This is the next brew on my list. All-grain, 20 - 25% flaked corn, 1.050 range. I want to use this to build up some yeast so I can do a series of lagers - Oktoberfest, Bock, Munich Helles. I am considering the Wyeast Octoberfest lager yeast blend. I am thinking of a low, long mash and a short boil(as compared to my usual lager boils). Get a little DMS for character. I will use Centennials because I have a mountain of them still. I have not settled on a hopping schedule. I am also not settled on the grain bill. I may use some acid malt, and maybe a little melanoma malt (love that pre-cancerous malt).
Let the discussion begin.
__________________ Before I learned to brew I was poor, sober and lonely. Now I am just poor.
Not a lager, but this was my Vienna Lights Blonde Ale that everyone seemed to like at my Oktoberfest two weeks ago. I'd imagine if you used lager yeast, it would fit the profile.
Vienna Lights
Cream Ale
Type: All Grain
Date: 9/27/2008
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Brewer: slimer
Boil Size: 7.00 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU
1 lbs Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 8.70 %
4 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (1.8 SRM) Grain 34.78 %
3 lbs Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 26.09 %
3 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 26.09 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.35 %
0.50 oz Sterling [7.80 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 14.1 IBU
0.25 oz Sterling [7.80 %] (15 min) Hops 3.2 IBU
0.25 oz Sterling [7.80 %] (5 min) Hops 1.3 IBU
0.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.058 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.13 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.61 %
Bitterness: 18.6 IBU Calories: 260 cal/pint
Est Color: 3.9 SRM Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 11.50 lb
Sparge Water: 3.02 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 60.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Medium Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 14.38 qt of water at 170.7 F 154.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 8.05 qt of water at 198.5 F 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
I am considering the Wyeast Octoberfest lager yeast blend.
A couple of guys in the local homebrew club swear this is the best yeast on the planet. I wish I was setup to do constant lagering so I could find out for myself. I suppose I could yank some kegs out of the kegerator...
No input on a recipe but I'll be really interested to see what you come up with. CAP is one of the styles I would really like to dial in some day.
As I recall, predictable medium attenuation according to specs (with 3-4L starter), short lag, quick attenuation, nice balanced malt profile, works great with any style but especially vienna lagers and Oktoberfests. Also makes a good Munich Helles or any other lager beer where you want to showcase the malt profile. They did say that the yeast is too attenuative for a good doppelbock, that it dried out too much even when they mashed at 156*F. For a bock I would try it.
I pieced together a stab at this in July. I couldn't get enough of any of the ingredients to do Jeff Renner's recipe. I did a cereal mash with the grits (Polenta) and the six row and started the rest of the mash at 122*. Mashed at 148* for 90 min. I also boiled for 90 min like Jamil suggests. Any way it turned out tasty. I used the Czech Pilsner Yeast from Wyeast because that was available.
Main Line Pilsner
2-C Classic American Pilsner
Size: 5.77 gal
Efficiency: 79.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 198.4 kcal per 12.0 fl oz
I brewed a lager last winter, that I will turn into a CAP this year. The big change will be mostly upping the hops to ~40 IBU's from 20 IBU's. I used ~20% flaked corn (OG was 1.048) . I can't recall the bittering hops, but I do know I used a combination of EKG and Sorachi Ace for flavoring and aroma. I used the White labs Bock yeast (833) and was quite pleased with the final results. The typical mantra is that corn and rice adjuncts don't add much flavor, but I think this is a bit overstated - depending on the yeast. I think if a typical German or Czech lager strain is used, that may be true. I found though that my beer had a richness to it, from the corn specifically, that was the result of the Bock yeast. The same richness found in a standard bock, etc, except this was just pils malt, a little 6-row and the flaked corn. The beer was still very light and drinkable, but it had a little extra oomph of flavor compared to a typical modern American lager. The beer scored a 32 (BJCP) which I was a little disappointed in, mostly because one of my dings was they said it was undercarbonated. This would have been a flaw in my filling from the keg, so that what I was drinking and enjoying wasn't exactly what the judges got.
I recall I only did a 60 min. boil and very quickly over-chilled it a little and fermented at 52, so that should have limited an diacetyl formation. I did not do a diacetyl rest before moving to secondary. When I kegged it I was bowled over by the cooked corn aroma in my hydrometer sample. I typically naturally carbonate, so instead of putting the keg in the 50's to carb, I kept it at 68 F for a couple of days. When I finally tapped into it the corn aroma had fallen into the background. This beer was great!!!! My wife claimed ownership of the keg. She likes my beers, but generally is more of an occasional taster than a drinker. Not this beer. She said who could or could not have some. Generally when friends come over they are free to help themselves to any of the beers on tap -except this one. I'll be making this again soon as it was, and then again, this time upping the hops to make it into a CAP
__________________ On Tap: Holiday beer, porter, IPA 2, O'fest II Kegged and Aging/Lagering: Imperial Alt, OKZ, Belgian dark strong, Czech pils (finally), Rye lager, Orange Kitty Zoom (std. Amer. Lager) Oatmeal stout, Czech Pilsner II Secondary: Primary:German Pils, CAP, Kolsch, Pale Ale Brewing soon: More lagers!! Recently kicked : ( : O'fest I, IPA,
Pilsner Urquell Master Homebrewer (NYC 2011) P U crowns winners in its inaugural master HB competition
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