Fermentation Problem??

[sullydavid]

Just got back into this hobby again and got some new equipment:
6.5 gallon plastic bucket style primary fermentor
new airlock

Anyway, made my first batch (my first in about 5 years) Saturday night pretty late (around midnight) at a friend's house. Didn't see any action (bubbles in the airlock) throughout Sunday, but I wasn;t too concerned because at the time it had only been about 18 hours. By Monday I spoke with him and was getting concerned. Still no action so I went over after work thinking of re-pitching it. When I cracked the bucket open I saw that fermentation had been taking place. Saw fair amounts of crud had bubbled up about 2 inches or so above the level of the liquid and looked about how I remembered it looking.

What I am wondering is if this means that I actually have a decent ferment going or not. If I do, I have no idea where the gasses are going. I suppose it is possible that the bucket is not 100% airtight, but I have never seen anything like this.

The beer is a English Pale Ale that was pitched with 11 grams of Nottingham yeast.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[fuji6100]

If you have a good crud ring then that's a good sign that you had a high-krausen stage. Your fermentation is probably fine. My first 6.5 bucket didn't seal airtight and I never saw a bubble in my airlock.

A lot of my lighter beers started and finished the rapid fermentation stage in a single night. I went to bed with not much going on, and when I got up in the morning the high-krausen had come, gone, and left its tell-tale ring.

Welcome back to homebrewin!

[ray m]

My advice to you is the same as Fuji's. When I started homebrewing with a 6.5 gal. bucket, I never saw a bubble, either, in the airlock, but definitely had the crud ring. That's why, after 3 or 4 batches, I made a modest investment in a 7 gallon glass carboy, so I could always monitor the activity when I wished. Whether or not YOU wish to make the same modest investment depends on if you plan on staying with this for awhile. I think your brew is fine---don't worry. Hope it turns out good!!

[sullydavid]

Well, I went ahead and got a gravity reading on it. It is at 1.014 so I am pretty happy, started at 1.045.

When I first started this hobby (before my long break) I had a Mr. Beer, which did get an airtight lock as well as being clear. I appreciate the advice and think that I probably will get a 6.5/7 carboy for a primary. Not until I get a couple more secondaries though :) If my wife had any idea how much stuff was on my shopping list she would freak.

Thanks again.

[fuji6100]

I had a Mr. Beer, which did get an airtight lock as well as being clear

I also started with a Mr. Beer. After one batch I quickly converted to a better setup (and better ingredients) but I still keep the Mr. Beer fermenter around for small (2.2 gallon) batches that can ferment in under 2 weeks (light ales.) I make some lighter beer in it every once in a while to appease the BudMillerCoors drinkers that come by and aren't fond of my darker maltier beers.

If you look on the top of the Mr. Beer, you will notice 2 notches cut out where the lid screws on. Those are the pressure vents, so you really don't get an airtight seal on the lid. If you did, it would blow the thing off ~_^ I'm pretty sure that with the short fermentation time you use the Mr. Beer fermenter for, that there is a steady stream of C02 coming out, so the chances of stuff getting in through the vents is pretty slim.