FG of 1.002 on Wheat Beer?

[Nummey]

Brewed up my first all grain batch of American Wheat 2 weeks ago and got 1.050 as my starting gravity, took a sample last night and got 1.002….ended up bottling. I tasted the sample, it tasted a bit boozy and thin but not bad. I totally butchered my mash temps and ended in the 144-148 range…which I’m thinking this could have caused the crazy low FG? Is this possible or am I looking at an infection of some sort?
recipe
5lbs 2 row
4 lbs white wheat
1 lb flaked oats
1 oz hallertau 60 mins
1oz orange peel
.5 oz coriander
US 05 pitched at 63 fermented at 65
Mashed around 144-148 range.
OG – 1.050

 

[eluterio]

I would first asked to calibrate your hydrometer.

Second how much yeast did you pitch, 1 pack, 2 pack, 3 packs and did you use a stater?

People can correct me if im wrong and they will but mashing that low with that amount of wheat and oats should have left a fair amount of unfermentable sugars.

The boozy is for sure from the finishing low gravity 6.3% ABV but also can be for fusel alcohol. I would also think finishing that low there might be a bug in your beer as well. I would take a look at the bottles every day if they start popping (bottle bombs) you might have a problem.

And congrats on your first all grain home brew! I did a wheat beer as my first all grain as well came out good. When chilling your wort keep in mind its the very important if your using an immersion chiller to keep your boiling kettle covered and dont open it until your done. Any dust particles that fall once its down can lead to wild yeast. Make sure everything is sanitized as well. Boil your IC for 20 minuets in your wort and make sure what ever touches your beer after its chilled is sanitized!

 

[FourSeasonAngler]

Are you sure your thermometers are accurate?

What temperature was the wort when you took your OG? FG?

Did you use top-off water?

Batch size? Boil volume? Volume in fermenter?

Lets start with those answers and we'll try to narrow down the troubleshooting.

 

[Nummey]

@eluterio - thanks! I pitched 1 pack of US-05. Did not rehydrate. When chilling, I stirred the chiller in the hot wort...not sure I could fit the lid on my 9 gallon pot with the chiller in it. I've read it cools faster by stirring/dunking the chiller as opposed to letting it sit in the wort. I didnt calibrate hydro as it has worked fine in the past....perhaps that's an oversight?

@FourSeasonAngler - Not 100% sure as it was a new thermometer. I did a BIAB. Mashed in 3.5 gallons of water and dunk sparged in 3 gallons in a separate pot.
Temp for OG was pitching temp....which was 63.
Temp for FG was ending ferm temp which was 66
No top off water
ending batch size (bottled) was 4.25 gallons
Boiled 6 Gallons
volume in fermenter was close to 4.75 gallons

 

[jabba11]

instead of "stirring" the chiller...stir the wort..gently..in a whirlpool, same effect and you dont have to fiddle with the chiller..You just want the wort flowing around/through the coil..

 

[roastquake]

US 05 pitched at 63 fermented at 65
Mashed around 144-148 range.

I'm pointing to these two factors as the cause. Those low mash temps produce more fermentable worts. I like dry beers, so I'm in this range a lot, but if you want beer that's sweeter and more full-bodied shoot for 152-154. Also, US-05 is known for high attenuation.

 

[eluterio]

Grab some distilled water and calibrate your hydrometer at 60 degrees. Agree with ^^^^ on the whirlpool. I used to do this as well back in the day. Sucks but hated waiting an hour for it to chill.

If you took breaks with the spoon and set it down it and put it back to stir again with out sanitizing this could be the issue. Id just leave the spoon in the wort if you havent done this.

my only advice would be to try and keep things as sanitized as possible when the wort is chilled.

I have never used dry yeast but from what ive heard and read always rehydrate.

 

[jabba11]

I keep a bucket of sanitizer next to the kettle and drop my spoon into it when Im not stirring after flameout.

 

[peterj]

People can correct me if im wrong and they will but mashing that low with that amount of wheat and oats should have left a fair amount of unfermentable sugars.

Mashing lower leads to a more fermentable wort, and 144-148 is pretty low. At what temperature did you start the mash? Mashing that low with all very fermentable ingredients in your grain bill (no crystal, roasted, etc.) might have just resulted in your very low FG. I think wheat beers are usually mashed in the 152-154F range.

It could be an infection though, so I would definitely keep a close eye on them.

And congrats on your first all grain home brew! I did a wheat beer as my first all grain as well came out good. When chilling your wort keep in mind its the very important if your using an immersion chiller to keep your boiling kettle covered and dont open it until your done. Any dust particles that fall once its down can lead to wild yeast. Make sure everything is sanitized as well. Boil your IC for 20 minuets in your wort and make sure what ever touches your beer after its chilled is sanitized!

instead of "stirring" the chiller...stir the wort..gently..in a whirlpool, same effect and you dont have to fiddle with the chiller..You just want the wort flowing around/through the coil..

As jabba said, immersion chillers are WAY more effective and work faster if you stir the wort around in them. Unless you're brewing in a very dusty environment, I wouldn't worry about keeping the lid on the kettle the whole time during cooling.

 

[jabba11]

Its a give and take Id say I mean ya got to have the lid off to stir, That said I can have it chilled in 15 minutes stirring, it might take me 30 to 40 otherwise with the lid on while chilling. Ive never had a problem stirring it with the lid off. I wouldnt do it in a dust storm or anything though either..

 

[Nummey]

Thanks for all the tips guys.
So I calibrated my hydrometer last night. Added some room temperature spring water and let is sit for a while and the reading was around .997-.998. Definitely was a little below 1.00. I let is sit overnight and the reading didnt change....so it would appear that my readings were a bit off. If that's the case, then I'm really looking at a FG of 1.005-1.004ish. Still pretty low. I'm hoping it's just a combination of low mash temps and US-05 yeast. We shall see in about 3 weeks....

 

[JustLooking]

Added some room temperature spring water.

Most hydrometers are calibrated @ 60 degrees using distilled (not spring) water.

 

[Nummey]

Most hydrometers are calibrated @ 60 degrees using distilled (not spring) water.

well, the water was in the low sixties as it was in my basement overnight (should have clarified) and does it make much of a notable difference in water...spring vs distilled? Can't imagine it would...

 

[eluterio]

distilled water has no minerals as to spring water that does. Distilled is what needs to be used to calibrate. I would be your hydrometer is working fine and the first reading you had most likely correct.