Yipes, methinks I'm getting old or something

[RedSun]

Today I made a PM Honey Hefe that we call Haderach round here with the special lady and we've made it before, just been tweaking a thing or two here and there, but I was lower on OG than expected at 1.048 which wasn't terrible, but I wound up with less wort than expected as well, probably in the 4.5G range. I haven't screwed that up in many a batch. Must be getting old or careless....

Hope it's still tasty, probably try another batch in a few weeks. My sparging probably wasn't so hot either


-RS

 

[RedSun]

Fermentation took off early AM and the sulphorous smell permeated the whole house before I closed it off in the 2nd bathroom. Powerful gross, probably a good weight loss tactic though.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

What's your recipe look like?

 

[RedSun]

1.5# Wheat malt
1.25# Crystal 10
1.25# 2-row
4# Canadian liquid wheat extract
1# Wildflower honey
.5oz Bitter orange peel

1010 Wyeast AM Wheat smack pack

 

[RedSun]

Well, I just bottled it this morn and once I corrected for temp, my OG was 1.051 and FG was 1.010 so not too bad at all. Tasted it and it was a little hoppier than expected, but still pretty smooth. We'll give it a few weeks and give it a whirl. My next iteration adds:

.5# German wheat malt
1oz sweet orange peel (instead of bitter)

And the honey will go in 2 days into fermentation rather than in the end of the boil, maybe get more honey taste, probably less OG too depending on how the German malt performs. Probably convert the recipe to AG this fall. How would one convert the extract portion to appropriate grains? Beersmith?

-RS

 

[RedSun]

Update, did the brew today with the added .5 German malt wheat and did not add the honey in at flameout and my SG was only 1.033, would honey make that much difference? I realize it's pretty much natural sugar, but we were much more on point with the brew this time, much darker color than the previous batch. If I add the honey in 48 hours from now, how would one make adjustments for ABV calculations?

Thanks
-RS

 

[skou]

RedSun, honey is pretty much a gamble to predict gravity from, since there are too many variables. (Especially, if you use the local Tempe Crockett stuff, which is watered down.)

I'd probably add the honey in at 48 hours, to get some alcohol in there to kill any nasties, (which means it will be difficult to get a SG) or add it in during the cooling process, if I wanted to get a SG.

You could always stir the honey in to a small amount of your fermenting beer, (then add it to your fermenter) and then check your SG. If you took a reading just before adding the honey, you could compute the rise in SG, and figure out what you needed.

Personally, I wouldn't worry. R, DW, HAHB!

steve

 

[RedSun]

Steve, good call! This is primo flagstaff wild honey, pure and delicious. I always add it in at 10 min or flameout, but I thought I'd try for a little more honey taste this go around. I think I'll go the 48 hours and make the addition, thanks and you're right, HAHB indeed

 

[skou]

We get that Flagstaff stuff every so often, and I like it! Almost too much to use in my Mead recipes.

R, DW, HAHB! (Or, maybe, a HomeMead!)

steve