Help! Efficiency Too High In Wheat Beer

[SJW]

I am boiling my Hefe now but the problem is my pre boil gravity was way up on what I planned for. The recipce is the same as my last and first wheat beer except for the fact that I am using JW Wheat instead of German. I only hit 55% last time but I thought that the grind of the wheat was not fine enough, as there was still whole grains after the mash. This time I milled the wheat to flour and even at 60% it still sparged great. At this point in time I am heading for a OG of 1.064. So should I add 3 litres of water to the fermenter? If so when should I add it. Pre or post fermentation?

Steve

 

[newguy]

For peace of mind, add it to the kettle now. You're assured that the water won't be the source of an infection.

 

[Trent]

Steve
Use your refractometer (if ya have one) and see what the gravity is in the boil. Work out how much you boil off, and hence what the post boil gravity will be. Add your water to the kettle if you are still boiling, rather than the fermenter, boiled water is much more sanitary than tap water!
All the best
Trent

 

[rich_lamb]

And I guess the next best option would be to add boiled and cooled water pre-fermentation. The lower gravity will mean the yeasties are healthier - particularly important in a hefe.

 

[SJW]

Thanks fellas I ended up using 3 litres of chilled water I had in the fridge. I added it as I started to chill. As I dont no chill anymore I us my imersion to get it down to 50 deg C the transfer to fermenter.

Steve

 

[Fents]

you just had that stack so your could brew more didnt you....im watching you! :lol:

 

[Ross]

Wheat should give you higher efficiency than barley, so certainly sounds like your first crush was way to coarse if you got on 55%
Set yor mill a lot finer for wheat Steve, it is a smaller grain & since it has no husk, you don't have to worry about miling too fine.
We run wheat & Rye seperately through our mill for this very reason & then mix back with the other grain before running through again.

Cheers Ross

 

[tangent]

weizenbock!

 

[Kingy]

when i do a wheat beer my efficency is always throught the roof, i wish my other beers would come out that high. There might be a reason to this, ill have think aftermaybe tomorrow as the wheat beer im drinking from a 700ml glass is numbing me ATM :lol:

 

[blackbock]

Are you guys all using the JW wheat?

Wessmith wrote yesterday I think, that the Australian wheat varieties have to be highly modified in order to overcome the large proportion of proteins contained in them. This probably goes part of the way to explaining why they convert so well.

 

[SJW]

Yes as I said prior, this was JW and I crushed till it was a very very very fine grist, like sand. And the 40% BB Pils had lots of husk left for the mash. I ended up hiting 85% with this one.
And I did not tell the Mrs I brewed today either. She would go mental. I will just pitch the yeast late tonight when she is in bed. Boy I hope there is no Mrs SJW on this site.

Steve

 

[blackbock]

Some things should remain sacred