41 replies to this topic

[johnpreuss]

Yes I did, yes contrary to several people's (Including my own) doubts I finally brewed my first lager.  I've been wanting to do this for some time now and for different reasons it just kept getting pushed back.  I talked in depth with Ken and Chilis, both of whom I would consider Brews Bros Lager Experts, about what I wanted how to go about it and came up with this recipe with Chilis (I had to deviate a bit due to what hops/grains I had on hand and what the LHBS had):

 

Baaaaahstin Lagerish Thing

 

10# Avangard Pils

12 oz C60

 

1.2 oz Vanguard 5.2% AA  @  60 min

1 oz Santium 6.1% AA @ 10 min

.5 oz Vanguard 5.2% AA @ 5 min

 

2 packs of W34/70 rehydrated

 

TG:1.051 OG:1.046 IBU:30

 

Water was adjusted to Bru'n Water's Amber Bitter.

 

Notes on the Recipe:

I was actually planning on using Pale Ale Malt/MO something like this but I was out, the LHBS had 2 options, Briess 2 row or this German Pils - I opted for the pils for flavor, as a result this beer came out LIGHT.  Almost made me rethink things whether or not I added the C60.  The next thing was the original recipe Chilis gave to me was using HM and German Tetts.  Neither do I have on hand or had available.  Plan one - I have(had) 12 oz of Mt. Hood on hand and I was going to use them for the Bittering and the 5min/Flameout addition, opened those up and there was that thread awhile back about questionable hops yeah these were in that catagory.  So I found this bag of Vanguard (said to be similar to HM) that I know is atleast 2 years old, I open it and it smells like I just got them and still VERY green so I ended up with those.  I picked Santium at the LHBS as a Tett sub.

 

The plan was to do a single decoction - mash in at 145dF for 30 min then 160dF for another 30 min.  My system DOES NOT like step mashes of any kind.  Well, take a step back. I mashed in and stablized at 148dF - I should have left this alone.  But NO, I threw some ice in and it dropped to 140-141dF.  At this point I said #### it I hope it goes ok and I'll just run the second step longer. Chilis instructions to me were to take a THICK 4 quarts and boil for 15 min. I had a water to grain ratio of 1.75 (I batch sparge) - there is no THICK anything to that mash but I did decoct the 4 quarts.  It smelled heavenly, but after I added that plush the other gallon of boiling H2O I was still under 150 so I pulled 2 gallons and heated that to 190 or so and got the mash up to 160dF (FINALLY SOMETHING HIT RIGHT!!!) and left it alone for 45 min.

 

I ended up collecting an extra gallon of wort, but that was ok it allowed for a longer boil to let my DMS fears go away, and I boiled the bejezus out of it.  I normally don't run the burner on full tilt but I'll just say DMS made me do it. I did end up a few points low of my TG but I did come up .5 gallons ahead on wort in the bucket so after calculating the extra volume in I'm right on the money.

 

Chilled this guy down to 46dF and pitched, plopped it into a swamp cooler -  outfitted with a lid and collar - filled with 50dF water.  Just waiting for this guy to start bubbling.

 

[neddles]

Showing the balls by decocting your first lager. Nice work. Keep us posted through the final product. I am going to do my first lager soon.

[johnpreuss]

Showing the balls by decocting your first lager. Nice work. Keep us posted through the final product. I am going to do my first lager soon.

 

Meh, the decoction wasn't bad. Leaving the mash alone when I overshot my mash temp... still kicking myself but oh well.  Heck, this is the first beer in over 6 months I haven't done a 175dF hopstand on so chilling was a cake. Now it's just baby sitting this guy and keeping the fermentation temps steady and low! 

[neddles]

Heck, this is the first beer in over 6 months I haven't done a 175dF hopstand on so chilling was a cake.

I know, right? When I brewed my Patersbier yesterday I was thinking what a breeze the chilling, rack to fermentor, and clean-up were. Then I remembered there was no 20-30min hop stand in the middle of it all.

[Steve Urquell]

Congrats on your first lager brew duder. Yankee Candle should have a decoction candle scent. It'd sell like hotcakes. I always dough in at 1:1 when I'm step-mashing (I also batch sparge). It allows for easier temp increases when adding water. I'll brew my version as soon as I get my German pils out of my ferm chamber--probably next weekend. I'll also use what I have on hand. Floor malted BoPils malt, CaraMunich III, Spalt hops, and 2124. Double decoction. Maybe we do a trade when they are ready?

[Big Nake]

Oh, BOO. BOOOO! Vanguard and Santiam in Bahstan Lagah? Just kidding. How's the aroma coming out of the airlock? Nothing like taking a good, long hit off of a lager airlock. Cheers JP... nice work.

[johnpreuss]

Nothing going on in the airlock this morning yet but I'm not too worried.  It was still only 47dF when I went to bed, the yeasties were probably still napping.

 

 

I always dough in at 1:1 when I'm step-mashing (I also batch sparge). It allows for easier temp increases when adding water.

 

After I doughed in I thought that was dumb...  Should have made that thicker.  Oh well.  Better luck next time right?

 

 

Oh, BOO. BOOOO! Vanguard and Santiam in Bahstan Lagah? Just kidding. How's the aroma coming out of the airlock? Nothing like taking a good, long hit off of a lager airlock. Cheers JP... nice work.

 

Ok Ken we'll just call it Lager in my Bucket!  LOL  Thank you.  The aroma of those Vanguard in the boil was AWESOME - I had a Ken moment there. 

[Big Nake]

Ok Ken we'll just call it Lager in my Bucket!  LOL  Thank you.  The aroma of those Vanguard in the boil was AWESOME - I had a Ken moment there.

Yeah, the Vanguard and Santiam hops are nice, I agree. I have a few ounces of each in the freezer & I need to come up with a good way to use them. Cheers Lagerman.

[zymot]

I like the decoction step. One of the things a home brewer can do that is not so easy or practical for a commercial product. I have never done it in the name of stepping up a mash temp. I have done it to induce some new flavors. So I boil the bejesus into the grains. Always pleased with results. Good job with taking on the challenge of brewing a lager.

[denny]

Showing the balls by decocting your first lager. Nice work. Keep us posted through the final product. I am going to do my first lager soon.

 

I don't know that that's the word I'd use....

[neddles]

I don't know that that's the word I'd use....

I'm kinda dense, elaborate please.

[Big Nake]

I'm kinda dense, elaborate please.

Evidently Denny didn't think it took balls to do a decoction. Or perhaps he didn't think that a reference to the orbs was required in that context.

[johnpreuss]

I like the decoction step. One of the things a home brewer can do that is not so easy or practical for a commercial product. I have never done it in the name of stepping up a mash temp. I have done it to induce some new flavors. So I boil the bejesus into the grains. Always pleased with results. Good job with taking on the challenge of brewing a lager.

 

It was a fun brew day - even if it was frustrating at times.  I've never done a decoction, the step mash was something I hadn't tried in a long time, I was using ingredients I typically don't use - I forgot how pale the wort was from pils malt and American nobels are WAY under appreciated - I will be brewing more with them.

 

UPDATE - The thing wouldn't take off bubbling, but I was hoovering around 48dF so I let it drift up around 51-52 and it's been bubbling away.  I think I'll keep the temp there for now.  Yes, Ken, I've been taking airlock hits.  It's amazing!  You can smell the lager characteristic. 

[johnpreuss]

Just a little update.  It's still bubbling away. I took a gravity sample today it's at 1.017.  It seems like this is going on and on and on... I know lagers go for a while but this is killing me.  The grav sample tasted good, but needs to finish fermenting.

[Steve Urquell]

Just a little update.  It's still bubbling away. I took a gravity sample today it's at 1.017.  It seems like this is going on and on and on... I know lagers go for a while but this is killing me.  The grav sample tasted good, but needs to finish fermenting.

This is when I would take it out of the chiller and warm up to room temp. Let the yeast finish up strong and eat diacetyl and acetaldehyde. I've had 34/70 finish at 1.014-16 many times.

[johnpreuss]

This is when I would take it out of the chiller and warm up to room temp. Let the yeast finish up strong and eat diacetyl and acetaldehyde. I've had 34/70 finish at 1.014-16 many times.

 

And out of the  cooler it is. 

[Brauer]

This is when I would take it out of the chiller and warm up to room temp. Let the yeast finish up strong and eat diacetyl and acetaldehyde.

Yup.

[Big Nake]

Yeah, the warmer temps will do you up righteous at the end of fermentation. Not just for diacetyl but anything else that may have formed in the primary including sulphury flavors. Let it go a few more ticks and it will be at your projected FG. Then... if you can wait, leave it for a few more days while everything settles and you'll have a nice, clear wort for transfer to... wherever it's going... secondary, keg, bottling bucket, etc.

[johnpreuss]

I let this warm up to room temps for the last few days and it dropped 7 more points to 1.010 and hasn't bubbled for a day or so.  I took a sample.  All I have to say is DAMN YOU KEN LENARD AND CHILIS!!! This is tasty, and that lager characteristic.  WOW.  I can't wait to try this after letting it lager for a couple 3-4 weeks or so. 

 

Just what I needed to do, start making lagers.  LOL  This is awesome.

 

So the next quesiton would be... Do you cold crash this then transfer to a secondary?  Or just transfer and crash it.  I would like to gel this one if that is of any importance.

Edited by johnpreuss, 23 March 2014 - 02:04 PM.

[Steve Urquell]

Glad it's tasting good, John. Now at this point, I would dry rib it for a week with some baby-back ribs and serve with an Awesome Blossom. You're cracking me up calling me "Chili's" Seriously though, what I do at this point is pull a sample and taste it at room temp, smell it for apple or butter. If it's clean I switch to an "S" airlock and start crashing it at 5°F/day until it's at 32°. Let it sit ~1 week then rack to secondary for a week with gel at 32° and harvest the yeast. Some people like to rack directly to keg with gel. I'm weird, what can I say--I don't like gel in my kegs. When it's clear, I rack to keg and start carbing. Drink when you damned well please. It'll improve for ~1-1.5mths lagering.