Is it infected?

Recently brewed a simple honey wheat beer with a grist of 50% wheat and 50% malt. The mash ended up at a slightly lower temp than I was shooting for at 147 deg. F. Added to the boil in the last 20 minutes was 1/2 lb of clover honey. O.G. ended up at 1.052, just what I was shooting for. The wort was fermented with safale 05 at 65 deg F.

Now, after close to a week of fermenting activity, it is now down to 1.002. Is this due to an infection or is it possible that the low mash temp and the addition of the honey caused the yeast to attenuate much morre than normal?

I have to at least defend myself a little. I have been brewing now for over 6 years with countless brews under my belt. If infected, this will be my first. My system and procedures are pretty sound.

Your thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

Driddy said:

...or is it possible that the low mash temp and the addition of the honey caused the yeast to attenuate much morre than normal?

Click to expand...

I would say this. Unless you notice off flavors and aromas.

suprchunk said:

I would say this. Unless you notice off flavors and aromas.

Click to expand...

I'd second that. Especially boiling the honey for 20.

BTW, what yeast did you use?

here in lies the problem. The flavor profile is not what was expected. Although, i was not expecting overwhelming honey aroma and flavor, I expected a little residule sweetness. This "leans" towards, perhaps a touch sour note....certainly not overwhelming. At first I attributed this to the drieness of the FG. Am i way off base?

Safale-05 1 liter starter

Honey will ferment out 100%. Or closer to it than wort will. Boiling the honey will pretty much knock any aroma or flavor contributions out. I have used that yeast a couple times now and don't really like it. Not that I have gotten sour flavors from it, just a really weird flavor. Maybe I've been doing something different since I have been using it, but I don't think so. And all of my beers when using it have finished extremely low. Too low for my tastes, and I have since switched back to liquid yeasts.

And you made a starter for that?

Don't expect to get anything but gravity from honey if you boil it at all. I use US-05 for all my pale ales and IPAs with good results. Thats a prime temp to ferment it at too so I would expect many off flavors from it. It may just be a little young yet.

why make a starter using S-05 especially with a normal OG? (off topic) Maybe you over pitched your yeast and this could be the off flavor?