Learn from someone who should know better, me.
I have read about making homebrew for over 3 years now. That includes a combination of reading books and this forum as well as others on the internet. I can't remember how many times I have read the last 3 years questions with guys asking this, "I pitched my yeast 24 hours ago, and I don't see any bubbling in the airlock, is something wrong with my beer?" I know the answer, "Just because you don't see bubbling, doesn't mean your beer is not fermenting, or ruined." Now, my mistake (although I don't see this as totally beer ruining.)
I brewed my hoppy pale ale Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. I pitched my yeast about 2:30pm. I noticed yeast colonies floating on my beer by bedtime Sunday. Monday morning when I woke up, I expected a bubbling airlock - but, nothing. It "looked" like the beer was fermenting but no bubbles, Hmm. I was going to be busy the first half of Monday and to be cautious, I pitched another dry pack of US-05, just in case - (that was my mistake - a dumb mistake). I check on my beer about supper time Monday and I see yeast rolling through the beer (fermenting at about 68 degrees). No bubbles. Guess what, the carboy hood on my better bottle did not have a "tight seal." The little orange carboy hood had seen its better days. I sanitized a new one and put the airlock on. The beer is fine, but I added too much yeast. I don't think I am in the category of "overpitched" yeast, but I bet I am close. A picture of the ferment is below. It is hard to tell from that pic, but the fermometer reads 68.
