First Lager.. success!

Brewed my first Lager.. Mini mash batch of Oktoberfest. 2 1/2 weeks at 50°in primary, and 5 weeks at 37° in secondary. I kegged it up this evening.. Looks, smells, and tastes great!



4lbs Extra light LME
2lbs Munich
2lbs Vienna
1lb Crystal 60L
1/2lb Carapils

2oz Tettnang
WL Oktoberfest yeast

Mashed at 155° for 60mins, and sparged at 165° for 10 mins.

Tasted at 2 1/2 weeks, and found no evidence of Diacetyl. So, I chose not to do a D-rest. I used one vial of WL Oktoberfest liquid.. no starter. Worked out great! Carbing up and will get a taste tomorrow.

Beautifully simple recipe! Very nice. What is the flavor profile like? It looks like it would have a very biscuity, full flavor to it. How much sweetness is there in the flavor? I've never lagered a beer before, so I'm REAL jealous of your creation. BREW ON!

The Munich and Vienna stand out the most.. I didn't want to do something overly complicated for my first Lager attempt, so I kept it simple, and in line with the style. It has a moderate malt flavor, and is a bit sweet. My FG stopped at 1.017, and it probably could have gone a little lower.. but, I wanted to retain some of the sweetness.

All in all, I'm pleased with this first attempt.. I've only been brewing for 5 months now! Lagers do take a lot longer, and you have to pay more attention throughout the entire process. But, I think the end result is worth the wait. I'll do a few a year or sure.

I can barely wait the month I need for fermenting/bottle conditioning. I don't think I have the constitution to wait long enough for a lager If I did, I think I'd have to do a 10 Gallon batch to make it worth it. Congrats again!

Congrats, lagers are their own sub-addiction. I love them, and the whole process of making them.

Unfortunately, my last 2 brews, I have only 6 bottles left!