Very screwed up mash temp + Low efficiency??

[klamz]

I brewed a Weizenbock today. First time doing a wheat beer at the new house. To be brief the recipe called for about 55% wheat. SRM 16

Brewhouse efficiency 78%(normally)

strike water ratio 1:1
Targeted Mash Temp 154
Targeted OG 1.079

I mashed in at about 154 and after 15 minutes I took a PH sample. The Ph was 5.6

I added Gypsum and Calc Chloride dropping the ph down to about 5.47 after sitrring. I then added 1ml of Lactic Acid and it dropped it to 5.4 after stirring. this was all done in about 10-15 minutes

So 30minutes later I finally got my ph but after all that stirring and lid opening my mash temp fell to about 149. I then added a gallon of near boiling water and brought it back up to about 152(not quite enough) and let it sit for another 30minutes.

My mashout temp was 165f and the sparge water was about 172.

After the boil was complete to my surprise i noticed an OG of 1.062 and I wanted to cry. Does anyone think my mash was to blame here? Maybe it was the wheat malt that screwed something up? Ive been consistant up until this point with 78% effiency. Perhaps I didnt mash long enough? Did the temp swings screw something up?

 

[Aunt_Ester]

Posting to subscribe.

 

[day_trippr]

It'll still be beer

How did the wheat malt milling look? That's where I'd start, wheat kernels are usually smaller than 2 row barley, and depending on how the mill is set for the latter it might not be doing a thorough job on the former...

Cheers!

 

[klamz]

I may still have some left over. What should i look for? uncracked kernels? How Would I tell if it was too fine or not fine enough by eye?

 

[erikpete18]

It'll still be beer

How did the wheat malt milling look? That's where I'd start, wheat kernels are usually smaller than 2 row barley, and depending on how the mill is set for the latter it might not be doing a thorough job on the former...

Cheers!

This is also what I would bet. Your temps don't sound that far off, at least not enough to make that big a difference. If anything it might be a little more fermentable, but shouldn't affect your efficiency too much. Do you mill your own grains, or have them milled? The wheat should look crushed similar to barley (everything broken into at least 4-6 chunks, possibly more), but because they are smaller kernals they won't get crushed as well at the same barley setting.

Also, was it malted wheat, and what else was in the grain bill? I suppose that if it was just flaked wheat and used a bunch of crystal its possible that your two-row had a little trouble keeping up with everything, but you'd have to sit down and do the math to find out.

Finally, how do you sparge, and did everything go well? I know some people have trouble with that much wheat and stuck sparges, which could lead to all kinds of difficulties (ie. channeling if you fly sparge).

 

[klamz]

the grains were milled and shipped from Northern Brewer.

The recipe:

5 lbs 11.4 oz Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 52.58 %
3 lbs 14.7 oz Pale Ale Malt 2-Row (Briess) (3.5 SRM) Grain 36.05 %
12.0 oz Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 6.90 %
4.3 oz Chocolate Malt (400.0 SRM) Grain 2.49 %
3.4 oz Caramunich I (Weyermann) (34.0 SRM) Grain 1.98 %
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.30 %] (60 min) Hops 17.3 IBU
1 Pkgs Hefeweizen IV Ale (White Labs #WLP380) Yeast-Wheat



I sparge pretty slow maybe this time not so slow. Mashout temp was 165 give or take a degree. Maybe that wasnt hot enough to? I will double check the ingredients I ordered to make sure it was malted wheat but im pretty sure it was.

 

[944play]

Batch size?

That grainbill wouldn't get me more than a ~1.060 OG in a 5 gallon brew.

 

[klamz]

That would have been smart to give the batch size huh? this is a 4 gallon batch