low starting gravity/ add sugar or honey to fermenter

[frankjones]

Hi folks. I did a basic wheat beer and added a to off water... Too much... Ugg. Starting gravity was 1.043

The target was 1.05

It's in the fermenter now. The SG is 1.04 can I add a little honey or sugar to give it a little boost?

If so how much can I add to the 3 gallon batch?

Thank you for reading my post and taking time out to offer input.

 

[jtratcliff]

You're only 7 points low... I'd just leave it.


Edit to add: you'll be off your final ABV by less than 1%

 

[frankjones]

You're only 7 points low... I'd just leave it.


Edit to add: you'll be off your final ABV by less than 1%

I know what the problem was. I used an igloo cooler for a mash run. I struggled with keeping the mash temp at 150

Next time I'm going to use my oven and steel pot . set the oven at 152 for an hour.

I also did a recirculation of the wort. Lost temp and had to add sparge water to try to keep temp. So I really didn't have a good sparge.

 

[captwalt]

I agree that your fine. If your really worried about hitting 1.05 I'd add a bit of wheat DME but I would let it ride and enjoy whAt you've got. I will also add that using wheat malt typically lowers my overall efficiency so I plan for that.


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[kh54s10]

I also vote for not messing with it. It is a little low, but not drastically so. Trying to adjust could make it worse if things don't go just right. If you did adjust I would also go with the wheat DME. How much? I don't know.

 

[frankjones]

I also vote for not messing with it. It is a little low, but not drastically so. Trying to adjust could make it worse if things don't go just right. If you did adjust I would also go with the wheat DME. How much? I don't know.

This was my first all grain batch.

I used

Pale ale malt 54 %
Wheat malt 42 %
Carapils 4%

With tetnang hops
Safbrew 06.

Supposed to be hefeweizen

I modeled my recipe after Hanks Hefeweizen all gain kit on Midwest supplies. I bought and did their extract kit for the same beer and it was OK. Unrewarding just boing fora but and then ferment.

That's why I tried the all grain version. Hope it's not crappy.

 

[govner1]

I know what the problem was. I used an igloo cooler for a mash run. I struggled with keeping the mash temp at 150

Next time I'm going to use my oven and steel pot . set the oven at 152 for an hour.

I also did a recirculation of the wort. Lost temp and had to add sparge water to try to keep temp. So I really didn't have a good sparge.

I use two different Rubbedmaid MT's a the time. I rarely lose 1-2 degrees during a one hour mash. What was the temp of your mash in water?


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[frankjones]

Was 165 from the stove top to the cooler

 

[ASantiago]

Honestly, it's done. It will be good. Enjoy it. Learn for next time.

 

[rodwha]

Honey is quite nice in a wheat though.

I've added honey a week after fermentation began. Great if you aren't harvesting the yeast as it may not be pasteurized and could have wild yeast, and hard to figure numbers.

I'd think 1 lb would be plenty to make up the difference and add a nice honey note to it if you wanted.

I don't care much for a wheat beer, but I greatly enjoy a honey wheat!

 

[mattmmille]

I'm thinking I would leave it, too. Not every beer has to be high ABV...and a session hefe in the Summer might just hit the spot!

I have tried to up the SG the day after starting fermentation one time and it turned out okay. I pulled a gallon from the fermenter and added DME, boiled it for 5 minutes and cooled it to 75F and added it back. That way, it was well incorporated and heat sanitized. Sure, a little yeast was sacrificed, but it didn't seem to hurt the fermentation.

 

[rodwha]

Bringing it back up to the low to mid 5% isn't quite a high ABV beer though. I can certainly understand not wanting something very low in ABV as I don't drink fast enough to make a "light" beer count for much.

Regardless honey is nice in a wheat beer...

 

[frankjones]

I had planned on transferring to a secondary to add a can on vinters cherry puree do you the sugar from the cherry will be enough to give me a few more points?

 

[rodwha]

That I'm not sure about.

Honey is quite nice in a wheat beer though, and it won't take much for a few points. You could likely regain about what you lost with maybe as little as 1/2 lb of honey.

 

[frankjones]

That I'm not sure about.

Honey is quite nice in a wheat beer though, and it won't take much for a few points. You could likely regain about what you lost with maybe as little as 1/2 lb of honey.

Could you give me some input... Should I add the honey the same day I add the cherry or do it in the primary before I transfer it to secondary?

 

[rodwha]

What I was told by the fellow who suggested it said to give the beer time to calm down from initial fermentation. I gave mine a week.

If it's just the typical cherry flavor extract it's usually suggested to add to the bottling bucket when you transfer.

 

[rodwha]

I've used honey to prime too, but it doesn't take much. A volume such as that would certainly create bottle bombs if added at priming!

How long has your beer been fermenting?

 

[frankjones]

It's been in fermenter two days. I was going to add the can of vinters cherry puree to the secondary. Would adding the honey the same time as the cherry into the secondary be OK to get my abv up.

I use priming sugar for bottling.

My starting gravity was a bit low.

 

[rodwha]

Does the cherry puree have directions?

It might be better to add the honey prior to secondary, and if the puree is also to be added before bottling, I'd think it also best to add prior to ensure less sediment, but I'm unfamiliar with using purees.

I'll see if I can find out something on using it.

 

[rodwha]

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/cherry-puree-vintner-s-harvest.html

It says it can be added either during primary or secondary. May as well add it when you add the honey to reduce the times it's opened.

I'd give the honey a week to ensure it's completely fermented before bottling it.

 

[frankjones]

I will add the honey in a few days - boil some water to thin it up a tad to make it easy to pour into the primary. Then after the honey has been in a week I will transfer it to secondary and then let it sit on the puree for a week or so.

This was my first full all grain brew that was not a one gallon batch and it was a project to get it done on my electric stove top. But I did get a good rolling boil - it took about 30 mins t get it up to a rolling boil and then boiled for 45 mins.

Thanks guy for taking time out to give input, id be lost with out this forum.

 

[rodwha]

This forum has greatly helped me as well! Many helpful people.

I've not jumped into all grain, but I have been doing partial mashes and using filtered tap water (hard) and using RO water to help soften it depending on what I'm brewing.

I've recently moved and now have a glass top that's been abused. Hoping I can still get 4 gals to boil. Might need to work out boiling in two pots.

 

[frankjones]

Also guys- This is alittle off topic- but I wanted your guys input- (if you don't mind taking aminute out)

I have one four pound can of Alexanders Wheat Extract
and Two pounds of Muntons Connoisseur's Wheat Pre- Hopped extract (that's about half of the can left over from an experiment)

I know the munotons is hopped for a five gallon batch so Could I reasonably think that I can make a three gallon DECENT wheat/hefe style brew this the two items above.

I also have some carapils and gambrius honey malt on hand- can anyone offer up their experience? Thanks again!

 

[rodwha]

How long has that can been opened?

I've certainly tried doctoring up Mr Beer kits before. It's not quite exact, but I used Brewtoad and added LME and corn sugar to replicate the ABV and took out the corn sugar to get an idea of what the LME itself might be. Then worked it from there.

The kits were all barely outdated (bought from a garage sale), and obviously stored in the hot garage as all were bad despite using DME in place of the booster, adding hops at 20 and 5 mins, and splitting US-05 yeast. Most tasted like molasses.

 

[rodwha]

Guessing, but it may be a little light on hop flavor, though I'm uncertain about that hopped can. It seems they generally are on the lighter side as is so thinning it out just a bit to make 3 gals might take away from it.

Do you have something like Willamette or something similar?

 

[frankjones]

How long has that can been opened?

I've certainly tried doctoring up Mr Beer kits before. It's not quite exact, but I used Brewtoad and added LME and corn sugar to replicate the ABV and took out the corn sugar to get an idea of what the LME itself might be. Then worked it from there.

The kits were all barely outdated (bought from a garage sale), and obviously stored in the hot garage as all were bad despite using DME in place of the booster, adding hops at 20 and 5 mins, and splitting US-05 yeast. Most tasted like molasses.

Is been open about three weeks- in the fridge sealed up tight,

 

[frankjones]

I have cascade and sazz
Was thinking

4 pounds alexander's wheat
2 pounds Muntons Whet Connoisseur's

for three gallon batch with safbrew o6

 

[J187]

Hi folks. I did a basic wheat beer and added a to off water... Too much... Ugg. Starting gravity was 1.043

The target was 1.05

It's in the fermenter now. The SG is 1.04 can I add a little honey or sugar to give it a little boost?

If so how much can I add to the 3 gallon batch?

Thank you for reading my post and taking time out to offer input.

A few things here...

1. Leave it if you are worried, add some honey if you want to experiment. Either way it's fine. You might not want to add anything if it's your first time making the beer - maybe you want to see how it is then add stuff the second time around - just a thought.

2. You should have a much easier time keeping mash temps consistent in the cooler than the stove/pot approach. In fact, I can't think of anything that works better than a cooler... My HD 10G round cooler loses 1 deg if that over an hour. One thing is, make sure you aren't putting the cooler down a cold ground, like a cold tile floor or something. The pot in the stove is very hard to keep it from losing or gaining temperature - especially depending on the stove.

 

[rodwha]

My first mini mash I tried my 2 gal Igloo and found it did not keep the temp well despite warming it with near boiling water.

A fellow on this forum has created a very cool pot insulator by buying a large flower pot, wrapping his BIAB pot in foil, inserting it into the flower pot keeping it suspended and spraying expanding foam in it to create a perfect insulator. I intend to do this.

 

[frankjones]

A few things here...

1. Leave it if you are worried, add some honey if you want to experiment. Either way it's fine. You might not want to add anything if it's your first time making the beer - maybe you want to see how it is then add stuff the second time around - just a thought.

2. You should have a much easier time keeping mash temps consistent in the cooler than the stove/pot approach. In fact, I can't think of anything that works better than a cooler... My HD 10G round cooler loses 1 deg if that over an hour. One thing is, make sure you aren't putting the cooler down a cold ground, like a cold tile floor or something. The pot in the stove is very hard to keep it from losing or gaining temperature - especially depending on the stove.

I think I may just let it ride and just add the cherry puree. Not add the honey.

Do you think because it's an older cooler probably give years old it failed? But I use it for ice and drinks it works fine

 

[frankjones]

I just pulled a sample. The SG was 1.042 and the sample is now 1.012. This makes the abv about 4% ? It's only been in the fermenter five days. Of this makes the abv 4% I think I'll just leave it be because it tastes very good just the way it is.

 

[rodwha]

I didn't want to go back through it all to see if you listed the yeast you used. From an OG like that I wouldn't think 1.012 is quite done, though it could be if it's unfermentable.

If you are good with ~4% beer than leave it be, especially if you like it.

 

[frankjones]

I didn't want to go back through it all to see if you listed the yeast you used. From an OG like that I wouldn't think 1.012 is quite done, though it could be if it's unfermentable.

If you are good with ~4% beer than leave it be, especially if you like it.

I used safale o5

 

[rodwha]

That has a great attenuation ability, and it is certainly capable of going well below 1.012 from 1.042. I'd guess 1.008 or so.

Have you checked i over a period of time and has it been at room temp for a while to help move it along?

 

[frankjones]

I checked out today it's down to 1.01. Going to give out a week longer.