Low Og Bavarian Wheat

[boriskane]

hi,

we recently put in a bavarian wheat and replaced the dextrose with dried malt extract. we were targeting an alc of around %5-6, but our OG came out at 1035. our final gravity stuck at around 1008, so it's well below our expectations, and what we thought the replacement of dextrose would turn out to be.

can anyone pick out what we did wrong, ill list off the main factors that could have affected it:


--didnt completely dissolve the dried malt extract in warm water, so we had some chunks floating after we put it in, but we eventually stirred that out.

--during fermentation the temperature was between 22-24C (ive read in some forums that ideal for bavarian wheat is 18?)


other than that there isnt much else that we did wrong. any guesses?

 

[Dazza_devil]

1.008 is very low FG for an all malt extract brew.
I don't see anyhting wrong, in fact I would like to know how you did so well.

 

[lukewarm]

hi,

we recently put in a bavarian wheat and replaced the dextrose with dried malt extract. we were targeting an alc of around %5-6, but our OG came out at 1035. our final gravity stuck at around 1008, so it's well below our expectations, and what we thought the replacement of dextrose would turn out to be.

can anyone pick out what we did wrong, ill list off the main factors that could have affected it:


--didnt completely dissolve the dried malt extract in warm water, so we had some chunks floating after we put it in, but we eventually stirred that out.

--during fermentation the temperature was between 22-24C (ive read in some forums that ideal for bavarian wheat is 18?)


other than that there isnt much else that we did wrong. any guesses?

Can you give specifics on the replacements? How much dextrose was replaced with how much malt?

 

[boriskane]

we replaced 1kg of dextrose with 1kg of dried malt wheat extract, thats what the homebrew shop brewmaster told us to do.

we simply just used this kit:
http://www.westbrew.com.au/showProduct/Hom...xtracts/0570025

and then replaced the yeast with a WB-06 safbrew

replaced the dextrose with this
http://www.westbrew.com.au/showProduct/Hom...xtracts/0570025


he said it should give us an alc of around 5-6% but we cant figure out why our OG was low...


on our first kit we did the standard munich lager with dextrose and the wb-06 and we got a 1036 OG with a 1006 FG.

 

[Dazza_devil]

I'm not familiar with that specific yeast, perhaps it's an equivalent for another wheat yeast. I certainly wouldn't be complaining if my extract brews were finishing like yours.

How did you calculate you OG?

 

[boriskane]

I'm not familiar with that specific yeast, perhaps it's an equivalent for another wheat yeast. I certainly wouldn't be complaining if my extract brews were finishing like yours.

How did you calculate you OG?

it's this one in case the image rings a bell
http://www.westbrew.com.au/showProduct/Hom.../Yeasts/0550012

the OG? i think we just took a hydro before we put in the yeast? so after we had mixed everything together

 

[Dazza_devil]

it's this one in case the image rings a bell
http://www.westbrew.com.au/showProduct/Hom.../Yeasts/0550012

the OG? i think we just took a hydro before we put in the yeast? so after we had mixed everything together

Sounds to me as if your hydrometer could be out or you have taken a reading at a temperature other than that which the hydrometer is designed to be accurate.
Does it read 0 in water at 20 degrees C? (assuming your hydrometer is calibrated for that temp.)
Perhaps put your ingredients into this http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWeb...p;idDetails=107 and see how it compares.

 

[Pennywise]

Did you take your OG sample before or after you stirred in the clumps? What volume was the brew?

I too would like to know how you got your FG so low with a) all malt & b ) that yeast

 

[boriskane]

Sounds to me as if your hydrometer could be out or you have taken a reading at a temperature other than that which the hydrometer is designed to be accurate.
Does it read 0 in water at 20 degrees C? (assuming your hydrometer is calibrated for that temp.)
Perhaps put your ingredients into this http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWeb...p;idDetails=107 and see how it compares.

yeah it read 0, and what temperature should i be taking a reading at the will make the hydrometer more accurate?

do all kits regardless of type give you an OG of around 1035?

that calculater is saying that you get a lower FG when using dextrose as opposed to a dried malt extract, the guy at the lhbs said otherwise...

 

[Dazza_devil]

I think the majority of hydrometers are calibrated for 20 degrees C.

Your OG will depend upon your ingredients and final volume,

Can you list your ingredients, their amounts and the final volume of your wort?

Your FG may be dependant on many other factors.

 

[boriskane]

Did you take your OG sample before or after you stirred in the clumps? What volume was the brew?

I too would like to know how you got your FG so low with a) all malt & b ) that yeast

OG sample was taken after stirred the clumps. the brew was approximately 21L

it might also be worth a note(?) that the temperature decreased from 24 to 22C during primary over the course of 10 days...that length of time could also be why our FG came out lower? but it was only during the 8,9,and 10th day that it had settled to 1008.

 

[Pennywise]

It wont matter how long you leave the brew, when it's done it's done. One of the few things that can cause it to go much lower than expected is infection. At 21L it should have had a higher OG, more like 1044-6 and off the top of my head an FG of around 1012. My hydrometer is calibrated at 15.6 degrees. This is a good temp correction table http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html

 

[Dazza_devil]

I don't know which kit you used, the link shows a bag of Dried Wheat Malt but I would reckon 1.043 if it's a 1.7kg kit.
Perhaps you left some liquid malt in the kit can or spilled some malt. It's also possible your fermenter volume marks are innacurate as is apparently common.
Maybe just a combination of all of the above.
As long as she's a good beer I wouldn't be too concerned but it does seem a little odd.

 

[Weizguy]

I used my Beersmith.

With a 1.5 kg extract kit and 1 kg wheat DME -> 1.038 s.g. in 22 litres
With a 1.7 kg extract kit and 1 kg wheat DME -> 1.041 s.g. in 22 litres

a 1.008 f.g. with initial gravity of 1.038 --> 3.9% alc/vol

I would expect that you have some nutrient in your water (either added, naturally present or from the extracts) and this would have helped with the final gravity. Also, warmer ferment temp would have helped with that too, IMO.

There are no surprises experienced here.

So, can you tell us how the beer tasted?

Les out

 

[Dazza_devil]

I used my Beersmith.

With a 1.5 kg extract kit and 1 kg wheat DME -> 1.038 s.g. in 22 litres
With a 1.7 kg extract kit and 1 kg wheat DME -> 1.041 s.g. in 22 litres

a 1.008 f.g. with initial gravity of 1.038 --> 3.9% alc/vol

I would expect that you have some nutrient in your water (either added, naturally present or from the extracts) and this would have helped with the final gravity. Also, warmer ferment temp would have helped with that too, IMO.

There are no surprises experienced here.

So, can you tell us how the beer tasted?

Les out

I think it was 21 litres Les.

 

[boriskane]

I don't know which kit you used, the link shows a bag of Dried Wheat Malt but I would reckon 1.043 if it's a 1.7kg kit.
Perhaps you left some liquid malt in the kit can or spilled some malt. It's also possible your fermenter volume marks are innacurate as is apparently common.
Maybe just a combination of all of the above.
As long as she's a good beer I wouldn't be too concerned but it does seem a little odd.

sorry i pasted the wrong link, here is the right one: bavarian wheat pack

hmm yeah i see, fair enough. there was probably some liquid on the side of the can that we might have looked over or something.

I would expect that you have some nutrient in your water (either added, naturally present or from the extracts) and this would have helped with the final gravity. Also, warmer ferment temp would have helped with that too, IMO........

With a 1.5 kg extract kit and 1 kg wheat DME -> 1.038 s.g. in 22 litres
With a 1.7 kg extract kit and 1 kg wheat DME -> 1.041 s.g. in 22 litres

a 1.008 f.g. with initial gravity of 1.038 --> 3.9% alc/vol

ah ok, yeah.

it seems like a combination of little factors probably attributed to the lower OG of 1.035 and lower FG

 

[boriskane]

it was a 1.5kg kit...