Primary Fermentation Question

[askear]

I brewed a steam beer using the GG-42 kit and substituting WYeast 2112 for the yeast that came in the kit. I brewed the batch on Friday, July 11 and still have no visible evidence of fermentation in the airlock of my primary. I added the yeast to the primary at 69 deg F and am storing it in my basement in an effort to keep the temp cool. My question is how long should I leave it in the primary before racking it to the secondary fermenter? I have always waited until the bubbling either completely stopped or there were several minutes between bubbles in the airlock in the past.

Thanks in advance,
Russ

[rcarson]

Is the lid tight, is the air lock seal tight, what was the starting gravity and what is the current gravity. When I have a fermentation question I will check the gravity and if it is dropping it is fermenting. The last thing I want to do is peek inside the fermentor but if I must I must

[grapeadmin]

Yes, open it up and look inside. It is not uncommon for the lid to appear sealed when in fact it leaks slightly. If this is the case, you won't see any activity in the airlock. If you open it and see foam, it is fermenting. This is the case 99% of the time.

john

[Big Dave]

If you look down a few topics on the forum, you'll see one with the title (Yet another) Airlock Story. It's my story with a similar beginning. It had a very happy ending. I'll be interested to hear how yours comes out.

[askear]

Thanks for all of the replies. I did gently squeeze my primary and the airlock did bubble. I just took a reading and the specific gravity is at 1.020, I'm not sure what my target should be but since it's only been in there since Friday I think I'll leave it for a couple more days and check it again.

Thanks again
Russ

[grapeadmin]

If it is down to 1.020, you are getting close to the end. As you said, just give it a few more days and then you should be ready to rack it to the secondary. Just don't bottle it till it is clear and stable.

thanks!
john