Wals Kit wheat beer

[eMPTy]

Hi guys, this is my first time posting on this forum, i've read alot here but need some thoughts please.

This is my 2nd attempt with a kit, both have been Wals branded. The shop I have closest to me pushes this brand, but perhaps now I have found out why... It appears they own the brand.

Onto this beer itself. I used a Wals Wheat tin, 1.5kg of wheat liquid malt and the yeast provided in the tin (as I was informed that would do the job nicely). I then dry hopped after just over a week. The OG was 1.041 and the fermenter was kept at between about 20-22 degrees. Because I am new to this i've taken a few hydrometer readings to try check this was on track. 20 days later and the beer has stalled and is still at about 1.02 - it has been there about 1-1.5 weeks.

What do you think is the likely problem? Could it be as simple as garbage yeast that gives up or do you think it could be something else? My last Wals can also stalled higher than I would have liked.

Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[Hoppers]

Sounds to me like its ready to bottle, seeing you are getting the same hydro readings over 3-4 days

What FG were you expecting ?

 

[eMPTy]

It sounds that way to me too.

To be honest, I am not 100% what I should have been expecting given the can has no information on expected ballpark final gravity.

The way it was sold to me though made it sound as though it should be making a commercial beer type strength of 4.5-5%. With it currently sitting at closer to half that it seemed to me (as a total novice) that something could be wrong.

 

[Leviathan]

Does it taste a little sweet? Was the wheat malt their own brand or coopers? Im willing to bet the wheat tin/bucket/jar has probably been gathering dust on the shelf for a while and has lost some fermentability so if the containers are around id be curious to know the best before dates. Remember too if you're bottling you can add 0.3 - 0.5% to your final abv.

Out of curiosity your handle looks familiar to me, do you like a bit of a punt?

 

[eMPTy]

Bottling now. The last one that also finished higher than expected was a tad sweet. The wheat malt was also their own. Perhaps i'll try again next time using nothing that is their brand and see if results differ.

Yes, i do lol.

 

[shacked]

What was your recipe and volume? 1.020 sounds high for a wheat beer.

 

[pcmfisher]

Does it taste a little sweet? Was the wheat malt their own brand or coopers? Im willing to bet the wheat tin/bucket/jar has probably been gathering dust on the shelf for a while and has lost some fermentability so if the containers are around id be curious to know the best before dates. Remember too if you're bottling you can add 0.3 - 0.5% to your final abv.

Out of curiosity your handle looks familiar to me, do you like a bit of a punt?

Does malt lose fermentability as it ages?

 

[manticle]

Sounds to me like its ready to bottle, seeing you are getting the same hydro readings over 3-4 days

?

Sweet jesus no.
Depending on ingredients and a few other factors of course but in most instances 1020 will be too high.
I hope none of them explode.

 

[eMPTy]

What was your recipe and volume? 1.020 sounds high for a wheat beer.

I agree it sounds high, even knowing the little I do. That is why I am so damn confused...

The 'recipe' if you can even call it that was mentioned in the original post. Wals Wheat tin, 1kg of wheat liquid malt and the yeast provided in the tin.

 

[shacked]

23L?

I think your ferment 'stuck' at 1.020 and bottling will kick the yeast back off leaving you with at best heavily carbonated beer and at worst exploding shards of glass.

The stable gravity principle only works once you have reached the ball park of your target gravity. For a kit wheat (at a guess) it would be 1.010 to 1.014. 1.020 is substantially higher.

Be really careful (wear eye protection etc) and open a bottle. If it's already quite carbonated or the contents gush out, I would ditch the batch.

 

[eMPTy]

23L?

I think your ferment 'stuck' at 1.020 and bottling will kick the yeast back off leaving you with at best heavily carbonated beer and at worst exploding shards of glass.

The stable gravity principle only works once you have reached the ball park of your target gravity. For a kit wheat (at a guess) it would be 1.010 to 1.014. 1.020 is substantially higher.

Be really careful (wear eye protection etc) and open a bottle. If it's already quite carbonated or the contents gush out, I would ditch the batch.

Appreciate the thoughts, and yes, 23L.

Will leave it 10 days or so and carefully open one and see if there is any future for this batch.

 

[shacked]

Honestly mate (not trying to be over the top), I'd be checking one a lot sooner than that; tomorrow or the next day.

 

[shacked]

Give this a read too: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/articles/article130.html

 

[shacked]

Appreciate the thoughts, and yes, 23L.

Will leave it 10 days or so and carefully open one and see if there is any future for this batch.

How did this turn out mate?

 

[eMPTy]

Turned out very drinkable. No bottle bombs to speak of thankfully.

As suggested earlier in the thread, I think for my next attempt I will try to do the exact same process with a kit of a different brand and see how any results differ.

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

I've done six kit wheat beers in the last year, they do tend to finish a bit high, but only 1.006 to 1.008 ish. I believe wheat malt is very hard to ferment and is generally mixed whit barley malt to help, this may be why your brew didn't ferment right down, I don't know.

I only used sugar when bottling prefering to add more malt to ferment for more flavour but adding sugar may help fement the wheat malt better if you wanted to experiment more.

 

[pcmfisher]

I've done six kit wheat beers in the last year, they do tend to finish a bit high, but only 1.006 to 1.008 ish. I believe wheat malt is very hard to ferment and is generally mixed whit barley malt to help, this may be why your brew didn't ferment right down, I don't know.

I only used sugar when bottling prefering to add more malt to ferment for more flavour but adding sugar may help fement the wheat malt better if you wanted to experiment more.

1.006 to 1.008 is a bit high?
What do your other beers finish at?

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

1.006 to 1.008 is a bit high?
What do your other beers finish at?

I just bottled a coopers pale ale at 1.004 which is only had 300 grams of light malt and 100 grams of sugar added, with the intent of making a lower alcohol brew.

Other PAs have been as high as 1.006 but I have not had a bottle leak or explode (yet).

I read the hydrometer at the top of the meniscus which I struggle to determine sometimes with bubbles in it and now needing glasses.