First timer here, need some advice

You are likely fine. How much yeast did you pitch? Was it dry? Did you rehydrate? Was it liquid? Did you make a starter? How old was the yeast? What strain? The answers to these questions may help explain the lack of vigor you see in the fermentation. However, the yeast should get the job done, i.e., make alcohol -- it's what they do.

It's worth noting that the answers to these questions could also impact the quality of the beer, as yeast make off-flavors and fusel alcohol too. If you give some more information about your process (especially with regard to yeast) and some sensory assessment of your finished beer, people here may be able to help you interpret what you are experiencing.

Edit: And if the beer does turn out to be less than glorious, buck up! It gets better!

 

What size is your batch? What was the original gravity reading? Have you taken another reading yet? What you describe sounds like foam from fermentation has collected on the wall of the bucket. You may already be done, although I don't know how you could have missed bubbling from the air lock.

 

Like the others said a little more info about the recipe is in order, but like Mothergoose03 said it sounds like you are near the end of fermentation.

The gunk on the walls is how high the krausen was during fermentation. It is a deposit of yeast/protein/hops. Next time just leave it there.

The best thing for you to do if you are unsure if fermentation has taken place is to take a hydrometer reading. Sanitize a turkey baster or something else to pull a sample out and test it. Go ahead and drink it too but do not put it back in the bucket. It will likely be cloudy with yeast and such since it is probably still fermenting, a good thing.

 

No airlock activity can be due to a small leak somewhere or not enough liquid in the airlock.

The only questions I would add is what temp was the wort when you added the yeast? And what temp is it currently fermenting at?

 

wait a couple weeks and bottle it up.

 

Home Brew stores and other kits want you to wait 2 weeks so that everything ferments out and allows the yeast to do some house cleaning. But once the yeast is done fermenting and cleaned up which varies depending on the yeast the beer is ready to go. The beer might be a little boozy with the yeast at high temperature. One suggestion is if you are looking to brew a lot more than i would suggestion some method of controlling the temperature of the wort and yeast. Controlling the temperature helps you produce cleaner beers and reduces the off flavors from the yeast. Buy a cheap fridge off of craigslist and buy a temperature controller would be a simple way to produce better beer.

 

This. Or at least Google "brewing swamp cooler". Fermentation generates heat, so your beer could have easily been fermenting at 73-77F. I'm sure you'll still enjoy what comes out of the bottle in a few weeks regardless.

 

Given all this additional info, you still haven't told us what your original gravity was, and if you've already taken another reading.

 

Good, That is the proteins and hop solids stuck to the yeast and rose to the top and stuck to the bucket. With no bubbles on top of the beer you should be done fermenting. sanitize a glass or take a sample and try your beer.

 

Well you didn't do things perfectly but being your first batch of beer I think the beer gods will forgive you. The first 2-3 days your fermentation is always going to go crazy and then after it can settle down to the point where it looks like nothing is happening. I still wait the two weeks or so because as far as I know there is still fermentation happening on some level. In the future you do not want to open your fermenter until it is time to bottle. The point of the airlock is to keep air from getting in so by opening the lid and poking a stick in there you are letting in air and other nasties and I guessing you sanitized your spoon or whatever, but no bueno. The shit on the side is just dead yeast and by-product pushed up from when fermentation was all bubbling and going crazy. I'm no master brewer, but to conclude, you probably were fine to begin with, and you are probably still okay, there isn't anything you can do now anyway, so I would just wait another week or so and bottle and then drink it. I know you first batch is always exciting but as long as you follow directions (including temperature where you should pitch your yeast) it is best to not mess with your beer too much and just wait (which is the hard part). Good Luck.

 

Basically, the primary, super-active fermentation is done. What is going on now is the finishing part. There are still probably a few points of fermentation going on, plus the yeast are cleaning up after themselves - that is, they are reabsorbing certain compounds and off-flavors that they put out during the main fermentation. It is theoretically possible to have a beer ready to drink in about a week, but not usually recommended.
The yeast are also currently cooling off and dropping out of solution. Leave it completely alone for another week and a half or 2 weeks, and you will be able to have much clearer beer that if you mess with it now.

 

If you pitch at 90 degrees, fermentation is going to go really quickly. You really want it to be more like 68F for most ales, or even a few degrees below that, one reason being that most yeasts will produce off flavors at the higher end of their temperature range (which is usually considered around 75).

But what's done is done. If you can, I'd wait till you get hold of the hydrometer before bottling, just to make sure you've reached final gravity, but if not, I'd probably let it sit for a week just to be sure. Then bottle it up and hope for the best. You might have some off flavors, but you never know.

 

So yeah, you still haven't told us what your original gravity was, and if you've already taken another reading. It would be SO easy to know what's going with your beer if you could tell us this. Why speculate?

 

Try reading what he's saying. He doesn't own a hydrometer.

 

OP:

Your beer is probably pretty much dome fermenting. You missed it, because you pitched the yeast when the wort was blazing ass hot. You'll have fusels and off flavors, and it'll probably taste shitty if you save a bottle in a couple months and compare it to what you're brewing then.

That said, it's beer, and it's early in the game of brewing, and you'll probably love it.

You should have left the trub that was blown on the sides of the bucket. It won't harm the beer to be in there afterwards, but no need to dig around in your fermenter when you don't need to.

Going forward from here, I'd suggest waiting to get your hydro before you move it. Check the gravity. Write it down. Check in 2 or 3 more days. If it's the same, it's done. Move on to bottling.

In the future, I'd suggest putting yeast in the fridge, getting your wort temp down to pitching temp. Like.. 60 or 65. Try and control the temp of fermentation under 70, which doesn't mean ambient temp. It'll be hotter in the fermenter during active fermentation. From there, you'll start making better beer. Stay out of the fermenter if you don't need to be in there. Generally, under normal conditions, a week or so the beer should be close to done.. 2 weeks normally for the yeast to clean up and call it a day.

Oh, and... www.howtobrew.com

 

So, then, did he take a hydrometer reading?



Sorry for missing that.