I didnt realize I was mashing at 170F instead of 149F

[RWurster]

I was making a Hefeweisen (2 gallon batch) and was set to mash at 149F for 75 minutes. About 45 minutes in I checked temp and mash was sitting at 170F. Gravity was 1.024. I added water to cool the mash down in hopes some enzymes were left and let it go at 149F for the remaining 30 minutes. Preboil gravity was still 1.025 so I heated up for the boil and added 2# of brown sugar, did the hop schedule, OG was 1.104. When cool I added the wort on top of a fresh cake from a witbier I had bottled the day before (I had accidentally pitched US-05 into the witbier).

My question is if the starches, that didnt get converted to sugars, are going to give off flavors in the final beer. Im anxious is all and cant wait to try the beer. I have also wondered if you can just add sugar to cover such a mistake, i mean it seemed reasonable to me at the time.

The fermentation started almost immediately and raged for 5 days. The smell coming out of the airlock was the nicest fermenting "smell" I have ever smelled Started on 5-11 the recipe says let sit for 7 days after fermentation stops then bottle. I have had good luck letting the beer set 20 days then bottling and honestly don't care what the final abv turns out to be. I went through all the trouble of setting up to brew so I just followed through with adding sugar and fermenting if only as a learning experience but was wondering what others thoughts or experiences were if they had to deal with a similar circumstance.

 

[JohnSand]

I've only added sugar to Belgian recipes where it was called for. I correct low gravity when necessary with extract. Sugar generally will dry and thin a beer, brown sugar should add some flavor. I usually ferment every batch for three weeks. I don't really have a good idea what your result will be. If it's not great when you first taste it, give it time.

 

[stahlsau]

I'd agree, adding sugar will up the alc, but add no flavour. Since that is about the opposite of what I target in most beers, I wouldn't do that.
With 1.025 it will be a bit thin anyways, so it won't matter much.
Just let it finish and tell us how it is when ready, I'd say.

But I wonder why you're fermenting a Weizen with the US-05. I'd say use a "bavarian wheat" or "munich classic", or is this done differently in the US?

(arr my english is bad today, sry)

 

[hotbeer]

Personally with mistakes, I always like to see what they become. If you just leave it alone and proceed as if all is well, then you might be pleasantly surprised more often than you are disappointed.

I probably wouldn't have just stuck to the recipe and not added additional sugar. After all, you said ABV didn't matter to you.

 

[Homebrew Harry]

A lot of things we use and good recipes were made on accident. I hope it turns out good !

 

[Kickass]

Two pounds of sugar in a two gallon batch, an OG of 1.104, and a fast fermentation, I suspect there will be considerable fusel alcohol. I’d guess 10-14% ABV rocket fuel depending on the health of your US-05 yeast. It may need extended aging and you may really like it.

What’s you FG?

 

[RWurster]

I have been reading a bit about fusel alcohols and have a bit of paranoia on that subject now but seems like an easy fix if I have an abundance of them. I am a bit worried about the high OG now. I made some ginger ale that had a high OG of 1.115 that was extremely strong but I used a lot of ginger, it had a brutal ginger burn in your mouth and in your throat and you could definitely taste the alcohol in it (8%). The ginger ale bubbled for 5 weeks and it has been conditioning for over a month now and even though it is still a strong flavored beverage I can tell it has mellowed out considerably. So I will let this hefe condition a bit if it burns. Honestly I didnt mean for such a high OG its that I didnt want a few cups of sugar sitting around for the weevils to have a go at so I tossed it all into the wort. It smells great when i push a sniff out of the air lock.

 

[IslandLizard]

As long as you're controlling the temps of the beer during fermentation, toward the lower end of the yeast's optimum range (~64°F for US-05), I don't see why you would get a ton of fusel alcohols.

Brown sugar is made from refined (white) sugar, with molasses added to it, which gives it its brown color and characteristic flavor. The sugar will ferment out completely giving you lots of alcohol, while the molasses will ferment somewhat too, leaving other flavors behind.

All the body comes from your mashed grain, with plenty of dextrins due to the high mash temp where Alpha Amylase rules, giving it a thicker mouthfeel. That will compensate for the alcohol and thinness due to the sugar. Most starches that came along will have sedimented after the boil as trub.

It may be very drinkable, and boozy.

 

[RWurster]

I hope so IslandLizard I cant ferment at less than 68F and now that it is warming up my ferment temps will be 72F - 75F. I started brewing late fall so we shall see how ferments go during the summertime

 

[RM-MN]

I hope so IslandLizard I cant ferment at less than 68F and now that it is warming up my ferment temps will be 72F - 75F. I started brewing late fall so we shall see how ferments go during the summertime

I think your answer to summer brewing is Kveik yeast. This is an example. 830307 - Omega Yeast - OYL-71DRY - Dried Lutra Kveik

 

[SRJHops]

Unfortunately, my best guess is you will have a highly alcoholic but mostly flavorless beer. Wheat doesn't have a ton of flavor to start with, and a 1.025 OG beer is always going to be a bit mild in flavor.

It certainly won't be a hefeweizen, because 05 can't make that style. (It can't make a witbier either.). You could call it an imperial wheat wine!

I'd be tempted to just dump it, but it could be a good learning experience to proceed and taste the final product. Be sure to report back!

 

[hotbeer]

68F ambient temps are not going to hurt your ferments for most beers that aren't lagers or pilsner beers.

I've usually got 68-70°F ambient temps with no cooling for my fermenter other than maybe a fan when the beer in the FV gets really hot. But as long as you don't stray too far over the optimum temp range for what ever yeast you used, then you are likely okay.

And I don't believe that transient spikes exceeding that optimal temp range of the actual beer temp for a day or two during the krausen are necessarily bad either.

Certainly not disaster by any means. You'll have drinkable beer. Of course when you can, the more controlled your brewing is with temps and everything else, the more repeatable results for a specific taste, aroma and mouthfeel you will have. But you also have to keep a good journal so you'll know every step of the way what something should be.

 

[Gorm]

Years ago when it was popular to add 1 lb of sugar to “dry out” IPAs, I did. This was for a 5-6 gal batch. I stopped doing it after a year because I liked the taste of all grain IPAs better.

Adding that much sugar to such a small amount of beer , I’ll second the advice for extended aging. Usually, on a big beer, it helps with the mellowing of hot alcohol taste.

 

[RWurster]

The beer turned out to be bland. The final ABV was 11.4%. It is drinkable but I personally don't really like it. After drinking 2 beers I had a major buzz so there is that. If this ever happens again I will add ground malted barley instead of sugar next time. There isnt a hot taste but there is definitely an alcohol taste to it lol. It is currently cold crashing in a bottling bucket and I am pondering if I should bottle it or not. I might just have a party and pour it right out of the bucket into peoples cups without even carbonating it.

Anyway it fermented and came out meh

 

[SRJHops]

The beer turned out to be bland. The final ABV was 11.4%. It is drinkable but I personally don't really like it. After drinking 2 beers I had a major buzz so there is that. If this ever happens again I will add ground malted barley instead of sugar next time. There isnt a hot taste but there is definitely an alcohol taste to it lol. It is currently cold crashing in a bottling bucket and I am pondering if I should bottle it or not. I might just have a party and pour it right out of the bucket into peoples cups without even carbonating it.

Anyway it fermented and came out meh

Thanks for reporting back. As I suspected. You had a neutral yeast, lots of sugar, low hops, and very little malt. There was just nothing to give it any flavor.

It's a dumper, but hopefully a good learning experience. We've all dumped batches.

Having a pound of light DME on hand is always a good idea. There's even a calculator to help: DME Gravity Make-Up Calculator - Obsessed Brewing

For your next hefe, be sure to use hefe yeast: Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Wheat Yeast

Happy brewing!

 

[Kickass]

It's a dumper,

Not a dumper! Brew another beer, something 5ish ABV with lots of flavor and blend.

 

[RWurster]

Yeah I like hefes. I remember I had made the blue moon clone recipe from here, used the us-05 yeast, I was thinking witbier when i bottled the cake, and then dumped this last batch on top of it thinking it was a witbier/hefe yeast.

 

[marc1]

Yeah I like hefes. I remember I had made the blue moon clone recipe from here, used the us-05 yeast, I was thinking witbier when i bottled the cake, and then dumped this last batch on top of it thinking it was a witbier/hefe yeast.

Witbier and hefe yeast are different, so make sure you pick the right one for the style you are trying to make.

https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-single?id=148&type=YEAST&style_type=5https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-single?id=152&type=YEAST&style_type=5
If you don't care and you are just trying to make beer, then go for it.

 

[MHBT]

Always keep some dme on hand, it can save your life oneday