Never had the tick foamy

dennismanto · November 10, 2011, 3:26am

I am on my second batch of beer, it is the Irish Red Ale Extract kit using the Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast. I followed the instruction on the yeast packet which said to add the yeast to 4oz of warm water and let it stand a few minutes than pitched it.

My problem is that it has never had the tick foamy looking layer of krausen on top of the beer and never had a strong bubbling action in the air lock. Like my first batch of beer or from what I read about the fermentation. It has been nine days since I pitched the beer. There were few bubbles in the air lock maybe 2 to 4 a minute.

Any ideas on why I’m not having a good strong fermentation? Do you think that I should add more yeast? If so how long will the beer last without a good fermentation? If more information is needed let me know.

Thanks in Advance
Dennis

zaniricci · November 10, 2011, 2:21pm

Take a hydrometer reading, wait a few days and take another one if they are the same it is done. Every beer is different, and they all react differently to different yeast and temperatures.

What temp is it at?
What was the temp when you pitched?

mrcceo · November 10, 2011, 8:56pm

Did you aerate the wort prior to pitching?

dennismanto · November 11, 2011, 1:03am

Yes I did aerate the wort prior to pitching. The temp when I pitched was 76 and the temp now is anywhere from 67 to 72 degrees. though for the first week the temp was in the lower 60s to mid 60s.

tom_sawyer · November 11, 2011, 1:30am

Thats an awfully warm temp to pitch into. Might have been done fermenting in two days at that temp. Are you using a bucket fermentor? Sometimes the lids will not seal so great, airlock activity isn’t always sign of sluggish fermentation. If your gravity reading shows its done and its been on the yeast for ten days, then its time to bottle.

fimbrew · November 11, 2011, 1:30pm

Relax don’t worry… A pack of that yeast in 5 gal will be ready to go with no aeration. That temp fine for that yeast. It will ferment clean up to 78 f. When it gets up to 80 it will throw banana esters.
Its most likely that the fermentation is done. It’s not unusual for this yeast to finish in 24 hrs at that temp. Take a gravity reading and see where it’s at.

dennismanto · November 12, 2011, 2:04am

Thanks for all the advise. I took a gravity reading and was at 1.010, so it is done.