New Member Introduction and Question

booosh · Aug 11, 2013

I've been meaning to look into making my own beer for a long time.

On Friday (9th August) I thought I'd give it a go with an uncharacteristic lack of research (I'm a biological scientist)! After buying a starter kit online I returned to my old ways and frantically researched as much as possible before it arrived.

I decided to give my one can Cooper's kit a bit of a "kick" with some Spraymalt. I pitched my yeast at a temperature I wasn't too happy with (~29oC) on the advice of the instructions - better to pitch at off temperature than leave vulnerable.

The setup was bubbling when I woke up on Saturday morning (~14 hours after pitch) and I was more than happy. Now, on Sunday, after a constant temperature of between 22-24 (best I can do with the weather) my airlock is a bit hit and miss. There doesn't seem to be leaks in the lid seal. The airlock stays constant when depressing the lid. The airlock will bubble for an hour, stop for a couple of hours and then start again. I have a ~9mm foam head on the top suggestive of fermentation.

I feel like an annoying noob right now, especially as I've read "The "OMG I don't want to screw up my first brew" how to." But, why is my airlock working fine but not bubbling constantly?

calumscott · Aug 11, 2013

Hi and welcome!

I've pondered that myself - nice bulgy lid, no airlock bubbles. Press lid - bubbles... :wha:

I figure that the sharp increase in pressure when pressing is enough to overcome the various fluid resistances in the airlock but sometimes the fermentation just doesn't but keeps just enough pressure to escape at the lid seal while not creating enough pressure to make it seal completely.

Sounds like your ferment is just on that boundary between fast enough gas production and not. Anyroads, Coopers kits make decent beer and using spraymalt was a good plan. You should end up with decent beer. :thumb:

Algernon · Aug 11, 2013

Rule 2 of brewing (from what I have gleaned from this lot over the past 3 or 4 months) seems to be:
"The airlock is nice to listen to when it burbles, but a lack of burble is not a cause for concern".

(Rule 1 is "whatever you think you have done wrong, see it through to the end and your beer is probably going to fix itself.")

Pitching warm may have made it a bit unhappy but as long as it cooled swiftly after that you wil probably have blagged it. It's not ideal though, as it can stress the yeast and make it sabotage your beer with long chain alcohols which never really go away and give you ropy hangovers to boot.

dennisking · Aug 11, 2013

Hi and welcome.

booosh · Aug 11, 2013

Cheers guys. As we speak the airlock is bubbling away. I guess the "head" on the brew means that it's fermenting?

I find it comforting to think about how many years humans have brewed beer for, with none of the technology and knowledge available to us today.

Will be taking some reading at the 7 day stage, see where we are. I keep reading conflicting ideas that the first fermentation period should be 4 days - 14 days (minimum!). In reality should I go with the 3-day consecutive hydrometer rule?