Fermentor Lid Removal

[sambre]

New brewer here. I’m fermenting my first batch right now. I have a 6.5 gallon plastic bucket with a large lid from northern brewer. My first batch (Block Party Amber Ale) has been fermenting for 7 days now and all bubbling in the air lock has stopped. Through the plastic it looks like the Krausen hasn’t fallen yet. Is it ok to remove the lid/air lock to check on it or should I wait? Not sure if it’s ok to remove the lid multiple times during fermentation? I also have a hydrometer. I imagine that I wouldn’t want to take any readings until the Krausen falls?

[loopie_beer]

Although you don’t want to open the lid unnecessarily opening it is fine with very little risk.
I can save you some time and tell you that I wouldn’t even worry about taking a reading until day 14-21. Bubbling is not a good sign of fermentation and the yeast is cleaning up the byproducts.

[jmck]

@loopie_beer is right, give it another week or 2. RDWHAHB. Even when the krausen falls, the yeast is still doing stuff.

Another tip with those buckets, you can put a flashlight against the side, at the krausen line, and see if it's fallen. If you see a solid shadow it's still there. If you just see the speckles of krausen-crud stuck to the sides, its fallen.

[squeegeethree]

You probably, when trying to look through a semi opaque bucket, see a krausen ring stuck to the side of the bucket rather than the krausen itself.

[sneezles61]

Welcome to the forum! Ah... the first brew. For many of us, that was a long time ago... And we still get all giddy!
I hope you have some sort of sanitizer on hand... Next time you open the bucket, plunk your hydrometer, sanitized along with your hands, quietly into your brew and see what it sez... Repeat this about 4 days later... If it's the same reading... You are about done and ready to bottle! Sneezles61

[brew_cat]

You can crack the lid to look in for a peek nothing bad is going to happen. Heck I open mine and scoop out a cup of krausen to make bread all the time. I've dropped a santized hydrometer in the bucket after the krausen dropped and just left it in there to monitor easy peasy. Just wash and sanatize anything that touches your wort/beer post boil and you'll be fine nothing is lurking around to jump into your fermenter unless maybe you leave the lid off for awhile. Actually I've done that before on purpose but that's another discussion

[wilcolandzaat]

Even in belguim they do open fermetation