AHS Oktoberfest/Marzen Mini-Mash Kit

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nostalgia

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This was my first mini-mash. The directions that come with the kit are thorough enough even for a first timer like myself.

I started last week by making a starter for the WL820 lager yeast. I built it up to three quarts. It was crash cooled last night and this is what I had this morning:



I decanted most of the wort off and went about prepping to brew.

Put 3 gals of spring water in the pot and dipped about 1/2 gal off for sparging the grains (left front pot. Left rear is LME warming up). I brought the water up to 155F. Put the 3.5# of grain in a nylon bag, hung it from my ghetto hanger and started steeping.





Steeped for 45 minutes at 155F, then sparged with 170F water.



to be continued...
 
While the grains were draining off, I warmed up 3# of the 6# total LME in the kit. I decided to deviate just a bit from the instructions and do a late addition of half the LME.



I brought the pot out to my turkey fryer burner and brought it to a boil. Took it off the boil and added the 3# of LME. Brought it back to a hard boil, added the bittering hops and started my 60 minute timer. The minute I added the hops everything smelled amazing! Put a smile right on my face :)

At 15 minutes left I added the rest of the LME and the flavor hops.



The silicone glove is awesome for this, since I don't have to worry about steam burns!

At 5 minutes I added the aroma hops, then at 0 went into a tub with ice water (the pot, not me). I kept adding fresh cold water from the hose and went from 212F to 90F in 16 minutes.

I brought the wort inside and put 2 gallons of spring water at 36F in the carboy. Added the wort, learning that the screen in the funnel is a Bad Idea. I ended up pulling the screen out and putting a fine mesh sieve in the funnel. That gave me a lot more filtering surface area and didn't clog as easily.

I took a hydrometer reading which was much too high. Added another gallon of spring water and nailed the 1.054 target OG. Temp was right at 59F.

Shook the daylights out of it in preparation for pitching.



Opened the starter and was immediately assaulted with the strongest yeast smell I've ever encountered. Wow! Guess I did something right with it.

Pitched the yeast, swirled it all together and put it in my fermentation chamber at 60F. Once I start to see signs of fermentation I'm going to start dropping to 55F.

So my first mini-mash was pretty easy. I was astounded by the sheer volume of grain, my only other beer so far being a True Brew kit. I really liked the smells of the steeping grains. I'm hoping that translates well into the final beer!

-Joe
 
The guys at AHS have told me that, short of AG, mini-mash is the easiest way to improve the beer. I used mini-mash for the AHS Holiday Ale and I wish I would have done it from the start. It really only adds another forty five minutes.

I'm going to get the Marzen kit in a few weeks, I'm excited about it. You'll have to keep this updated with the progress.

You and I both need an immersion chiller!

Eric
 
You and I both need an immersion chiller!
Yes indeed. It would certainly be easier ;) Although I was able to get the wort down to pitching temps in under 20 minutes, which I think is pretty good.

As for an update, no activity as of 8am - 20 hours in.

-Joe
 
I've done several mini-mashes now, and have noticed a marked improvement in the beers I make- better flavor, clarity, and head retention. I think you'll be happy.
 
Well here we are about 34 hours since pitching. It's not knock-your-socks-off fermentation, but I can see bubbles in the Star-San in the blowoff growler. So I'm guessing we're on the right track.



Temp is right on 50F.

-Joe
 
woohoo, good strong bubbling this morning! I've got bubbles in the blow-off tank every 1-2 seconds and a nice thick head on the beer.

It just looks so yummy - like a giant glass of stout. Must resist using blowoff tube as a straw...be strong...

-Joe
 
So I just took a peek in the fermenter freezer and WOW! This thing is bubbling like mad! Several bubbles per second at 50F.

Whew :)

Once again, I can't thank the general populace here enough for all the patience, help and advice. The price for a supporting membership is well worth seeing that bugger bubbling away in there. Considering it's my second brew ever, at least ;)

-Joe
 
It's day 7 and it's still bubbling every 1-2 seconds. The kraeusen hasn't fallen yet, but it's definitely changed from the fluffy Guinness looking head to a darker, more solid looking brown.



-Joe
 
The guys at AHS have told me that, short of AG, mini-mash is the easiest way to improve the beer. I used mini-mash for the AHS Holiday Ale and I wish I would have done it from the start. It really only adds another forty five minutes.

I'm going to get the Marzen kit in a few weeks, I'm excited about it. You'll have to keep this updated with the progress.

You and I both need an immersion chiller!

Eric

I have a chiller and AG setup but no lager fridge. We should get together on this one. :D

- Eric
 
One week later and fermentation appears to be slowing. Hydrometer reads 1.036 @ 60F. Does that seem high at this point, or is this normal for a lager?

The wort is definitely still very sweet and has a bit of a slick mouthfeel. I'm assuming the latter is from the diacetyl and will be fixed with the diacetyl rest and long lagering.

-Joe

edit: Forgot to mention: the kit specifies an FG of 1.015.
 
10/23 and tapped the keg for the first time. It's been lagering since 7/13, and been in the keg since 8/15. And I'm disappointed.

It's got a bit of a slimy moutfeel on the finish, but no worse than any other lager I've had. What I didn't expect was the very off flavor and smell.

When I stick my nose in the glass the first image I got was some lychee fruit ice cream I had in San Fransisco. It's kind of a sickly-sweet smell. The flavor is definitely malty, but way off. I'm having trouble describing exactly what I'm tasting here.

I'll have to wait for my wife to get home and see if she can put her finger on some of the flavors. I'm definitely not getting butterscotch or hot, alcohol flavors. Doesn't smell like wet garbage. Maybe a hint of butter.

-Joe
 
Almost forgot, it's on the left. It cleared and carbed beautifully:

oktoberfest_and_wheat.jpg


-Joe
 
The wife agrees that it's "definitely not good." She couldn't pinpoint any flavors until I asked, "Bandaids?" That got an immediate, "Yes! Bandaids!"

Looks like my first dump. It's really nasty. The smell is nauseating me.

Any theories on what went wrong here? I only used Starsan for sanitizing and am very anal-retentive about sanitation.

Thanks,

-Joe
 
The wife agrees that it's "definitely not good." She couldn't pinpoint any flavors until I asked, "Bandaids?" That got an immediate, "Yes! Bandaids!"

Looks like my first dump. It's really nasty. The smell is nauseating me.

Any theories on what went wrong here? I only used Starsan for sanitizing and am very anal-retentive about sanitation.

Thanks,

-Joe

Well, before you dump, take it out and keep it at room temperature for a month, then try again. Bandaids isn't good, but slimy to me means "slick, oily" which is probably diacetyl. If you can clean up that diacetyl, maybe the bandaids can clean up too.
 
Well, some good news. I poured off a few pints and it's no longer nauseating :) There's still that odd fruit smell at the onset, but the flavor has cleaned considerably and now I"m getting a lot of yeast flavor. I'm hopeful that it'll get better as we go. I gave my friend a pint and he said, "Yeah, I'll drink that." So it could be worse :)

Thanks for the encouragement, Yoops.

-Joe
 
Well, even better news. Everyone at the party raved about the Oktoberfest lager. People were drinking glass after glass. I tasted it again and it still tasted funky to me. Not dump it in the sink funky, but not hey this is great beer, either.

Folks seemed to like the Apricot Wheat, but the lager and the ESB were the two biggest sellers. One of my neighbors who is a die hard Bud drinker had 6 pints of the ESB.

And of course, the Apfelwein went like water :) I was carrying pitchers of it upstairs.

Who knew?

-Joe
 
One hint AHS told me was to put 1 cup of DME into the mash liquid. It will help lower PH.

Also - I had a Mini Mash from AHS that to me was undrinkable. A SHARP twang in the after taste. I was bumbed as the flavor was great until the last 3 seconds.

I let it sit for another month and it's wonderful now!! Thanks little yeasties for cleaning it up!!
 
Glad to hear it wound up well in the end! One trick I learned, for when I need to dispose of some .. um .. "interesting" beer.......... is to loosen up my guests with a couple of tequila shots first, then give them 20 minutes to marinate in it. After that, they'll drink anything that comes out of a tap! ;)
 
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