Need advice, to bock or not to bock

daveooph131 · 08-29-2009, 11:47 PM

I want to brew a bock next, however, I've been having problems with my lagers under attenuating. I think it's because I haven't pitched a large enough starter.

Just curious, because I don't want to blow another batch. I'm currently dry and need BREW, that taste great. If I pitch a large enough starter via what mrmalty's calculator tells me, is there any reason to believe a lager is any more difficult then an ale? By the way, I have temp control so that is not a problem.

Vuarra · 08-30-2009, 12:26 AM

Lagers take longer to lager. I'd go with a light ale if you are dry, and then go with a lager the very next batch.

Why do you think you are not pitching enough starter, and what kind of yeast are you using, and how big are your batches?

daveooph131 · 08-30-2009, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vuarra

Lagers take longer to lager. I'd go with a light ale if you are dry, and then go with a lager the very next batch.

Why do you think you are not pitching enough starter, and what kind of yeast are you using, and how big are your batches?

Well all of my ales have turned out fantastic! (2 hefes / 1 kolsch)

However, the two lagers I have tried were bad.
1) I did a Black beer and it finished high 1.020 from probably 1.056 (don't have my notes in here at work). The final result was way to much coffee flavor and too sweet. Yest was WLP Southern German lager

*Only used a 1 pint starter for both.

2) California Common, usead the wyeast smack pack (california common) and it never dropped below 1.022. Even tried restarting fermentation with a dry yeast sprinkled in. Anyway, again WAY too sweet, and overall bad.