i did a wheat beer with 10 lbs of flaked wheat. my fermentation got stuck at 1.040. og was 1.084. is this because I used the flaked wheat or is it just going to take a lot longer? ???
Have never had problems fermenting flaked wheat but 10 lbs is a lot- 5 gal batch? Strong beer too- did you pitch a sufficient amount of yeast? What yeast strain/ temp?
What was your total grist, and what was your mash temp/time? Flaked wheat can not self convert so if you did not have enough enzymes in the mash you would need an extra long mash to get good conversion.
I’m also thinking the problem here is not a stuck fermentation but that you have too much starch in the beer.
This^^^^^
If the entire grist was flaked wheat, there was no conversion.
so I used 10 lbs flaked white 6 lbs of flaked red wheat 5 lbs 2 -row and 3 lbs of other flavors. I did a 90 minute mash at 150 with a 170 sparge. og was 1.078 and I pitched two tubes wlp320 amer. hefe yeast. I pitched a second starter of wlp320. have not checked reading since I pitched the starter two weeks ago. is this a moot point and because of my grain bill it is all non fermentables left? thanx for your help
Best case, 2 row can convert about twice its own weight IIRC. You’re well beyond that, so it might very well be your problem. If you had used wheat malt you’d be OK.
Yeah, my suspicion is that it didn’t fully convert due to insufficient enzymes. But how does it taste?
Would some Brett be worth trying? It would change your flavor profile, but if it doesn’t taste the way you wanted and you don’t like it anyway, then maybe experimenting a little would be worth it! I have added flavor extracts and salvaged some light ales that developed a little more ester than I wanted…just thinking out loud.
took another reading today and it was at 1.036 after two weeks with a starter. tasted the sample and it didn’t taste sweet but it was definitely a heavy beer. it is at 5.5% abv right now and tastes decent so I may just bottle it and see how it turns out but have learned my lesson about using so much flaked wheat. thanx for your input.
Don’t bottle it, it’s not ready. It dropped 4 points in 3 days, wait until it has stabilized or you risk bottle bombs. Check it every 3 days until the readings don’t change, then it might be ready for bottling.
sorry for the confusion it dropped to 1.036 after three weeks from 1.040. did some asking around at the local microbrewery ( I am friends with the owner/ head brewer ) and he has had stuck fermentations before and added beano ( the capsule style where you can take it apart and just get the powder ) the enzymes from that will break down the sugars to where they are fermentable by the yeast. giving that a try. will let you know how it worked.
Too late? I have had success with amylase enzymes (same as beano), but many advise against it. It will really dry out the beer, there is little you can do to stop the enzymes. Check it daily, when it is where you want it then crash cool it and keg it. Do not bottle this beer, it will slowly continue to ferment to dryness and create bottle bombs even though it is cold. If you must bottle, drink it fast and store the bottles in a blast proof container like a plastic tub to contain the glass shards and beer.
A few years back when I was doing extract brewing, I occaisionally had a beer stop short of where I wanted it to finish.
I found that adding a half tsp of amylase to five gallons and resuspending the yeast would get the beer down to my target in a couple of weeks.
I never had an issue with either bottle bombs or gushers.
I had heard the horror stories, just never experienced them.
Jumping in kind of late but nobody asked-Are you taking the reading with a hydrometer or refractometer?
If the latter, try the former, IME, readings with refractometers are just not reliable, even with proper conversions, once alcohol is present.
Just had to ask but these others that spoke about the grist have far more experience in that department and I have to agree with the issues pointed out with the recipe.
I am absolutely checking the beer frequently and I have to bottle, I have never kegged but am going to keep the beer coooold after carbonated and drink it quickly for sure. it is going to take a lot of arm twisting to get friends over to help drink it. and fyi it is a blood orange hefe that we just added the blood orange to last night and it smells wonderful.