Advice please?

[cerevisia]

I just recently (Sunday midday) brewed a Bishops Tipple clone. (I'm hoping) It was a partial mash, using:

1.5Ib pale malt,

500gms crystal malt

1oz black malt

1oz wheat malt

A can of coopers real ale for malt extract.

Goldings Hops

750gms Golden Syrup

2oz Molasses

And Safale s-04

The airlock on the fermenter only just started bubbling now when I got home from work. Normally when I brew, the airlock starts to bubble within an hour.

Should I be worried?

[denimglen]

No 24 hours 'lag' time is good.

Visible signs of fermentation withing 12 hours IMO aren't a good thing, generally means over pitching. You want the yeast to reproduce somewhat to create (even a subtle) ester profile, and over pitching can do a lot more harm than good.

I don't start worrying until 72h of no signs of fermentation.

[Reviled]

WTF is with this lbs and oz's?? ;oP

I wouldnt worry about the beer, it should be fine, as DG says, 24hours lag time is all good!

[HerrSchnapps]

^ as denimglen said. The fact you normally get bubbling within an hour seems abnormal.

[cerevisia]

Ah ok. That's a weight off the shoulders then. :D

[cerevisia]

@Reviled: Sorry man, that's the only way I know how to do measurements - a guy from the U.S taught me how to make beer and I haven't really figured out the conversion yet..

I'm working on it! ;)

[cerevisia]

Hmmm, wonder why it starts bubbling after so short a time then?

Too hot for the yeast perhaps? The beer always tastes good though..

[Reviled]

The airlock is generally not a good indicator of fermentation, it could be sucking in air as it cools down?generally I look for condensation on the lid and a krausen as a sign of fermentation

[denimglen]

You have to remember that all the airlock bubbling only shows that there's is pressure difference between the inside of the fermenter and the atmosphere outside the fermenter.

If it is actually fermenting in an hour I would say you are over pitching by A LOT, I recommend using the pitching rate calculator at mrmalty.com.

The only way to tell that it is fermenting is by taking gravity readings and seeing them drop, visual signs such as krausen and airlock bubbles should be a rough guide at most.

[cerevisia]

Krausen? (Sorry, still kinda new to this)

There is definitely condensation on the lid.

[denimglen]

Krausen is that nasty looking creamy shit that the beers hacks up and sits on top of the beer while it's fermenting.