Serious DMS in Czech Lager
 

Well I have a Lager on tap now with some serious off taste, I thought it was oxidation, but I just got some comments back from a local competition and both judges said they got a lot of DMS. Now that I have read about it I agree that DMS is my problem with this batch. From what I have read DMS is a larger problem in pilsners because of the ingredients, and also because DMS is more perceivable in a light flavored beer like a lager. I read that allowing for a strong boil and not covering the beer is the proper solution as well as proper cooling.

Here is my issue: I brew on an electric stove!

I often need at least partial coverage on my kettle to keep a boil going. Has anyone found a method for reducing DMS in situations like mine. I am thinking about a kettle lid that somehow absorbed the water vapor rather than letting it drip back in the kettle. A long boil also seems like a possibility.

Thanks

Yup DMS can be prevalent in those style beers and because they are so light there is really nothing to hide the off flavor. To prevent DMS you really need a vigorous boil, no lid and some recommend a 90 minute boil as well.

If you cannot achieve these things on your set up then you either need to adjust your set up to account for these pitfalls or not brew this style of beer until you can account for it's production requirements

So lets make this a hard reality. Not brewing pilsners if alright, but honestly I'd like to try for a solution before I completely disregard light lagers altogether. So maybe there is a way we can think of a solution. For example a longer boil going from 60 minutes to 90. Perhaps putting a lid on but allowing a 1/4" gap around the entire perimeter and slanting the lid so that condensing vapor does not fall back in the kettle.

The thing about DMS is it has to be boiled off and most people insist on a 90-120 minute hard boil. I'm not aware of any other way of getting DMS out than hard boiling for a long time. I'd be interested in hearing what others post though.

You do 5 gallon batches on the stove? That has to take for ever to bring to a boil. Get a propane burner and your DMS problem is solved.

If you keg you can bubble co2 through it to strip dms. I did it with a small amount of dms, but it took awhile.

If you can't do propane, you can split your batch into 2 pots to reduce the volume to something your stove can handle.

You can put a partial lid on, you just have to rig it so that the condensing water drips off to the side instead of back into the pot.

You can certainly boil longer to try to make up some of the difference.

You can pitch a lot of healthy yeast to have a more vigorous fermentation. The CO2 drives off DMS just like a boil.

You could do half batches or split your boil up so you aren't heating as much wort.

2 hour boils...works everytime

Spend the $60 and get a Banjo Burner. Or do smaller batches, split the batch and boil in 2 kettles, learn to like DMS, etc.