Mashed Very Low by Mistake

[wobrien]

So I was showing my brother how to brew and we were drinking a previous batch (I never have more than two while brewing, and this is why).

To make a long story short, while conducting the mash, I was looking at the Celsius side of the thermometer and so I mashed an IPA at 52c (125f) rather than at 152f like I intended.

I got an OG of 1.053 and pitched a 2L starter of Wyeast 1056 and had a crazy fermentation. I don't do an iodine test so I don't know if I got conversion (if it's even possible at 125 degrees...).

So will this turn into a good beer? What effect will mashing at 125 degrees have on a beer...

 

[RandomBeerGuy]

It's probably going to be still a great beer. No worries. Based on the OG you got sometype of conversion.

 

[wildwest450]

Here's from someone who knows their stuff.

When you mash at a lower temperature the conversion process takes longer and may not complete in the 60 min that most of us give the mash. The result is lower efficiency and possibly unconverted starches that can give the beer a starch haze. If your mash temps are substantially lower (140 and lower) starch doesn't gelatenize and the conversion process takes much longer since the enzymes have to chew away on the outside of the ungelatenized starch granules. At this point you would have substantially lower efficiency.

Another effect is that enzymes like b-amylase and limit dextrinase survine much longer and are thus able to produce more fermentable sugars. The resulting wort will be more fermentable and the finished beer can end up thin and lacking body.


I really wouldn't expect to be a "great" beer. What was you're og supposed to be?

_

 

[wobrien]

It's probably going to be still a great beer. No worries. Based on the OG you got sometype of conversion.

I figured that, but I basically just did an hour long protein rest, right? I'm curious what the effect will be...

 

[wobrien]

I really wouldn't expect to be a "great" beer. What was you're og supposed to be?

_

I was shooting for 1.076. I had 1.043 preboil and I knew something was very wrong at that point. So I did a 90 min boil to get 1.053.

 

[wolfman_48442]

It'll still be beer, but it's not going to be anything like you had planned with the original recipe. Which is not necessarily bad, but a good recipe is normally balanced for a specific OG, and when you miss that by a bunch, you can sure tell...

 

[wildwest450]

and when you miss that by a bunch, you can sure tell...

This, hops will be way out of whack, it will probably not be that good to be honest. Lesson learned on the drinking while brewing.

_

 

[edmanster]

If you secondary you can always throw in some amylace powder to chew threw the unconverted starches but it would completely dry it out..

 

[VladOfTrub]

All you did was a prolonged protein rest. Your beer will be insipid. Buy some iodine, it's cheap.

 

[wobrien]

More iodine conversion tests and less drinking while brewing. Or maybe I'll get a digital instant read thermometer and continue drinking...

Should I follow through with my planned dry hop, or save the hops for another brew?

 

[November]

I would sample it when it came time to dry hop and make the call to hop it based on that.

 

[sanch]

your OG may not have been what you wanted but 1.053 is still a decent beer

I suspect you will have to wait a little longer for it to taste right.

BTW It only took two before you started screwin up? What are you A 18 year old GIRL!!! HA HA HAAA!

 

[edmanster]

I would sample it when it came time to dry hop and make the call to hop it based on that.

Might be inspiration!!!

 

[wobrien]

BTW It only took two before you started screwin up? What are you A 18 year old GIRL!!! HA HA HAAA!

lol. No, I typically only have two, but my bad influence, younger, Marine brother and I split a twelve pack...

 

[wobrien]

your OG may not have been what you wanted but 1.053 is still a decent beer
!

Yeah, this is what I'm hoping, but I also hope it is still an interesting beer and not insipid as someone else suggested. It's been almost two weeks in primary, so I'm going to pull a hydro sample and taste. I will post results and then decide whether I'm dry hopping or not.

 

[sanch]

lol. No, I typically only have two, but my bad influence, younger, Marine brother and I split a twelve pack...

Yea I misread that. I usually wait until everything Is clean and prepped and I'm mashed in before I pull a pint. or until my 1st batch is in the bk if I'm doing a double batch day. any sooner and I forget to do important stuff like clean out the plate chiller Doh!! it started smellin funky a few days later, I had to soak it for a few days in PBW and pressure cook it for an hour to get the funk out.

hope the beer turns out well for ya, im sure it will. Although I suspect it will be fairly dry due to the low beta-amylase conversion.

 

[HollisBrewCo]

you could always brew anther beer, mash it high and then blend the 2 beers post fermentation. I managed to fix an english pale ale by doing this and i ended up with a great beer
You may want a malty beer for your second beer to balance out the hops some, maybe a brown ale ?