So... I'm an idiot...

As I was starting preparing for my Sunday brew day last Saturday night, I did my usual things including mixing my grains which I buy pre-milled since I don't own a mill (yet). This brew days was going to be a simple American Wheat that swmbo really likes, so it is only 4 lbs 2 row and 4 lbs white wheat.

This is only my 5th all-grain batch so I am still trying to work out my setup and other kinks (I am starting to get the hang of it). So Sunday morning rolls around and I hit my mash temps right on with a little more boiling water, but everything is going smoothly. I Collect my first runnings. 1.080. Not bad since this thing is only going to have a fg of 1.045. After batch sparging my runnings are a whopping 1.010 and I think to myself. This cant be right.... Everything else seemed to be okay. Correct amount of water, etc.

I continue with the brew day as normal thinking something was way off and I find it. While cleaning the mash tun I notice that the wheat doesn't seem to be milled. The more I look at the grain the more it looks like it was never milled. That could definitely explain the poor efficiency.

I would like to blame Northern Brewer (which I did at first) but I did order it that way on accident. So now I have a lawnmower beer perhaps? Has anyone else done this, or am I the only one that needs to pay more attention. I guess thats why we are hear. To learn from our mistakes...

So what was the final O.G of your wort when all the running's were collected and you stirred it?

1.030 pre boil and 1.034 post boil. I ended up with just below 5 gal. (like 4.85 or so). I figure its not that bad without milling the white wheat...

You are going to have a nice lawnmower beer when you are done.

Wheat malt kernals are smaller, but still that's no excuse for not milling, but then you ordered them that way by mistake.

Chalk it up to learning, check to make sure you order milled grains when you get them or better yet, get your own Barley Crusher and mill them on your schedule.

Thats what I was thinking. It does appear that they did provide something to the mash since I couldn't have hit that high og with just the pale malt alone.

I look at it as a good learning experience, and a good way to taste the difference in this one since I have now brewed some version of this recipe 3 times.

Anybody have a picture of well crushed 'wheat'?

I dont have a pic (I guess I should have taken one after the mash) but I am pretty sure it wasn't milled since I have brewed with it twice before and it never looked like it did.

This is close to what it looked like when i was done mashing.
http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/Organic Soft White Wheat Berries.htm

can't you make a much stronger batch and mix em. spend some time on the math, and you could get 10 gals of the good stuff.

brewmonk said:

can't you make a much stronger batch and mix em. spend some time on the math, and you could get 10 gals of the good stuff.

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I thought about that, but It isn't something I will be drinking much of. It is really for SWMBO. I also have my next two batches planned, so It would be a while for me to get to it.

Ill just see how it turns out. If it is a failure then at least I dont have much invested in the batch. 4lb 2 row, 4 lbs wheat, 1 oz Willamette, 1 oz cascade, US-05 only comes to about $15. I mainly am brewing this specific recipe because SWMBO really likes it, it is much cheaper than buying her Corona, Blue Moon, etc. and she encourages my brewing now that she sees I can brew something she likes.

Bottle prime with some coriander infused triple sec and you will have a great summer beer.

Funny I had the same exact thing happen to me this weekend. I milled mine at the LHBS but didn't pay attention, and got practically zero utilization out of my wheat. OG is 1.040 when it should be more like 1.065. Its going to end up being a 70% crystal malt beer, so it should be interesting.

Lesson learned: Double check the milling on your grains...especially wheat.

Oldyote said:

Bottle prime with some coriander infused triple sec and you will have a great summer beer.

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I think I do have some triple sec laying around. Sounds interesting. Have you done this before?

agodfrey11 said:

I think I do have some triple sec laying around. Sounds interesting. Have you done this before?

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Yes I have a wheat beer recipe I've made three times (two batches gone, 3rd in the primary). I use a formula Randy Mosher has in his book Radical Brewing. I've played around with different amounts of coriander and you could skip that entirely if its not for you.

I can send you a spreadsheet if you are interested. You can calculate the amount of sugar in the liquor as long as you have the proof and a hydrometer that measures plato (brix/balling). I think on my last 5 gallon batch I used 750 ml of triple sec and about 3 oz of priming sugar.

PM me if you would like the spreadsheet. It's nothing fancy but it will do the calculations for you. If you happen to have "Radical Brewing" the topic and formula is on page 155.

You should be fine. The beer might lack a bit of the wheat characteristic you were going for, but will be drinkable.

The biggest problem I see is that you're going to have a harder time getting SWMBO loaded this spring. That could have many repercussions. My wife, for one, is a whole lot more fun and life, in general, is better for me when she's loaded.