First AG Done - Questions?

[dadawg]

I brewed my first AG yesterday a Honey Ale.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Honey Bee
Brewer: David Appel
Asst Brewer:
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 7.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 4.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 20.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 54.05 %
12.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 8.11 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.41 %
0.75 oz Pearle [5.70 %] (60 min) Hops 18.2 IBU
0.50 oz Tradition [5.70 %] (5 min) Hops 2.4 IBU
0.10 oz Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
0.10 oz PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
3 lbs Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 32.43 %
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 6.25 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 7.81 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F

The questions that I have are the fermentation is going really slow, its been almost 24 hours and just a bubble about every 5 t0 10 minutes. It is fermenting at 69 degrees.

Second question is I came up about a 1/2 gallon short of 5 gallons is this a problem?

 

[Brew-boy]

What temperature did you pitch your yeast at and did you add O2 before pitching?

 

[dadawg]

I pitched the yeast at 71.2 degrees and I shock the fermenter for about a minute.

 

[CBBaron]

Coming up a 1/2 gal short just means you have a few less beers when you bottle. No problem. If your efficiency was where you expected then you should be a couple points higher than you expected.
Second if you did not make a starter then it is likely that your fermentation will not take off, especially if you did not have enough O2 in the wort. Shaking the carboy for about 5min should do the trick, at 1min you are a little short. This just means that the yeast will reproduce less and will ferment with a smaller population than ideal. This results in a slower ferment and perhaps a few more esters.
The beer will be fine but a starter and better aeration will improve the results next time.

Craig

 

[dadawg]

Can I shake the fermenter now?
Thanks for all the help.

 

[Danek]

Can I shake the fermenter now?

NOOOOOO!!!! Don't shake it!!

Shaking is good before you add yeast, as it aerates the wort. But once the yeast has been pitched you want to leave it alone. One slight exception would be if you get a stuck fermentation - then you could very gently stir the wort with a sanitised spoon, to rouse the yeast. But that's not what you have in this case, so it'd be best to leave it. Your beer will be fine.

 

[dadawg]

I would like to thank all of those who posted to my problem. The yeast is bubbling like crazy. Thanks for your support.

Dave