First Tasting of German Pilsner

I posted this same thing in my old thread on my German Pilsener recipe but people don't seem to respond to new posts on really old threads. So, in hopes that people respond, I have created a new thread about my tasting.

I opened up the first bottle of my German Pilsener after 10 days carbonating and I have to say, I'm let down. I thought this beer was going to be my best yet. Though, it was my first lager. For reference, here is the recipe again from the first post:

6lb German Pils LME (morebeer.com)

60min: 1.5oz Hallertauer @ 4%
20min: 1.5oz Hallertauer @ 4%
2min: 0.5oz Tettnanger @ 3.5%

Other: 2 oz MaltoDextrin (just cuz' I have it)
Water: Distilled Bottled
Irish Moss
Servomyces

Details: 2.5gal boil, total batch size: 5 gal. Pellet hops.

This beer starts out with a good bitterness but then quickly lets loose this sweet taste that almost reminds me of white wine and a hint of bubble gum Basically, I suppose, the beer was too sweet for the amount of hops I used. I plan on making the same beer yet with more hops...anyone have any opinions?

Thank you!

What temps did you let it carb at? Is it possible it isn't carbed fully so you have priming sugar taste, I guess that is if you used corn sugar? Other than that, the only other thing I could think of, besides hopping schedule, is the Pilsner extract.......do you know what is used to make that? I'd assume just two-row?

I don't know...3/4 cup corn sugar seems so insignificant to flavor in 5 gallons of beer...It could have been the LME...though, I'd like to think I can trust morebeer.com...

EDIT: Here is what the German Pils Extract is made of from Morebeer.com: "This light blond extract is 100% made from Durst brand German Pilsner malt. Absolutely perfect as the base for any lager, especially German lagers and Czech Pilsners. This extract would also be our first choice for any Belgian Ales. Malty and clean with that classic German flavor."

Sounds like the extract is high quality. I don't know about the priming sugar either. I remember my first beer, it wasn't carbed much after the first 10 days and was rather sweet, but after it was carbed it seemed much less sweet. I don't know if that was actual sweetness or maybe the carbonation yields some sort of enhanced bitterness perception.

I'm out of ideas for you there....hopefully someone with lager yeast experience can throw something out there. Good luck with the Oktoberfest.

Okay I'm a tard, can some one please tell me the diffrence between a pils and a lager?

Pils (Pilsner) is a type of lager, it just refers to the recipe (style). There are German Pils, Bohemian (sp?), and American.

I brew about 100 gallons of Pils a year.

It often tastes sweet when young.

It tends to "hop up" as it ages.

As far as your priming sugar issue is concerned, I have no input.

I only keg.

Cheers,

knewshound

Is malto-dextrin fermentable? I think that it isn't but isn't supposed to add sweetness just body?

Were you positive your fermentation was complete?

What yeast did you use? What's the attenuation of the yeast?

Good thing I keep a notebook. Here is more information:

White Labs German Lager Yeast

Primary Fermentation @ 36-38 F from 6/06-6/24

Secondary @ 36-38 F from 6/24-7/31

Currently carbonating in bottles (plan on placing in fridge today).

Will age help? Lets say 2 weeks in the fridge? I thought age mellows bitterness, not sweetness?

Oh and malto-dextrine does not taste sweet...

Thanks

I'm no expert at lagers but I've read that you ferment at 50F and then lager at 38F. What was your FG? Maybe this beer was not done fermenting. That would cause sweetness as the sugars in the wort were not fully converted. Just a guess.

The OG was 1.04 and the FG 1.013...

Musthavbeer said:

I'm no expert at lagers but I've read that you ferment at 50F and then lager at 38F. What was your FG? Maybe this beer was not done fermenting. That would cause sweetness as the sugars in the wort were not fully converted. Just a guess.

Click to expand...

That is true. I found it out the hard way. I had a Czech pils going and used dry yeast. One of my Brothers Professors said that a true pils needs to be fermenting at abotu 55 degrees so we put it in the fridge and got the temp to 54. Let it sit for 2 days and nothing, call the LHBS guy and he said yes it is true that it needs to ferment at 55 degrees if it is a liquid yeast. dry ones still ferment around 69 to 70.