Unfortunately, that’s not a great test. It could be WAY off around 150 where you really need it to be accurate. The best way to calibrate it to get a calibrated lab thermometer and compare your to it at mash temps.
Unless your beer is under 1.040 OG, making a starter will always make you better beer IMO. For great info, see mrmalty.com .
Amen Denny!
dons, I experienced many of the symptoms you describe here; The low extraction rates, the lack of fermentability, the reluctance of yeast to clean up. I solved it one way:
I bought a lab thermometer… Sing praises to the brewing gods!
The dial thermometer I was using was at least 6 degrees off (high) at 150F I was mashing in way too low.
when I switched to using the lab thermometer, my extraction rates jumped almost 10 points.
I brewed a beer similar to your beer (OG 1.043) last week using only 8 lbs. of grain vs. your 11lbs.
A lab thermometer and making yeast starters will change your (brewing) life.
+1 on both accounts, I’ve gotten into the habit of double checking with the lab thermometer every time I brew just about. As far as making a starter go, couldn’t be simpler, just like making a small batch of 1.040 beer. DME as the medium (or you brew up several batches as AG.) I know you said you didn’t want to “start a new topic” - but had you made a starter (or, more accurately, started with the appropriate pitch of yeast) you would probably have not run into this problem. Pitching enough healthy, fresh, viable yeast is one of the most important aspects of brewing.
One other important task to put onto your process checklist is estimating and targeting your terminal gravity. When you brew beer there are vital statistics (range) that are inherent to a particular recipe and process. One of the critical statistics is terminal gravity which is calulated and targeted during the fermentation process. Factors such as grist bill, mash regime and yeast origin must be considered in order to estimate and target a terminal gravity.
In your case using the grist bill and mashing parameters accompanied with WLP001 should have brought you down to the 1.010-1.012 range of terminal gravity. With this knowledge you would have allowed for the yeast to finish it’s job prior to bottling.
I’m starting to find myself wondering what I have done right.
you started to learn how to make your own beer!
Every batch is a learning experience. Brewing is a craft and the longer you do it the more you learn how much you don’t know. I’ve been brewing for 15+ years and I still am amazed how much there still is to learn, which also makes it still fun. That said, once you learn proper fermentation practices everything else falls into place. 