First timer with several questions. Amber Block Party

[tomp]

I purchased the Amber Block Party starter kit. I have the fermenter set up but I am not seeing any action in the air lock. I read elsewhere to not worry about it but I wanted to know how to tell if the wort was actually fermenting. If I open the lid to take a temp. will that have a negative effect? Also if I get a hydrometer how do I get a sample to check? Can I open the lid and then pour the sample back in or do I use the spigot to draw a sample and then discard?
Any advice would be welcome to this newbie.
Thanks.

[mhall2013]

Air lock is a poor indicator of fermentation. How long has it been? What yeast was pitched. What temp? Get one of those stick on thermometer. I'd let it go for now before worrying about taking a sample or to check temp. You would discard sample so you wouldn't contaminate. Not familiar with kit does the fermentor have a spigot?

[WMNoob]

^^^ this

[sneezles61]

Tell us more... When did you brew this? Taking a sample and dumping some back WILL infect your new brew... Could you spill your guts out on your process... Sneezles61

[squeegeethree]

Must be a bad batch of bucket lids out there because it seems this lack of activity question is coming up every few days here

You need a "thief" to take a sample
https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/fermtech-wine-thief
I have this one but I have taken to using a refractometer instead

[brew_cat]

You could pull the lid for a peek or pull the air lick and look in with a flashlight. If you see some white spots on top it's fermenting. I've never had one not ferment. I've had slow starters but they always ferment unless you use dead yeast or something. I wash and sanitze my hydrometer and drop it right in the bucket. If you do pull a sample take a taste it won't take anything like the finished beer but over time you will be able to get some idea about the beer

[tomp]

I did pull the lid. Saw some light brown/tan spots. The brew smelled yeasty so I guess all is well.
Directions say to ferment 14 days. This is day 5. Will it hurt to let it go longer and how will I know when long enough is?

[tomp]

I'm not sure what type of yeast I had. It was what came with the kit.
I just put a stick on thermometer on the bucket. It is reading around 65.
The fermentor does have a spigot.

[squeegeethree]

Remember anything that you stick in your beer or wort needs to be sanitized. I keep a spray bottle of premixed Starsan around for these occasions. If it's day 5 I would go the full 14 days then check the gravity with a hygrometer then I would check again in 2 days and see if it changes. If it changes then I would check again in 2 more days. If you are under 1.010 for 2 days straight there is a good chance you are done. I have had brews finish at 1.022 and be done as well but most often they are not. The colder the temp within the yeasts range the lower it may take. The less healthy a pitch of yeast is the longer it may take. I generally take 3 weeks to complete fermentation. Sometimes it could be 2 weeks sometimes it could be 6 months.

[Bencrandon]

FYI I did the same kit last weekend.

The bucket lid was really tough to snap
On, literally had to hit it with my plan along the edges to hear it snap on, are you sure the lid went on ok?

Its different to some buckets that grip on a lot easier and allow air to pass through the rim when you push the lid down.