Ok so this morning (day 3) I decided to pop back down to Hauraki Brewing to ask some questions because I was concerned that the brew wasn't going as well as I had expected.
What has happened so far:
1. After 24 hours there was some activity on the top of the brew.
2. Condensation has formed on the inside of the lid and a few small bubbles have formed in the airlock.
But no further activity and I was concerned that there wasn't an effective seal around the airlock or that the yeast was ineffective to begin with.
What I learned:
1. The brew is working and will work regardless of whether the seal has worked.
2. The water in the plastic airlock must be uneven in the two reservoirs to show that the pressure in the Fermenter is different from the outside and therefore the Fermenter is sealed. Until now the water has been even between the two which shows it hasn't been sealed.
3. The rubber bung you use to attached the plastic airlock to the lid of the Fermenter which comes with the kit is hopeless. The lady at Hauraki gave me a replacement but told me not to replace it until the next brew.
4. Don't over-tighten the lid - there is a sweet spot somewhere between not tight enough and too tight which is where the seal is complete.
I was also told not to open the lid but when I got home and fiddled with the lid and the airlock it became apparent to me that the rubber bung was the problem so I whipped off the lid to attached the new one. Once I carefully put the lid back on I refilled the plastic airlock and it appears the water is uneven! Hopefully now the brewing will kick off again.
It's hard not to want to check the brew every five minutes expecting a sudden change so I'll do my best to leave it for now and hopefully in a few hours the pressure will have built up sufficiently that we'll see some more activity.
What has happened so far:
1. After 24 hours there was some activity on the top of the brew.
2. Condensation has formed on the inside of the lid and a few small bubbles have formed in the airlock.
But no further activity and I was concerned that there wasn't an effective seal around the airlock or that the yeast was ineffective to begin with.
What I learned:
1. The brew is working and will work regardless of whether the seal has worked.
2. The water in the plastic airlock must be uneven in the two reservoirs to show that the pressure in the Fermenter is different from the outside and therefore the Fermenter is sealed. Until now the water has been even between the two which shows it hasn't been sealed.
3. The rubber bung you use to attached the plastic airlock to the lid of the Fermenter which comes with the kit is hopeless. The lady at Hauraki gave me a replacement but told me not to replace it until the next brew.
4. Don't over-tighten the lid - there is a sweet spot somewhere between not tight enough and too tight which is where the seal is complete.
I was also told not to open the lid but when I got home and fiddled with the lid and the airlock it became apparent to me that the rubber bung was the problem so I whipped off the lid to attached the new one. Once I carefully put the lid back on I refilled the plastic airlock and it appears the water is uneven! Hopefully now the brewing will kick off again.
It's hard not to want to check the brew every five minutes expecting a sudden change so I'll do my best to leave it for now and hopefully in a few hours the pressure will have built up sufficiently that we'll see some more activity.
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