So I'm new to homebrewing and I'm not sure if I overfilled my airlock on my fermenter slightly because rather than creating a bunch of bubbles and those popping it seems to just be letting off one large bubble every few seconds. However it doesn't seem to be going very quickly. Should I be worried that my yeast has started to die off or gone dormant?
No. Bubbles are an indication of yeast activity (or later, off-gassing of CO2). Or a change in barometric pressure. If you see them early in a fermentation, it's most likely yeast activity. If you see rapid-fire bubbles, it's definitely a sign of yeast activity. But if you see no bubbling, it may be due to a leaky fermenter. In your case, you're seeing slow bubbling early in the fermentation, which could be due to slow fermentation, or the bubbling could be limited by a leak. Leaks can slow (or eliminate) the bubbling, but they don't slow down the fermentation. You really have to know your equipment to draw firm conclusions from bubbling rates, and even then the conclusions are qualitative rather than quantitative. My usual advice is to stop counting bubbles. If you are really impatient, take a peak inside the fermenter. Is there a krausen? Is the wort churning? Lastly, only a gravity reading can tell you how far attenuation has progressed. But I wouldn't take one after only a day or two. Patience is a virtue with fermentation, especially for new brewers.
Alright thank you. I wasn't trying to use bubbles per minute as a measurement I just assumed there would be more than there are I suppose so I got slightly nervous.
Since you are new to homebrewing, this thread will be a good read for you. https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/bpm-bubbles-per-minute.476276/ Welcome to this great hobby.
