Belgian Wit Attenuation

[Ceegar]

Hey guys and gals. I'm not a newbie by any stretch, but even the seasoned brewer comes across a situation that just causes you to throw your hands in the air.

I'm seeing the strangest thing happen on the last few batches of Belgian Wit I've made where my beer struggles to ferment down past 1.020. It's almost as if I have some unfermentable sugars in my beer.

Mash schedule is a single infusion mash @ 154 degrees for 60 mins - No mash out - fly sparge w/170 degree water - 60 min boil. I'm hitting my OG targets almost dead nuts every time - 1.052-1.054. I had a third batch that also did this before these latest 2, but because I use variations in my grain bill I can't remember what I used in that batch. But the common thread with all 3 batches - I've been using Wyeast Belgian Wit 3944. Attenuation is only around 60%. I can only deduce that it's the yeast causing this but I'm just not sure. I know I've used 3944 before where I didn't see this problem. Here are the grain bills from the last 2 batches I've brewed where I've experienced the same thing, but there shouldn't be anything here that stands out as the culprit. I'm really suspecting yeast here.

4lbs 8oz Flaked Wheat
5lbs 4oz Rahr Premium Pilsner
1lb Flaked Oats
4oz Munich Malt

and

5lbs 4oz Rahr Premium Pilsner
2lbs 4oz White Wheat
2lbs 4oz Flaked Wheat
1lb Flaked Oats
4oz Munich Malt

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Franktalk]

I make lots of wits. It's my wife's go-to. My recipe is almost dead nuts to yours. It originally came from Brewing Classic Styles. I use the same yeast and I reliably get 80% attenuation. My advice is to calibrate your thermometer and lower your mash temp. Also mill your flaked grains with the malted ones. Start fermentation at 62 F and raise it to the low to mid 70s when it begins to slow down, and leave it in primary for 10-14 days.

 

[hottpeper13]

That happened to me with Mangroves M21, it stalled at 20 then I kegged the first batch (I keg condition) and it was way over carbed,so i degassed a hydro sample and it was at 1.012. It was tastey so I used M21 again and when it stalled I raised the temp to 72 and gave it a gentle swirl and it was done at day 21. Maybe these two yeasts are close.

 

[Jag75]

Could be yeast stall or your hydrometer is messed up. I'd brew same with a different yeast and see what you get. It seems odd that you would get multiple issues with this yeast but had no problems with it before . Did you buy these packs of yeast from the same place? If so maybe the batch that was sent from the company has issues. I'm not sure your mash temp is reason. I mash my hefe at 156 .

 

[Ceegar]

I'm confident my hydrometer is good. I have a 6 keg keezer and most of the time have at least 5 different beers on tap at any given time, and I don't have these issues with any other beer styles I'm doing. Plus I'm consistently hitting my target gravity on all brews using that same hydrometer. Most of my brews ferment down to the 1.010 range on average unless I'm doing something with lactose added. I just brewed another batch yesterday and pitched the same yeast again. This time I used all malted wheat instead of flaked. Oddly enough, but shouldn't have anything to do with it, this seems to have started when I started using flaked wheat in my recipe instead of strictly malted wheat. If it happens on this batch I'm going to switch yeast to see if the problem goes away.

 

[Jag75]

I'm sorry I gave you my hefe mash temp . My wit I mash at 154 and I use flaked wheat (58%) of the grain bill . My FG on it gets 1.009 to 1.010 from a OG of 1.050 .