Millbrook Helles - June 24, 2015

Millbrook

                                                      Millbrook Helles

15 Gallons

22 lbs. Best Malz Pilsen
2 lbs. Munich Malt 1
103 grams Hallertauer 4% AA - 60 min.

WLP940 Mexican Lager
75/25 RO/WELL

O.G. - 1.050
F.G. - 1.010
% -    5.26
SRM - 3.7
BU - 24

TAX FREE BEER TASTES BETTER

I thought about not doing the fast ferment with this Pilsner. The last time I did it I got no Pilsner taste at all. Bland and boring. Just like a very clean Blonde Ale which sucked. Sampled on day 9 and I got a nice Pilsner taste with no sulphur and diacetyl. No fast ferment now. Set it at 12 C until done. Well, I did do a d rest after all as I went downstairs and found the fridge door open.

                                                         Fermentation Notes

Day 1 - Pitched 940 @ 12:30 pm the next day @ 50 F.
Day 2 - Some activity. If so, it was way earlier than previous lagers.
Day 3 - Going good.
Day 4 - Same.
Day 5 - Still active for a lager. No rotten egg smell but soon. Usually
             around 5 - 7 days in.
Day 6 - Same.
Day 7 - Same but with rotten egg smell, normal.
Day 8 - Seems to be fermenting faster than yesterday. Rotten egg smell.
Day 9 - Sampled, real nice. Set @ 12 C until done. No sulphur or diacetyl at all. It
             is still active for a lager and will keg on day 21. Do it this way for now on.
Day 10 - Same but slowed down slightly.
Day 11 - Same.
Day 12 - Woke up on July 6 and saw the fridge was open. Must of hit the door
                when I defrosted the other fridge. I will leave it for 4-5 days and then
                 ramp it down before kegging day.
Day 18 - Ramping down the temp to 5 C to 8 C about 3 C a day.
Day 20 - Kegged it on July 20.


                                                    Taste on kegging day

Kind of bland, but not as bland as the last one. My sample had a lot of yeast in it though. It got clear as it got lower in the conical but I didn't sample it. It didn't have a strong Pils taste to it, but neither did the Pils @ Dec. 2014 on kegging day have a great Pils taste. It seemed to come into its own 3 weeks later though. Sampled on August 9. This has no gelatin added. Has a slight taste of corn, but in my acceptable range. Will add gelatin soon and carb up. I need to do a d-rest on my current pils and need to clear this before then. This had a nice but very light Pils taste a couple of weeks ago. I need to finish this as a guide to future lagers. I will run out of space to put these in on August 24.

                                                                      TASTING NOTES

Not quite carbed up yet. Somewhat clear. Not a lot of Pils malt taste I would want. No dms, diacetyl or that other flaw that I can't pronounce. This taste was on Aug. 13.

                                                     FINAL TASTING

I still have a keg and a half of this. It is a good beer, but not a Pils. Very clean. I would drink this in a pub or buy it at our Communist run liquor store. The first keg tasted good when cleared with gelatin. I didn't clear the second one and it has some yeast haze/taste in it. Tastes not as good. The second keg has more of a noble hop taste than the first one. Layers in a conical I assume. I can always go from keg to keg until both are filled.