Low OG blonde

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ShamanViking

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Hello guys,

We are using a one kettle BIAB system with circulation. The bag is a metal housing, but it is the same idea.

Just finished brewing a blonde, and got a low OG compared to expected OG.
We were supposed to get a 1061, and finished at 1050. Our system is a 30 litre, ending at 25. I think we ended at 24 litres total.

Recipe:
5.0 kg pilsner malt,
1.5 kg light wheat malt,
0.5 kg caramel malt

Any ideas to what might be wrong? We never went this far off from the recipe before. We were using a kit, so I am thinking it might be lower actual content (malt) than what it should be in the kit.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Edit: 64C mashing temp according to the recipe. Maybe it is too low?
 
All my recipes are in F but 64c is about 147 which is low from everything I've seen unless its a step mash and spends at least some time in the 150's. I've done about a dozen recipes blondes, lagers, ipa, honey wheat, pilsner, bocks and non of them ever had ranges below 152 most say either 152-154 or 156 as target temp. If your final volume is higher than it is supposed to be then that will make it low to. Also if you just pulled the bag out after the mash and went with what was in the pot you could of left some good sugars behind in the grain. I like to save about a gallon of hot water over 170 to pour on my hanging grain bag at the end and squeeze what I can out. Probably get more trub this way but it will settle out eventually. My Ogs are always right on +/- a 0.001.

I will say that's still gonna be a decent beer maybe 5% plus I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as the yeast likes it.
 
A kit that was maybe preground for a mash tun? When I do a mash below 150*f it's for 120 min. Also, one of the benefits of BIAB is squeezing the bag,less sugar left behind.
 
At 147F, alpha amylase is not very active - that is the enzyme which acts more quickly to convert starches into long chain sugars. However, beta amylase enjoys that lower mash temperature; it converts starches into short chain sugars - and it shortens long chain sugars that alpha has already converted. The downside is that beta acts much more slowly than alpha, so mashing low requires a longer duration. 90-120 minutes is common practice.

If you mashed low for an hour, that explains at least part of your lower extraction. Other factors such as crush may apply in these situations too.
 
At 147F, alpha amylase is not very active - that is the enzyme which acts more quickly to convert starches into long chain sugars. However, beta amylase enjoys that lower mash temperature; it converts starches into short chain sugars - and it shortens long chain sugars that alpha has already converted. The downside is that beta acts much more slowly than alpha, so mashing low requires a longer duration. 90-120 minutes is common practice.

If you mashed low for an hour, that explains at least part of your lower extraction. Other factors such as crush may apply in these situations too.

Good info
 
Wow.

Thanks for all the good info. I come back and find all this good feedback. Thanks a lot. The beta and alpha amylase info is great. Makes sense it came out low.

Thanks guys!
 
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