Issue with Airlock. Any feedback appreciated!

[Brewer #51620]

So I'm fairly new to brewing and the one thing I've noticed about my first few batches is that the airlock sees VERY light if any activity at all. Inside the airlock looks more like condensation bubbles that stay there throughout the duration of the fermentation. I never see a release of gases/ bubbling like I see on videos online. Am I doing something incorrectly with the airlock? My other batches have come out nicely but I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly by the books. Any feedback is much appreciated! Thanks

 

[jeffpn]

How much water do you put in your airlock? Should be about half full.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

are you oxygenating the wort well?

 

[Brewer #51620]

What is the best approach to oxygenating the the wort? I've attempted to but maybe I'm doing it wrong

 

[jeffpn]

All I do is vigorously shake my fermenter for a couple minutes after pitching the yeast. Get it sloshing around. That's all you need.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

there is a hundred ways to do it but I just pour from one clean bucket to the next back and fourth, you can also shake pretty hard back and fourth or roll on its side so when you oxygenate wart most of the time it creates foam on top so my goal is to fill up the fermenter with foam to the top however you do it

 

[Brewer #51620]

I appreciate the tips. I'll be sure to try that out for my next brew. Thanks a lot!

 

[Nosybear]

I actually suspect a leak somewhere. Is everything seated well, for example, the bung in the carboy and the airlock in the bung? If you're using a bucket, they almost never seal well enough to see much airlock activity. If you're making beer, you're creating gas and it's going somewhere. Check the seals.

 

[sbaclimber]

I actually suspect a leak somewhere.

Ditto here!
Aerating your wort isn't the likely culprit at this point in the process...unless you are trying to ferment something with an awfully high OG.

 

[Nosybear]

What you'd notice if you're under-aerating is that your fermentation would start very quickly. The yeast starts anerobic fermentation - the kind that produces alcohol - once it runs out of oxygen. The symptoms you describe don't support the idea that aeration is your problem. More likely a leak in the system somewhere and it doesn't take a big one. When I suspend a dry-hop sack in my beer using monofilament fishing line, the little gap it creates between the stopper and the carboy neck is enough that my airlock stops bubbling.