Maggie Helles - Tuesday, November 7, 2023 - Les Drank It - I Tossed It
Getting an early start on my Helles Lagers. No use to wait until spring, may as well get'r done now. Using liquid yeast with an over build and I hope it does a lot more than my Kolsch yeast which was near dead for some reason.
Since we are going away I have to let this ferment for 5 - 6 days. That is fine. I will shut the fridge off when we get back on Monday, Nov. 6.
FOUND THE REASON FOR THE ODD TASTING BEERS
I switched to using Celsius and didn't mash in at the right temperature. That is an enzyme problem. I should of mashed in at 75C instead of 70C. Dummy!!
Ingredients
11 lbs. Pilsner Malt
8 ozs. Vienna
8 ozs. Carafoam Dextrine
40 grams Czech Saaz at 60 min.
Biergarten Lager Yeast with over build - ( 500 ml ) - ( 9 - 13 C) - ( 48 - 55 F )
O.G. - 1.044 - 73%
F.G. -
% -
SRM - 3.4
BU - 18
Mash Water - 5.75 gallons
Sparge Water - 5 gallons
Water Profile - 4 Dog Brewery
CA - 22
MG - 8
S04 - 31
CI - 39
PH - 5.40
Mash
CI - 1.3 g
Eps - 1.7 g
2.3 ml Lactic Acid
Boil
CI - 1.1 g
Eps - 1.5 g
Lactic Acid in sparge - .2 ml
You are still okay to make a 3 L starter with a 500 ml over build. You will be over around 25 billion estimated cells which is good for a lager starter. You will need 303 grams of DME in a 3 L boiled starter which will take it down to 2.60 L over all in the stir plate. I wanted 2.75 L in the flask. I got a lot of evaporation, 3 L down to 2.6 L. That is why my over build is only 500 ml. The yeast starter kind of finished the next morning. The Kolsch did the same thing. It usually takes 2 days or more to finish. Nothing I can do but go ahead and crash cool it, decant it, and hope it works. If it does work I will be going with lagers until the New Year. In January, I am going to start to brew UK Pale Ales and use beer gas by next summer. If it is too stupid expensive, I will not use it. The starter seemed to be done when I checked it the next morning but I am letting it go until after supper. Take your over build of 500 ml and crash cool the rest to pitch the day after brew day. Done.
OVER BUILD TO A 500 ML JAR ON NOVEMBER 5
BREW DAY NOTES
Problem free so far. I switched to celcius in Mr. Robobrew and it seems to agree with it, better than F. The boil started at 7:25 am which took over 45 minutes. Chiller @ 8:25. In the carboy at 10 am.
Pitched yeast at 5:30 am. next day.
Friday, November 10 - It seems to of picked up speed. The krausen is thick. Temp varies as the controller needs calibration and the stick on thermometer only goes at 4F increments. Before we go to Dorchester I am setting it to 50F because I don't want it to finish before I get back and miss a D-rest. If I do this will be a dumper. Turned it down to 10C which is I am not sure. A big thick head of krausen now which is good for now. Do not finish by the time I get back is all I want.
Day 6 - Came home from Dorchester. Turned off controler. Not much krausen so I just shut it off. I have to move it somewhere to get the temp up a few degrees more. I can't shut the door in the beer room because of the screws I used in the hinges. The bloody door just fell off by itself.
Day 7 - 64F. I am just on the edge of starting the d rest. I would like it higher but I would have to move it to a warmer spot if there is one. If it was summer it would be easy to ramp up. Still no smell. which is odd but I am not that familiar with this yeast. I turned on the wall heater and closed the door to the laundry room. It will get warmer, does not need much. Very active though. Still no fart smells. I wonder if this is normal for this yeast? When it is there I will know.
Day 8 - Finally smelled beer farts. It is still faint though. Fine. Previous brews had a big sulphur smell. Maybe they changed the yeast a bit. I will know when I keg it. D rest almost done. I will let this sit for as long as it takes to finish. After that, do a ramp down because you have time to do it. Filter this beer also. A pain but it is worth it. Course filter works fine. I is very close to finishing. The odd fart. I will give it a few more days and start to ramp down. I will give it until sometime in the first week of December and keg and filter for wedding guests. This, along with my stout is all I got. I will be buying a case or 2 just to have for guests.
RAMPING DOWN
Started a ramp down on Nov. 18. Doing only 3F every 12 hours or so. I have lots of time to do this so there is no hurry to not do this. Keg a few days before the next brew. I will use the big mouth fermenter only for beer brewing. Save the normal carboy for wine because it is a real pain in the ass to clean. Should be able to keg this around Nov. 27 or 28. I really want to taste this but am not opening it up yet. No need to as there is no advantage to do so.
SUCK BACK?
I may of got it. I only ramped it down 3F twice in 24 hrs. and the suck back was up to the plastic elbow. Now, did any get in? No idea. I will use star san for now on in a mason jar or pitcher instead of the ss pot. When I ramp up, I can go with the pot as it spews out and there is no cooling of the beer at that time. I am leaving the temp as it is. 54F according to the temp strip. I don't want to risk suck back again.
I moved it to the bench for awhile. Smelled fine although that may not be a sign of no suck back. Taste at kegging or after it is kegged. I want to get this cleared and carbed so it can at least age a bit. Saw some activity still in the carboy on the bench, 64F. Thought that is odd but glad it is still spewing out the lager crap to clean it up. Hope the gelatin works fast and I don't taste it when I transfer to another keg like the last one did.
KEG AROUND NOV. 29
Sampled on Nov. 27. Clean, very clean lager. Absolutely no lager off flavours at this stage. Suck back? Well, if I did it hasn't reared it's ugly head yet. You will know if it happens alright. Kind of bland but that is not a bad thing. If I am going to continue brewing lagers I have to find a way to get some flavour into it without making it too malty. Also, not a real Pilsner taste though. A little bit, but not like Beaus Pilsner I had many years ago. Now that was a perfect Pilsner. Maybe if I do a traditional German fermentation schedule I will get that. Not sure if I am willing to do that now as the odds are it will be a dumper.
TRANSFER TO A FINAL KEG ON DEC. 6
Carbing it up day and it is what it is. I only have a stout and this beer so I hope it is at least drinkable. It is, but it is a young beer and a young lager. I will not brew another one until I keg and clear the current one. That will be around Xmas Day. Busy boxing day. What else can I brew? A Pilsner, like loaded up with hops? Maybe. Cream Ale would be nice. Use the House Ale yeast up.
Sample for carbonation late on Thursday, Dec. 7. Do not over carb it. Checking carbonation and a taste on Dec. 8. Got some diacetyl. Not much, but it is there so that is why I am no longer brewing lagers. I did everything I was supposed to do and it did ferment the way it should to get rid of it. But I still got it, so goodbye lagers. Kolsch beers for summer and Bitters for the winter. I think the diacetyl is getting worse. Dam...
Taste on Dec. 11
I hate it. I may of oxidized it when I kegged it. I purged it after I kegged it, but didn't purge the keg before I siphoned it to the keg. Maybe. Will see when I keg the latest one around Xmas Day and will purge the keg with C02.
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