HELP WATERY BEER

[Craigerrr]

I have been doing partial mash for the last couple years, but haven't done anything with all wheat extract. I have used either one pound, or 2 pounds of Golden Light DME, but kept enough base malt in my recipes to habe enough enzymes to help convert the other grains in the mix.

 

[Minbari]

I don't think that the is a lack fermentable sugars since i had a good ABV and I used a liquid extract, for what I know the special grains that I used are for the colour and aroma. I didn't crush the grains, the shop where I bought all the stuff crushed them. From what you said the problem is the temperature because I didn't use a thermometer, I did it by "feelings" since I thought that proteins weren't that important, probably during the boiling I heated too much and fucked up the proteins of the liquid extract and the special grains.

Extract is already converted, so temp for that isn't important. The specialty grains, as you said, is for flavor and color. I don't see that being the issue.

Boil is just that, boiling! No need to monitor the temp on a boil, as long as the boil is rolling.

Do you know what the gravity was after the boil? After fermentation?

 

[Craigerrr]

Extract is already converted, so temp for that isn't important. The specialty grains, as you said, is for flavor and color. I don't see that being the issue.

Boil is just that, boiling! No need to monitor the temp on a boil, as long as the boil is rolling.

Do you know what the gravity was after the boil? After fermentation?

It was 1050 and 1014 for 4.7%

 

[Minbari]

It was 1050 and 1014 for 4.7%

That is pretty normal then.

It is the problem with using extract. You are relying on the skill of someone else.

 

[Mont Y. Märzen]

Looks like the LME would get you 3.5%ABV (approximately).

I suspect that the Munich malt is a CaraMunich.
If this is the case you would only get flavor and color from the munich and crystal malts, there would be much if any fermentable sugars contributed by them.
Crystal and Cara malts need a base malt like two row, or pale ale, or others.
These base malts would provide the enzymes needed to convert the starches in those other malts into fermentable sugars.

Lets wait for others to confirm or deny what I am saying, but please look up the munich malt that you used. there are many...

25EBC is roughly 12SRM, so more like a Munich II. But unless it was mashed for a long time, it won't convert itself, and there aren't any enzymes in the extract.

 

[Minbari]

25EBC is roughly 12SRM, so more like a Munich II. But unless it was mashed for a long time, it won't convert itself, and there aren't any enzymes in the extract.

Good point here. 40% of the grain bill was crystal and darker malt. Munich malt has effectively zero diastatic power.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Good point here. 40% of the grain bill was crystal and darker malt. Munich malt has effectively zero diastatic power.

Munich malts do have diastatic power, it's the CaraMunich varieties that, like all caramel malts, that do not.