Bash-Shell.Net

This is my first brew of this beer since some time in 2020 it seems and so my first brew on my Unibrau targetting 5.5 gallons. Since I've still got WB-06 to use I changed things up a bit here and used that. I have not been happy with it in the past on dunkelweizens due to not getting the clove or banana flavors. I used normal hefeweizen fermentation temperatures in the 62-64F range. I have been using this yeast with great results on my roggenbier when fermenting in the 74-76F range, so that is the plan on this batch.

Preboil SG: 1.037

Original gravity: 1.051

Final gravity: 1.014

Volume in Fermenter: 5.1 gallons

Mash process:

Added grains at 156F. Mashed for just over 1 hour at 152F. Mash pH was tested with a Milwaukee MW-102 at 5.4pH at about 70F and showed about 5.5pH at 152F (down from about 7.3pH from the tap) both with automatic temperature correction. Mash was started with around 8.75-8.8 gallons of water with an estimation of .09 gal/lb grain absorption rate and a 1.5 gallon/hr boil off rate and .06 gallons (about 1 cup) of trub left in the kettle at the end. I believe the lower than intended volume after boiling is due to still not having my grain absorption rates nailed down. With my current process it's hard to accurately tell how much wort I have after mashing and letting the wort drain. I may also actually be boiling off even more than I think as well, but I think I am pretty close to correct on that.

The most interesting thing here is that viewing the image of the boil kettle after cooling I have about 5.5 gallons of wort. I am fairly certain that I had removed the immersion cooler, hops in hop bag, etc. leaving only wort at around 86F. After transfer to the fermenter with very little, and definitely far less than 1/5 gallon, left in the boil kettle I have only about 5.1 gallons of wort. Since the pre-boil gravity and original gravity came out as expected I have to assume this is some other mistake or that one of my containers does not have accurate volume labels.