Slow Fermentation Question

[hexalite]

Hey,

My friend and I are brewing our first homebrew. Our wyeast 1056 smack pack had a problem with activating before we started cooking our wort becuase the smack bag was flipped on it's side. We didn't notice till the end and as a result, we gave the yeast only an hour to activate inside of a bowl covered with seran wrap. We areated our wort and pitched the yeast.

Now, we're using Honey as our fermenting sugar. We used 3 pounds to 5 gallons. It's been almost 2 days and there's only about an inch of foam and only a few small bubbles in the airlock. The hydrometer reads at 1.02 around our 1.0275 target.

We're wondering if there should be a more active fermentation? Would using Honey slow this process? Or is the fermentation alreay done?

Thanks guys!

[wortchillergoal]

Since 1.02 is smaller than 1.0275, I would say your fermentation is done. I can't be sure with out your starting gravity. It is possible to miss seeing active fermentation.

[hexalite]

Unfortunately we were so exhausted by the end of the process that we forgot about checking something like the starting gravity. I suppose I'll leave it for a few days and see if anything else happens. But I wonder if letting the starter go for only 1 hour was 2 hours too short of 3hours. Though the little diagram showed a min of 1 and max of 3 hours so I assume that might be fine (although I read about everyone leaving theirs for 8 or so)Otherwise the brew smells normal (well, as normal as I can figure).

[danno]

I'd only worry if it didn't expand at all. if you even got slight expansion, you're fine. like wort said, if you're at 1.02x, you're fine...

[danno]

wow, just like to let you all know this post and the previous one are courtesty of my uninterruptable power supply. we're under both a severe thunderstorm warning and a tornado warning (although the tornado isn't near us) right now, and the power just went out...

[brewmonkey]

Honey is a notoriously slow fermentor so you could expect to see an increase in the time needed for completion. I also am curious as to what your recipe for this batch was. If it was an extract beer did you use any type of yeast nutrients? That is a key point when brewing with extract and expecially when using a large amount of honey as you did.

I also have to ask about this statement...

We didn't notice till the end and as a result, we gave the yeast only an hour to activate inside of a bowl covered with seran wrap. We areated our wort and pitched the yeast.

Does this mean you emptied the contents of the smack pack into a bowl and then pitched from the bowl itself?

[hexalite]

Does this mean you emptied the contents of the smack pack into a bowl and then pitched from the bowl itself?

Yes, we had to open the pack becuase it was not expanding after 3 hours due to the pack inside being flipped around on its side. We mixed the yeast + activator into a steralized bowl and covered it with plastic wrap for an hour before we pitched it.

[hexalite]

I also am curious as to what your recipe for this batch was.

Got it off some random website I think.

Honey Ale
4 lbs Extra Light Dry Malt Extract
3 lbs Fireweed Honey
1/2 lb Honey Malt
1 1/2 oz Cascade Hops 10 HBUs (Boiling) 60 mins
1/2 oz Cascade Hops (Aroma) 1 min
Wyeast 1056 American Ale

For Bottling:
1 1/4 cup Dry Malt Extract Or 3/4 cup Corn sugar

Add cracked Honey Malt to 1 1/2 gals of cold water and bring to boil. When the boiling starts, remove the grain. Add the Extra Light Dry Malt Extract and Fireweed Honey then bring to a boil again. Add 1 1/2 oz Cascade Hops. Boil for 59 mins. Add 1/2 oz of Cascade Hops and boil for 1 min. Sparge the hops with cold water then add the wort to the fermenter with cold water to make 5 gals. Add yeast when the temp reaches 70º. Add yeast when the temp reaches 70º. Ferment at 65º for 5 days or until fermentation slows. Rack to a secondary fermenter. Let it age 2 weeks in secondary, then bottle or keg. For bottling, use 1 1/4 cup of dry malt extract boiled with 2 cups of water added in the bottling bucket.

[hexalite]

Wait, I just thought of something...

Do you include the Malt Extract in the calculation of fermentables for the hydrometer? I only measured it for Honey.