First all grain hef turned out really diluted.

[cmillsLA]

My first all grain batch was a hef described below but it turned out really diluted. This was a 1 gallon batch and I used about 1.5 gallons of water in the mash tun. After a 30 min protein rest at 130 I got the temp up to 158 and let the grains steep for another 60 min. From there a 60 min boil w/hops.

I am using a 2 gallon cooler as a mash tun with a stainless steel braided line as a filter. I moved the grain around with a spoon and even ran more hot water through the grain. The color and citrus flavors are good but it just seems really diluted. Any advice is appreciated.

19.2oz (60%) Wheat Malt
11.2oz (35%) Pilsner Malt
1.6oz (5%) Light Detrin Malt
.2oz Hallertau Hops

 

[afr0byte]

What were your og and fg?

 

[johnnytaco]

Did you pitch the right amount of yeast? If you pitched too much,You may get a thin finishing beer. The other thing is that you may have gotten really poor efficiency. What was your mash pH? If it was too high, you might not have gotten good enzyme activity. Did you test the gravity of the wort? Did you check for conversion with iodine? These would help us give you a better answer. Your grain bill seems close to what I use in my hefe, and I don't seem notice a thin finish, even when I mash below 152F. I would do an acid rest at 112 and then step it up to the saccarification rest. The protein adds body. Also, doing a decoction instead of a step mash would increase the mouth-feel by adding more perceived flavor due to the maillard reactions in the kettle.