Low temp....not started?!

[cjboddy]

Hi All

Bought a starter kit for a relative at Xmas (woodforde's sundew). Unfortunately their house isn't that warm due to ongoing renovations. The kit was started last Friday eve and as yet no airlock activity has been seen or frothy head in the bin. The therm stuck to the bin has only been showing about 17c.

We relocated the brew yesterday to my house and with part of a brew belt on it (already round a brew of mine, and doing nicely ) we've managed to get it up to 20c now. nearly 24 hrs later though and still no airlock activity etc. I decided to provoke about an hour ago now and gave it a good stir up. Is there anything else I can do to try and get it going or has it been left too long at a cold temp....hence dead duck?!

Cheers

Craig

[alexlark]

I would be tempted to go for a hydrometer reading. Some brews I have done have had no airlock activity, I think the lid on my fermenter isn't completely airtight. However, all brews have turned out fine.

[cjboddy]

Good point! Seems to be around the 1020 ish mark (didn't want to disturb it again for long) so something is happening! Didn't take a OG but looking online it would have been around the 1040 mark.

Don't rate the new brew bin / airlock if the pressure is getting out somewhere though.

Cheers
Craig

[cellone]

Don't worry about the airlocks, save them for demijohns.

I am guilty of hardly ever taking an OG but I do use my hydrometers to see how a brew is doing. As a brew nears the end of it's primary I put a sterile hydrometer in the vat and leave it there until I'm happy with it.

[alexlark]

At 1.020 it looks like it's fermenting to me. Good luck with the brew!