FG is too high on 2 different brews

[Tahoe2MSP]

I have only done two all grain BIAB brews but this issue has come up with both of my brews. Both recipes I added 1.5 lbs base malt to make up for added water and inefficiency. Both brews were made with 8.25 gallons starting water (no sparge BIAB). Temps in the room where I'm fermenting is 60-64F (basement stays pretty stable).

I used a refractometer for OG and a hydrometer for FG.

The first brew was a grunion pale ale clone.

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/876089/john-grunion

I used spring water for this brew. Yeast used was wlp060. Made a 2 liter starter on a stir plate. Mashed at 152 F for 60min. OG of 1.054 was reached pitched yeast at a wort temp of 65F and shook the hell out of it for a couple min. Fermentation became very active within 12 hours. ended up with an FG of 1.019 after 2 weeks in the primary. It hit its FG after the first week but I was hoping it had just slowed down.

After researching, I thought my thermometer must've been off. I calibrated it, which it was only off by a degree. I also picked up yeast nutrient. I also decided to shake the hell out of it longer for the next brew.

The second brew was dead ringer IPA from Northern Brewer.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/allgrain/AG-DeadRingerIPA.pdf

This time I used tap water per the recommendation of the NB employees at the Minneapolis store. They said Minneapolis water is great for brewing. I used Wyeast 1272 and also made a 2 liter starter. This time I added yeast nutrient in the last ten min of boil also per their recommendation. Mashed at 151F. Had an OG of 1.064. Pitched yeast at 62F in fermenter. Shook the hell out of the fermenter for 5 minutes straight. My arms felt like rubber. Room temp has been 63-65 F. I checked the liquid temp when the fermentation looked like it was slowing down and it was at 68 F. It's day nine and the FG has been at 1.021 for 4 days now. Temp has dropped to room temp so I wrapped a heat may around it to bring it up to 70 F

Any ideas? I've read all of the "FG TOO HIGH" threads I can find. Most people say that it must be the mash temp/underpitching/not enough oxygen or inadequate yeast nutrient. Some say temp fluctuations. So many variables. My brain hurts.

I'm drinking on the first brew now and it's not bad, but it's a bit sweet for my taste. I expected to have some issues but I didn't expect to be this far off from hitting FG. There's no sour tastes and there wasn't any visible signs to suggest infection.

 

[JugDog]

I had a similar problem with 2 batches and I turned out that my thermometer was off by a lot. Did you calibrate it at your mash temp by comparing it to another thermometer? I found that my bad thermometer was pretty accurate at boiling point but was off by over 10* in the 150-160 range. I read here that some have gotten the gravity to drop a little by adding some amalase enzyme. I've never tried it, but I'm sure there are pros and cons to doing that. I did invest in a thermapen. Haven't had a problem since.. Hope that helps

 

[roots4thought]

You can try to add some amalyse enzyme to the secondary but be warned that it may dry the ever living bageezers out of it. There's a miller lite clone recipe on here that called for A.E. To be added to the secondary to help dry and finish the beer out. As far as why it's finishing so high, only thing I can think of is shaking a car boy does not impart much oxygen into the wort and that may be your issue. You can always try an aquarium pump/diffusion stone/sanitary filter combo for 5 min and see if that helps or pure O2. Temp seems right or even a little low but I've fermented plenty of ales at 62 and got good results. Yeast nutrient helps for sure. I'd second the temp double check as well.

 

[Barley_Bob]

I've heard some folks say that amylase is an absolute last resort.

I don't think you should write this batch off as done just yet. I think you're making a good move in warming the batch up to 70 to try to clear off a few more points.

Beyond that, there are a lot of variables. My first inclination is to jump to pitch rate, but it looks like you've got that nailed down. I also really like the idea of a two thermometer test. I ran into some trouble with this once upon a time. I didn't buy the crazy expensive thermapen - I went for the cheaper version, and I've been good to go ever since. What about mash thickness? I've read some accounts that mash thickness can have a greater effect than temperature. 1.25 quarts per pound of grain is fairly standard. Hmm, yeah. I'm not super familiar with no sparge BIAB, but are you mashing grain for a ~5.5 gallon batch into 8.25 gallons of water? Maybe that's legit, but it goes against the wisdom I've heard.

Beyond that, I'm not sure what to tell you. Have a little patience with this batch and see what happens. If it really doesn't fall like it should, then look into some of those options. With even average attenuation, you should have a lower fg even if you had 85% efficiency.

EDIT: I don't think oxygenation is your issue. Lots of folks shake to aerate just fine, especially with OGs in the range you're working with.

 

[seabass07]

I had a similar problem with 2 batches and I turned out that my thermometer was off by a lot. Did you calibrate it at your mash temp by comparing it to another thermometer? I found that my bad thermometer was pretty accurate at boiling point but was off by over 10* in the 150-160 range. I read here that some have gotten the gravity to drop a little by adding some amalase enzyme. I've never tried it, but I'm sure there are pros and cons to doing that. I did invest in a thermapen. Haven't had a problem since.. Hope that helps

This! I had the opposite problem when I first started. My thermometer was 10f high. Thought I was mashing at 152 but was actually at 142f. Super dry beer.

 

[Barley_Bob]

On another note, forgetting your fg for a moment, I think you should consider making some adjustments to your water. Spring water is certainly not ideal for an IPA. If you adjust to an actual IPA water profile, you will be able to limit some of the sweetness you're dealing with, dry out the beer, and accentuate your hop profile.

Your LHBS gave you some bad advice in this regard. You tap water is good for brewing... what kind of beer? Probably not an ipa.

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

First off, thanks for the fast replies !

I haven't done a side by side thermometer test other than dipping it in a freshly poured glass of beer that has been in a temp controlled fridge for a week. It was within a degree of the digital reading. But I haven't checked it at high temps.

I have a buddy who has been teaching me this technique and it's worked just fine for him. He said he adjusts the recipes so there's plenty of wort for Gravity testing and to leave excess trübe and cold break behind. He has never had an issue with having a high FG. The only difference(and it's a big one, I know) between his current setup and mine is that he now has a temp probe for his fermenter, but that's a recent addition to his arsenal.

I think the plan is to grab another thermometer, but an $80 pen is out of the question for now. I'm going to wait 4 days before I test the FG again. I'm just trying to have a plan of attack before hand. I'd be happy if it would just Drop 5 more points with the temp increase, but I'm going to probably mess with the enzyme you guys talked about if it stays at its current reading. I don't mind dry at all. I'm used to dry west coast style ales as that's where I've been living for the past ten years. But I've also been enjoying all the balanced beers the Midwest has to offer since moving back

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

They told me to use the local tap. My lhbs is Northern Brewer Minneapolis. They said it has a really good profile for brewing. They also recommended the yeast nutrient and to use Wyeast 1272 instead. My first brew I did with very little guidance. I figured that chlorine or chloramine would be bad for the brew (I'm an avid organic gardener so I have a bit of comprehension of microbes). After that mishap I spent hours reading and asking questions. I'm planning on getting a test done on my water from the tap to see how I should adjust accordingly. I also have an RO filter if starting with a clean slate and adding salts is the way to go (I also have a background in hydroponics), but would prefer to keep it simple and cheaper if it's possible

 

[seabass07]

Test it in boiling water and ice water. That's the typical method if it has that much range.

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

Test it in boiling water and ice water. That's the typical method if it has that much range.

Well I brought a gallon of water to a rapid boil and it won't go past 200F when it says it goes to 220. Also, the calibration is already off. It says that ice water in an insulated mug is 36F. I've already calibrated this thing twice. I'm going to borrow a thermometer from a buddy and try to bring some water to mash temp and compare tomorrow

 

[Jaxmickey]

you mentioned underpitching, but I think that may be a large issue. IMHO, if my OG is over 1.040, I use a starter. Especially for an IPA I might make a 2L starter w/ 2 WL packages. you can build them in steps to what ever size you need, I'm just lazy sometimes....

 

[Barley_Bob]

They told me to use the local tap. My lhbs is Northern Brewer Minneapolis. They said it has a really good profile for brewing. They also recommended the yeast nutrient and to use Wyeast 1272 instead. My first brew I did with very little guidance. I figured that chlorine or chloramine would be bad for the brew (I'm an avid organic gardener so I have a bit of comprehension of microbes). After that mishap I spent hours reading and asking questions. I'm planning on getting a test done on my water from the tap to see how I should adjust accordingly. I also have an RO filter if starting with a clean slate and adding salts is the way to go (I also have a background in hydroponics), but would prefer to keep it simple and cheaper if it's possible

Definitely test your water. They're probably right in that it can be used as a good base. If that's not true, there really is nothing easier than going from RO. But there just is no way it's a good profile for every beer.

I'm coming back to this point for a couple of reasons. First, I had problems with water at one time, and it can definitely ruin a batch of beer. Second, you have a clearly expressed preference for the taste of an ipa, and you can definitely strongly influence the flavor profile of your beer through water adjustments. Even if you mash high and end up on the sweet side, the water profile is what gives an ipa a lot of its dryness. And finally, it's all really quite easy.

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

you mentioned underpitching, but I think that may be a large issue. IMHO, if my OG is over 1.040, I use a starter. Especially for an IPA I might make a 2L starter w/ 2 WL packages. you can build them in steps to what ever size you need, I'm just lazy sometimes....

From what I've been told and what I've seen with friends successful batches, using a single smack pack for a 2L starter is standard. I don't believe under pitching is the issue. The ferment gets very active.

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

I'll definitely look into adjusting my water for optimum flavor and feel. It seems like the most effective way to make consistent batches of beer. Do you have any recommendations as to a good guide for additions to RO water for pale ales and IPA's?

I plan on sticking to these two styles for at least 4 more batches. Then, I would like to get a Franziskaner clone in there to switch it up.

I went into Northern Brewer today to explain my situation and ask for insight. After explaining the details of my current brew, the manager and homebrew teacher said the only thing he could think of is that I'm not getting an accurate temp reading due to the depth of my kettle/wort and the length of my probe. His guess is that there is some hot spots or more heat is being retained near the bottom of the kettle where I can't reach with my thermometer. He suggested to shoot for a strike and mash temp of 5 degrees lower and to stir more during the beginning of the mash.

Im going to borrow a friends thermometer for the next brew and do a side by side temp reading, but I guess all I can really do, as far as not achieving my target FG, is assume that my temp reading is off. I'll

 

[Morrey]

Mash conversions (efficiencies) can be impacted by your ph levels. What did BS say your SG should be? I use Bru'n Water's spreadsheet for optimal water management. There is a free version available.

When I test my water temp (especially when preparing to mash), I stir vigorously as in a whirlpool. There are great differences of temps between the bottom and top of your water volume. Stir hard and check while swirling.

 

[Barley_Bob]

I'll definitely look into adjusting my water for optimum flavor and feel. It seems like the most effective way to make consistent batches of beer. Do you have any recommendations as to a good guide for additions to RO water for pale ales and IPA's?

I plan on sticking to these two styles for at least 4 more batches. Then, I would like to get a Franziskaner clone in there to switch it up.

I went into Northern Brewer today to explain my situation and ask for insight. After explaining the details of my current brew, the manager and homebrew teacher said the only thing he could think of is that I'm not getting an accurate temp reading due to the depth of my kettle/wort and the length of my probe. His guess is that there is some hot spots or more heat is being retained near the bottom of the kettle where I can't reach with my thermometer. He suggested to shoot for a strike and mash temp of 5 degrees lower and to stir more during the beginning of the mash.

Im going to borrow a friends thermometer for the next brew and do a side by side temp reading, but I guess all I can really do, as far as not achieving my target FG, is assume that my temp reading is off. I'll

This "hot spot" theory is possible. Just make sure you stir well and possibly do a mid mash temperature check. If you're insulating your mash kettle (and not keeping it on a burner), this should be really easy to eliminate as a possibility. I still, however, think this is an issue with your thermometer, especially after you've noted some inconsistency and need to re-calibrate. You can get this option eliminated for, like, $20.

The latest version of Brun Water is really easy to use. There's an RO dilution option on the sheet, and you just set it to 100%. Pick the "pale ale" option on the sheet to match your ipa, and then you're off to the races. All you'll need to do is buy gypsum, calcium chloride, and 88% lactic acid (all at your LHBS) and then tinker with the amount you're adding of each to match the pale ale profile and get the pH in the right range. And feel free to ask questions. There's a lot of folks (including me) who are happy to help.

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

Well after 5 days of carbonating I poured a glass to see how the beer is coming along. Carbonation seemed to be where it should be. My buddy said it kind of reminded him of a hoppy barley wine. Is that due to the high FG/unfermentable sugars? It did finish out at 1.02.

It's hard to describe the flavor. It's not alcoholic, tart, sour, musty, ect. More of a bitey sweetness.

I think the beer knew that I wasn't happy with it because, due to a tiny leak on the tap connection, I woke up to a small beer river in my basement leading from my fridge to the drain in the floor :/ lost probably 2.5 gallons. it's odd as the tap had been connected all day yesterday and definitely wasn't leaking when I checked the psi before I went to bed.

How long should I let it condition once it hits the ideal level of carbonation?

 

[wapitiscat]

1.25 quarts per pound of grain is fairly standard. Hmm, yeah. I'm not super familiar with no sparge BIAB, but are you mashing grain for a ~5.5 gallon batch into 8.25 gallons of water? Maybe that's legit, but it goes against the wisdom I've heard.

I just reread an old BYO article that talked about mash thickness with respect to enzyme activity. I can't find the article right now but one of the points is that an overly thin mash leaves the enzymes less "protected" from higher temps and their activity is going to drop off at a greater rate during the mash. If this is right (and your using the full 8.25 gallons you may just be having a conversion issue.

Todd

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

From what I've read, these ratios are pretty standard for BIAB with no sparge. This is the technique my buddy taught me who has never had an issue hitting his FG. There's a lot more loss to break and trübe with BIAB so I make a larger amount of wort to make up for the loss. What would your pre boil full water volume be with a standard all grain brew that includes sparging?

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

The latest version of Brun Water is really easy to use. There's an RO dilution option on the sheet, and you just set it to 100%. Pick the "pale ale" option on the sheet to match your ipa, and then you're off to the races. All you'll need to do is buy gypsum, calcium chloride, and 88% lactic acid (all at your LHBS) and then tinker with the amount you're adding of each to match the pale ale profile and get the pH in the right range. And feel free to ask questions. There's a lot of folks (including me) who are happy to help.

thanks for pointing me towards this. Im preparing for a brew on saturday. It's of plankbr's Fresh Squeezed inspired IPA (link below). i used the brewers friend calculator to scale up my batch (to account for trube/break loss) to make sure my OG, FG, and IBU would be in line with his recipe.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=470557

I selected the pale ale profile on bru'n water and upped the grain and water to account for trube/break loss once again. here is what i got.




does this all seem right? is it okay for the bicarbonate to be that low?

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

also, i noticed that you recommended getting lactic acid. is this only to low ph if needed?

 

[wapitiscat]

From what I've read, these ratios are pretty standard for BIAB with no sparge. This is the technique my buddy taught me who has never had an issue hitting his FG. There's a lot more loss to break and trübe with BIAB so I make a larger amount of wort to make up for the loss. What would your pre boil full water volume be with a standard all grain brew that includes sparging?

For my 5.5 gallon batches, I shoot for a little over 6.5 gallons in the boil kettle. My mash thickness is around the "standard" 1.25 qt/lb grain so for an 11.5 lb grain bill, I'm mashing with about 3.6 gallons of water then batch sparging to hit the pre boil volume. Take those same 11.5 lb of grain and mash them in a bag with 8.25 gallons of water and you have a pretty thin mash. Maybe not the issue but could be an issue based of what I read. Of course, I've never done BIAB so I'm not up on the technique. O, I could be off the mark completely. The article I mentioned is in the September 2014 issue and is titled Maximize Your Mash.

Todd

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

For my 5.5 gallon batches, I shoot for a little over 6.5 gallons in the boil kettle. My mash thickness is around the "standard" 1.25 qt/lb grain so for an 11.5 lb grain bill, I'm mashing with about 3.6 gallons of water then batch sparging to hit the pre boil volume. Take those same 11.5 lb of grain and mash them in a bag with 8.25 gallons of water and you have a pretty thin mash. Maybe not the issue but could be an issue based of what I read. Of course, I've never done BIAB so I'm not up on the technique. O, I could be off the mark completely. The article I mentioned is in the September 2014 issue and is titled Maximize Your Mash.

Todd

take everything i state with a grain of salt as i'm new to this. but this is what i've been taught from a buddy who has been doing BIAB for a couple years now. he is the one who told me to do the recipe as i did it as he has done the Dead Ringer recipe multiple times with success.most BIAB recipes basically just call for the same inputs for single infusion mash but its at full volume since theres no sparge and it doesnt seem to be an issue for anybody. thats what leads me to believe im not getting an accurate temp reading.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Try calibrating your thermometer, or use one that your know is accurate, to eliminate any guesswork about mash temperature. When pitching 200 billion cells into a 1.054 beer it should give you better than 62% attenuation.

 

[Barley_Bob]

thanks for pointing me towards this. Im preparing for a brew on saturday. It's of plankbr's Fresh Squeezed inspired IPA (link below). i used the brewers friend calculator to scale up my batch (to account for trube/break loss) to make sure my OG, FG, and IBU would be in line with his recipe.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=470557

I selected the pale ale profile on bru'n water and upped the grain and water to account for trube/break loss once again. here is what i got.




does this all seem right? is it okay for the bicarbonate to be that low?

Well, I have a couple of thoughts for you.

1. You don't need to use Epsom salt. You should get the magnesium you need out of the grain itself. Just leave it out.
2. That pH is a little too low. I know it registers as green, you should aim between 5.4 and 5.5. At 5.26, you're going to have a thinner mouthfeel and you may get some tartness. It's not really desirable unless you making a berliner (or something similar). Cut the mash salts to get the pH right, and then add the rest to the kettle (to get the SO4 and/or Cl up to where you want it).
3. Lactic acid is just to adjust the pH (if necessary). You'd use it in a Trappist, for example.
4. I'm still not sure on the no sparge BIAB. As long as you trust your research... My last IPA (standard BIAB mash and sparge) used 9g of gypsum to get the numbers to align.

Anyway, that's it. No sparge aside, there's not much to change. Was that not super easy?

 

[tgmartin000]

Sounds like your thermometer is junk. You could also try mashing lower and longer. I like to mash a bit longer to help attenuation, like 90 minutes on beers I like dry.

Short of that, you could pitch some 3711, that stuff will ferment water.

You can also swap out some base malt for corn sugar, that also boosts attenuation.

 

[VladOfTrub]

When gravity bottoms out during primary it is due to sugar imbalanced wort, primarily glucose laden, which yeast rips through rapidly. For that reason many brewers do not use a second fermentation vessel, it isn't needed. It is not unusual for first fermentation to stop at 1020 when the wort is sugar balanced. The beer is then transferred to a second fermentation vessel. During second ferment yeast absorbs maltose through the cell walls and converts it from within into glucose. The glucose is expelled, used for fuel and gravity decreases. During the aging cycle the same thing occurs with malto-triose and natural carbonation takes place. Since, the beer is void of oxygen, the oxidizer is bound within the molecular structure of the sugar.

Here's another thing to consider. High gravity wort does not hold oxygen and yeast suffers from it and gravity remains above expected FG. Also, when a glucose laden wort is produced yeast have a habit of skipping reproduction, which creates higher then expected final gravity. Mash pH is very important and yeast will become sluggish when pH is out of whack.

You really need to know what you are doing when adding amylase, there are a few different types and they perform different tasks. Amylase is added into the mash when the brew masters sees something that needs to be corrected. Usually, it has to do with protein, beta glucan or mash conversion. Mash temperature must be at the temperature and pH optimum for the enzyme. An HBS may not be able to obtain certain types of amylase except for a one size fits all type, generally used in distillation and wine making.
Malt quality is very important, just because malt is modern doesn't mean that it is high quality. The higher the modification the less rich the malt is in low temperature activated enzymes and the higher the protein percentage, less sugar content. Single infusion works because the malt is poor in enzyme richness.
Alpha is primarily responsible for saccharification and Alpha is strong and prolific in malt. However, it creates mainly, sweet tasting, non-fermenting types of sugar (reducing end) and glucose (non-reducing end). Beta is the converter. Beta converts glucose released by Alpha into maltose and malto-triose which doesn't ferment until it is converted into glucose. Actually, enzymes do not convert starch into sugar. Enzymes softens starch, hydrolyze starch. Starch is only the container that holds the sugar and enzymes get rid of the container. The real term is mash conversion, not starch conversion. When iodine is used it only indicates when starch is gone. Temperature of 152/153F is the temperature used during a test performed on malt which determines total sugar content of a pound of malt. It does not determine the amounts or the types of sugar that are released. Mash pH optimum for Alpha is used during the test.
During dextrinization Alpha forms limit dextrin which is responsible for body. Amylo-pectin is the starch responsible for body. Home brewers mainly use amylose. For that reason home made beer lacks body. The white chunks left in the mash after sparge is amylo-pectin. It is heat resistant and the temperatures used with single method recipes are not high enough to burst the starch. The starch makes great bird feed and dog biscuits. It makes beer, better.
If limit dextrin does not form, when the protein goop drops out the beer thins out. Limit dextrin is tasteless, non-fermenting sugar which is not the same as non-fermenting, sweet tasting sugar released from amylose, which home brewers have been led to believe produces body.

Weyermann produces fine malt, refer to their recipe site and you will notice the various temperatures that they recommend to use with their malt. They are nice people and they are eager to answer any questions and the answers they give will be correct.

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

When gravity bottoms out during primary it is due to sugar imbalanced wort, primarily glucose laden, which yeast rips through rapidly. For that reason many brewers do not use a second fermentation vessel, it isn't needed. It is not unusual for first fermentation to stop at 1020 when the wort is sugar balanced. The beer is then transferred to a second fermentation vessel. During second ferment yeast absorbs maltose through the cell walls and converts it from within into glucose. The glucose is expelled, used for fuel and gravity decreases. During the aging cycle the same thing occurs with malto-triose and natural carbonation takes place. Since, the beer is void of oxygen, the oxidizer is bound within the molecular structure of the sugar.

Here's another thing to consider. High gravity wort does not hold oxygen and yeast suffers from it and gravity remains above expected FG. Also, when a glucose laden wort is produced yeast have a habit of skipping reproduction, which creates higher then expected final gravity. Mash pH is very important and yeast will become sluggish when pH is out of whack.

You really need to know what you are doing when adding amylase, there are a few different types and they perform different tasks. Amylase is added into the mash when the brew masters sees something that needs to be corrected. Usually, it has to do with protein, beta glucan or mash conversion. Mash temperature must be at the temperature and pH optimum for the enzyme. An HBS may not be able to obtain certain types of amylase except for a one size fits all type, generally used in distillation and wine making.
Malt quality is very important, just because malt is modern doesn't mean that it is high quality. The higher the modification the less rich the malt is in low temperature activated enzymes and the higher the protein percentage, less sugar content. Single infusion works because the malt is poor in enzyme richness.
Alpha is primarily responsible for saccharification and Alpha is strong and prolific in malt. However, it creates mainly, sweet tasting, non-fermenting types of sugar (reducing end) and glucose (non-reducing end). Beta is the converter. Beta converts glucose released by Alpha into maltose and malto-triose which doesn't ferment until it is converted into glucose. Actually, enzymes do not convert starch into sugar. Enzymes softens starch, hydrolyze starch. Starch is only the container that holds the sugar and enzymes get rid of the container. The real term is mash conversion, not starch conversion. When iodine is used it only indicates when starch is gone. Temperature of 152/153F is the temperature used during a test performed on malt which determines total sugar content of a pound of malt. It does not determine the amounts or the types of sugar that are released. Mash pH optimum for Alpha is used during the test.
During dextrinization Alpha forms limit dextrin which is responsible for body. Amylo-pectin is the starch responsible for body. Home brewers mainly use amylose. For that reason home made beer lacks body. The white chunks left in the mash after sparge is amylo-pectin. It is heat resistant and the temperatures used with single method recipes are not high enough to burst the starch. The starch makes great bird feed and dog biscuits. It makes beer, better.
If limit dextrin does not form, when the protein goop drops out the beer thins out. Limit dextrin is tasteless, non-fermenting sugar which is not the same as non-fermenting, sweet tasting sugar released from amylose, which home brewers have been led to believe produces body.

Weyermann produces fine malt, refer to their recipe site and you will notice the various temperatures that they recommend to use with their malt. They are nice people and they are eager to answer any questions and the answers they give will be correct.

I gotta be honest. Most of this is beyond my beer brewing knowledge base. Could you dumb down for me what you are trying to convey? I obviously have A LOT to learn haha

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

Also, here is a link that describes the technique I'm doing

http://beersmith.com/blog/2014/01/11/no-sparge-beer-brewing-for-all-grain-brewers/

 

[Tahoe2MSP]

After reading this, I'm thinking that my ph may have been the issue. Or maybe a high temp and high ph?

http://beersmith.com/blog/2015/06/05/mash-ph-for-brew-in-a-bag-no-sparge-and-decoction-mashing/