Agave wheat too dry

Gofastr1 · 05-15-2010, 06:59 PM

I just put 2x5g of agave wheat into the keezer to cool before kegging. These sat in primary for 21 days.

One started at 1.053, currently is at 1.008, and tastes pretty good (this was on White Labs American Hefe); nice body and a hint of the sweetness and flavor from honey flavored agave addition at day 3.

The other started at 1.052, and is now at 1.004 (this one on Wyeast American Ale; ~92% attenuation!?) it's pretty thin and doesn't have much flavor, really none of the amber agave nectar I added ~ 3 days into fementation. Any suggestions on how to make this a little fuller? Maybe add in another 3 or 4 points worth of the agave nectar?

**ghpeel** · 05-15-2010, 10:15 PM

I would think that the agave is damn near 100% fermentable. Like honey, which means that adding more won't add body, just alcohol and dryness.

Gofastr1 · 05-16-2010, 12:41 AM

Good point - then what ought I try to give it a little more backbone?

And any ideas on why these may have gone so dry? This is my fourth batch of beer (all of'em 10g AG, split into two ferms) and both these fermentors got to much lower FGs than anything I'd made previously. My grain bill was:
American Pale 41%
American Wheat 52%
Belgian Carapils 5%
Biscuit Malt 1%
Flaked Wheat 1%
Rice Hulls (1# in 16.5# grains)

I didn't compensate strike temerature for my rinsed and drained rice hulls, so my initial mash temp was 148, but 5 minutes in I put my flame on low and got to 153-154 by 20 minutes into the 60 minute mash... think those beta amalyses would work that fast to give such a highly fermentable wort? Kept fermentation 65-67F throughout the 21 days.

**ghpeel** · 05-16-2010, 02:46 AM

Wheat is pretty fermentable, and and you don't have any crystal malts for sweetness. Cara-pils is adding some body, but I can see how this beer would be pretty dry, based on the yeast. If you are using anything with medium to high attenuation, then this beer will be fairly dry unless you mash at 156-158F. I'm not sure how much the first 20 min at 148F affected the beer, but I would assume it's helping dry it out. Pre-heat the mashtun and mash a little hotter next time. Plus, add some crystal for a little more body and sweetness.

**Edcculus** · 05-16-2010, 02:58 AM

Looks like you probably produced a pretty fermentable wort. Combine that with the Agave nectar, which like ghpeel said is sugar for all intents and purposes. If you want to do it again, I'd bump up your character malts to at least 10% of the grain bill. I think a little Honey Malt would be great in a beer like this.

If you think this beer is too dry, you could always add a little maltodextrin. The usual amound is 8oz per 5 gallons.

**944play** · 05-16-2010, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edcculus

If you think this beer is too dry, you could always add a little maltodextrin.

+1. Maltodextrin is really cool stuff. It makes beer pour all glossy, with dense head and nice chunky mouthfeel. It's what they put in Gatorade to make it less.. well, watery.

Gofastr1 · 05-16-2010, 02:37 PM

Thanks for all the advice. I created the recipe after looking at a half dozen others, but went largly with the grain bill from a 1st place AHA Nationals (don't know year) by a Jack H. Denny: that was 50% wheat, 44% pale and 6% carapils on Edme dry ale yeast... but didn't have the mash temp, and as n00b, failed to realize the agave would really dry these so much.

I'll try the maltodextrine, though after reading about it on a few other posts (and knowing its in Gatorade!!) think I'll start with ~4oz in that American ale wheat - besides, I may need to have some on hand if the Am Hefe dries out further in the keg! Should this be boiled or pasteurized first? I think I read of someone just adding the powder straight to the keg.

Thanks again.

**Edcculus** · 05-16-2010, 02:55 PM

I'd boil it in a little bit of water just to be sure