Sometimes The Day Doesn't Go As Planned....

[daryl]

I brewed yesterday with my son Sean, for the first time.

Going for a tangerine wheat, nothing particularly challenging....or so you would think.

Had several issues, the most concerning one was my mash temps were way too high...I was recirculating my wort through the mash tun, it was breezy, and I just could not get them under control. Instead of staying in the 152-154, at times it went as high as 180. The temps were all over the place during the mash...and the sparge went about as smooth. Also had pump issues during the recirculation, which contributed to the
temperature control issue.

In spite of using rice hulls, and throttling way back on the valve on the output of the pump, I had to clear a stuck sparge about a dozen times. I think the high temps cause the wheat to be alot more gelatinous.

Anyway, the resulting wort doesn't have a very good taste, I think there are a lot of tannins in it due to the high temps....to me it is so questionable, I am thinking of not pitching my Wyeast and rebrew....and pitch this batch before I invest anymore time in it.

Thoughts?

[twiggy2164]

I would be inclined to agree that you could have a lot of tannins in your wort. May be best to re-brew and be sure rather than to continue on and find out in a month that the brew is less than desirable.


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[mjensen52402]

I would imagine that at 180 F you have denatured most of your enzymes. Take a gravity reading to see if it is close to expected. If so do an iodine test to see if starches have been converted to simple sugars.
If you have good gravity, but low conversion you could add some alpha, beta amylase (Beano) and heat the wort up to conversion temp and go from there.

Science the shit out of it.

[DrPaulsen]

Was your OG ok? If so, the enzymatic activity was probably fine. Did you hit 180F for the entire volume of the mash or could it have just been a pocket? If the latter, you're probably fine. I've learned that excessive tannins in the beer can be fined out with patience, cold conditioning, and Super Kleer. If you're on a short timetable for the beer and need it to be good, I'd say re-brew it. Otherwise, if the OG was fine and you're willing to work with it, the beer should be fine.

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[daryl]

OG was 1.036, targeting 1.050.

[DrPaulsen]

I'd take that wort and try to make a wild sour with it then re-brew the original.

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[daryl]

Actually, Brewer's Friend predicted the SG to be 1.040; I am going to rebrew...but the sour beer idea, just might have saved the wort. Haven't soured a beer before, but I will give it a try.

Thanks Lee.

[mjensen52402]

Actually, Brewer's Friend predicted the SG to be 1.040; I am going to rebrew...but the sour beer idea, just might have saved the wort. Haven't soured a beer before, but I will give it a try.

Thanks Lee.

I've got a really good lacto starter going. If you are going to be in town I can pour some off for you.

[daryl]

Actually, Brewer's Friend predicted the SG to be 1.040; I am going to rebrew...but the sour beer idea, just might have saved the wort. Haven't soured a beer before, but I will give it a try.

Thanks Lee.

I've got a really good lacto starter going. If you are going to be in town I can pour some off for you.

I'll take you up on that Mark. I'll have to see when I finish up today and I'll reach out and see if it is convenient for you, and if not tonight, perhaps tomorrow....I'm fifteen minutes into the mash...things are much smoother today.

[mjensen52402]

Ok, just let me know.

[daryl]

Having never done a sour before, do I need to pre-ferment with some ale yeast and then hit it with the Lacto? Or vice versa....or something else?

Thanks,
D

[mjensen52402]

Having never done a sour before, do I need to pre-ferment with some ale yeast and then hit it with the Lacto? Or vice versa....or something else?

Thanks,
D

Lacto first. Then boil to kill lacto.

[daryl]

Can I pick the lacto up tomorrow? What time would work for you?

How long to kettle sour?

I might have opened a new world of brewing by screwing up the first iteration of Tangerine Wheat.

[mjensen52402]

I'll be home any time after 10. I can fill you in on details then.

[daryl]

The latest update....I did not have time to infect the wort with Mark's lacto until today.

I used a 6 gallon glass carboy...poured in the lacto....opened the bucket of wort to drain it...and lo and behold, spontaneous fermentation. And it did not smell unpleasant and the taste began to take on some dankness.

I proceeded with the lacto, and will heat this stuff up in the fermentation chamber, start it up at 80-85 and ramp it up 5 degrees every 12 hours and see if I can get to 95-100.

We'll see what happens.

But now I am concerned that I may have fouled the seals in my stainless steel buckets....I am sanitizing with heat (165 F) and then soak in Starsan.