

 

[Greenland Stinger]

I had exactly the same with the 2 Wherry kits I have done. Not much action for 24/36 hours then not much of a Krausen either. Both kits went down to 1008/9 after 14 days so perhaps its just the way the kit works.

GS :drink:

 

[Hawks]

Most FVs are not as air tight as you may think, the CO2 will escape out the lid instead of the airlock.

If you have a krausen you are fine, the beer is fermenting :thumb:

 

[boozy_shoes]

your 2 Wilko stouts do sound like slightly low OG to say you added that much extra in adjuncts. Did you stir just before taking the reading as sugars can tend to sink to the bottom and give false readings. Also, did you take the temperature at the same time as most hydrometers are calibrated to 20oC and if the wort is at a different temperature the reading needs correcting (you can find calculatros to do it online).

With regards to your non starting stout, give it 48 hours from when you pitched and if it still hasn't started then clean and sterilise a ladel then put some of the krausen from the Stout thats going mental into the FV into the one that hasn't started, it soon will.

 

[mancer62]

Thank you Bozzy interesting reply. The temp I think was probably around the 30 degree mark So what adjustments would u make to my OG's? Stout a 1040 Stout b 1040 Wherry 1046

 

[NickW]

Thank you Bozzy interesting reply. The temp I think was probably around the 30 degree mark So what adjustments would u make to my OG's? Stout a 1040 Stout b 1040 Wherry 1046

30'C

 

[mancer62]

I followed the instructions by boiling 6 pints water then filled to 5 gallons....I am sure my thermometer was around 28/30 degrees somewhere in that region? Doesn't seem to have effected the first stout that's going like a bomb. :

 

[NickW]

Ohhh, apologies. As long as it want fermenting at that temperature it should be fine