Bottled the Wheat

[Beer Snob]

Well I just bottled the wheat. Did a bunch of things different in the hopes that I will get more better head/head retention. Something I have been struggling with since starting up brewing again actually.

1. Used Star San for all sanitation needs. Everything. In the past I had used One Step
2. I had been wondering if I have been leaving too little space in the bottle for carbonation. In the past I had filled the bottle with the bottle filler and added a small amount. This time I just left it as the filler filled it.
3. Using Palmers chart for carbonation I used 6.30 oz for carbonation (corn sugar I believe). I actually wanted to use 7, but just had 6.3 on hand.

So that was my bottling morning. I filled a plastic bottle to tell me when carbonation had been hit.

Was wondering if you use something like Palmer's chart to carbonate or do you just put in a standard amount? This is something that I typically just put in this bag that is "for 5 galons of beer" that is sold at the LHBS.

 

[Beer Snob]

09-04-2006 Michael's Wheat
A ProMash Brewing Session Report
--------------------------------
Brewing Date: Monday September 04, 2006
Head Brewer: Michael Schaap
Asst Brewer: Thunder
Recipe: Michael's Wheat
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 10.50
Anticipated OG: 1.057 Plato: 14.06
Anticipated SRM: 4.9
Anticipated IBU: 18.3
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.050 Plato: 12.39
Actual FG: 1.008 Plato: 2.05
Alc by Weight: 4.34 by Volume: 5.53 From Measured Gravities.
ADF: 83.4 RDF 69.1 Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.
Actual Mash System Efficiency: 64 %
Anticipated Points From Mash: 48.75
Actual Points From Mash: 41.64

Formulas Used
-------------
Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.
Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Garetz
Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.5 1.00 lbs. Generic DME - Light Generic 1.046 8
4.8 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
47.6 5.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Belgium 1.037 3
38.1 4.00 lbs. Wheat Malt Germany 1.039 2
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.50 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Pellet 3.35 14.5 60 min.
0.50 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Pellet 4.75 3.8 30 min.
1.00 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Pellet 4.75 0.0 Dry Hop

Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP351 Bavarian Weizen Yeast

Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Name: Wheat
Total Grain Lbs: 9.50
Total Water Qts: 9.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 2.38 - Before Additional Infusions
Tun Thermal Mass: 0.00
Grain Temp: 80 F

Step Rest Start Stop Heat Infuse Infuse Infuse
Step Name Time Time Temp Temp Type Temp Amount Ratio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acid Rest 5 20 104 104 Infuse 108 9.50 1.00
Protein Rest 5 30 122 122 Infuse 210 2.33 1.25
Saccrification Res 30 60 152 152 Decoc 212 5.24 0.65 (Decoc Thickness)
Mash Out 5 15 170 170 Decoc 212 4.42 1.50 (Decoc Thickness)

Total Water Qts: 11.83 - After Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 2.96 - After Additional Infusions
Total Mash Volume Gal: 3.72 - After Additional Infusions
All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
All infusion amounts are in Quarts.
All infusion ratios are Quarts/Lbs.
Step Time for Decoction Steps represent how far back in time the Decoction was pulled.
Infusion amounts for Decoction Steps represent the amount pulled for the Decoction.
Infusion ratios for Decoction Steps represent the Decoction Thickness.

Water Needed For Brewing Session
--------------------------------
Sparge Amount: 7.00 Sparge Deadspace: 1.25 Total Into Mash: 5.75
Total Grain Lbs: 9.50 Qts Per Lbs: 1.25 Total From Mash: 1.82
Mash Gallons: 2.96
Grain Absorption: 1.14
Amount Lost in Lauter Tun Deadspace,
Grant and Misc. to Kettle: 0.50
Top Up Water Added to Kettle: 1.00
Amount into Kettle: 8.07
Boil Time (min): 60.00 Evaporation Rate: 15.00
Amount after Boil: 6.86
Left in Kettle Deadspace: 1.00
Left in Hopback: 0.00
Left in Counterflow Chiller: 0.25
Left in Other Equipment / Other Absorption: 0.00
Amount to Chillers: 5.61
Amount After Cooling (4 perc.): 5.38

Grain absorption rate is: 0.12 (Gallons Per Lbs)
Evaporation rate is Percent per Hour
This formulation will yield 5.38 gallons of fermentable wort.
You will need 10.96 gallons of water for the complete brewing session.

Efficiency Specifics
--------------------
Recipe Efficiency Setting: 75 %

With sparge water, mash water, additional infusions, vessel losses, top-up
water and evaporation rate recorded in the Water Needed Calculator:
Target Volume (Gal): 8.07
Estimated OG: 1.039 Plato: 9.73

Raw Pre-Boil Targets - only targeted volume/gravity and evaporation
rate taken into account:
Target Volume (Gal): 6.47
Estimated OG: 1.049 Plato: 12.04

Post-Boil Targets:
Target Volume (Gal): 5.50
Estimated OG: 1.057 Plato: 14.06

Recorded Actuals - Measurement Taken In Kettle:
Recorded Volume (Gal): 5.50
Recorded OG: 1.050 Plato: 12.39

At 100 percent extraction from the maximum mash potential:
Total Points: 73.36
Points From Mash: 65.00
Points From Extract/Sugar: 8.36

With the recipe efficiency setting, you should have achieved:
Total Points: 57.11
Points From Mash: 48.75
Points From Extract/Sugar: 8.36

Actuals achieved were:
Actual Points From Mash: 41.64
Actual Mash System Efficiency: 64

Fermentation Specifics
----------------------
Pitched From: Starter
Amount Pitched: 0 mL
Lag Time: 2.00 hours
Primary Fermenter: Glass
Primary Type: Closed
Days In Primary: 6
Primary Temperature: 72 degrees F
Secondary Fermenter: Glass
Secondary Type: Closed
Days In Secondary: 10
Secondary Temperature: 72 degrees F
Original Gravity: 1.050 SG 12.39 Plato
Finishing Gravity: 1.008 SG 2.05 Plato

Bottling/Kegging Specifics
--------------------------
Bottling Date: Sunday September 10, 2006
Desired Carbonation Level: 3.20 Volumes CO2
Fermentation Temperature: 70 F
Amount In Bottles: 5.00 Gallons
Days Conditioned: 0
Carbonation Method: Natural
Priming Medium Used: Corn Sugar
Amount of Priming Used: 6.34 Oz
Amount of Liquid Added: 0.14 Gal

Fermentation Notes
------------------
Put zest of 2 lemons in secondary
Put 1oz Hallertau Hersbrucker in seconda
ry
Tasting Notes
-------------
9-30 Lemon and hops have strong taste. Needs to mellow.
Notes
-----
0.5 lbs rice hulls added to mash

Light DME (1.00-1.25 lb) was added to
boil to bring gravity up.

 

[Beer Snob]

Well I got back home from NY..... no carbonation yet. I mean completely FLAT. This is actually the first flat beer I have come up with...... thoughts?

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Just from squeezing the plastic one, or did you open a glass one? Do you have a bad seal on the plastic?

Oh yeah, one more thing -

RDWHAHB!

Glad to see you back!

 

[Beer Snob]

Just from squeezing the plastic one, or did you open a glass one? Do you have a bad seal on the plastic?

Oh yeah, one more thing -

RDWHAHB!

Glad to see you back!

Actually both.... I thought perhaps the platic thing just did not work.

Yeah, I'll double that

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

What temperature are they at? You may need to warm them up for a week.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Not sure about your use of lemon, but citrus usually kills a head...

Also, HW's don't usually use any hops except bittering.

I fill my bottles up the to top when uing the filler cane. Removing the cane gives me the right airspace.

Other than that I would also ask at what temp you are conditioning your bottles. Try about 70F.

 

[Ol' Grog]

I can say that One Step shouldn't have any affect on carbonation, that's all I've ever used and the amount of corn sugar that comes pre-packaged with the kit. You seem like you weren't sure if you used corn sugar or not, that could be part of it maybe.

 

[Beer Snob]

Thanks for your thoughts... keep em comming... one of them will be what I did for certain. Though in The Joy, he seems to have an opinion that sometimes this just mysteriously happens.... don't know about that one. Been brewing a while and so far either I've been very lucky or statistics caught up with me

The cases are sitting in my living room/kitchen area... around 70... not too much higher unless the oven is on for a long time... does not happen often.

Yeah the mixture says "Priming sugar". I have used it before though. Need to find out exactly what this "priming sugar" is though. So far I have used this stuff for 4 batches with good results. I actually wanted a little more carbonation in this one and increased the solution to 6 3/8 ounce (the bags are 4 oz).

One Step is what I have traditionally used in the past. I thought to try Star San this time for absoluty and completly no reason really( I have used Star San for the carboy and One Step for everything else in the past).

Ok... here is an update.... was still as flat as flat gets and I bottled on the 30th...... something should have happened by now. I got carbonation drops and put one drop in the plastic carbonation test boittle and 3 16 oz glass bottles as a test. Took the caps off and recaped with boiled caps. Because I have never had flat beer before these carbonation drops are completely new to me. I used one per bottle per instructions and when I added it in the bottle it INSTANTLY gave a head in the bottle. I tried to cap them before the head form came out of the bottle on two after I saw what happened to number 1.

In The Joy, he says you can add a little yeast to each bottle. Because of the foam reaction does this mean there is yeast still in the bottles are they are at the moment active? I'll say this much about what is written concerning solutions for flat beer..... they seem a bit weak.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Sorry, I can't help you with the pills you added to your brew.

As far as your use of corn sugar, under normal circumstances I only use 1 oz per gal.

 

[Beer Snob]

Yeah I am not sure about the pills either. Thats why I only did it to three. Small test to see what they do. The ingrediants say Sucrose. They are about gumball size.... well see what happens.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've seen them before, but I keep talking myself out of them and stay into using the old tried and true...

 

[Beer Snob]

Quick update: The plastic test bottle is now not squished in and has sprung out. It's doing something.

 

[Beer Snob]

Well the pills worked. Just opened up one today. Outside of still needing to mellow out, it is certainly carbonated now. Even gets a little head. Need to do the other bottles and let the stuff mellow out a bit. Next time I'll use one lemon instead of two. Just looked at the glass... still seeing carbonation bubbles at 10 minutes.

 

[Beer Snob]

Just cracked open another one for dinner tonight. I have not seen such good beer head that I'm seeing so far. Slow dinner.... sitting here at 1 hour and there is still head retention. The two lemons were fine. It has mellowed very much!

Well now that I got good head and retention, I have no clue was to give credit to... the decoction.... the different bottling practice... not sure.