American Lager Pottsville Common (Yeungling Lager Attempt)

The choice is yours...i'm not going to say which recipe is better then the other. All the recipes are unique in there own way.

What do you guys think about using more Cascade hops instead of Cluster. My LHBS didn't have cluster.

Shouldn't be that big of a difference just keep an eye on the amount of cascade you use.

Thanks, another question... how long should I ferment if I'm using the California Lager (Wyeast Labs #2112) Yeast? I'll be fermenting at about 66 since that's what my basement is. I was thinking 14 days in primary and 30 days in secondary.

To really make a lager you should be roughly fermenting in the low 50's for around 7 days. Then, 48 to 72 hours at about 68, this is called a D-rest. Low 40's to high 30's for about 8 weeks in the secondary. Not to say your won't work, it's just not going to have that "crispness" of a lager. Yours at 66 will be more of a "steam" beer. California Lager (Wyeast Labs #2112) is a very good lager yeast. If you have a cement floor in your basement, you may end up with a little low temp in the secondary if you basement temp is 66.

Just found this thread and anxious to try it.

A couple questions for shadows69;
In your version you added carapils and Munich, can you elaborate on what effect that had?
Did you do a 60 or 90 min boil?
Did I see somewhere that you don't grind the corn or rice hulls?
What's the difference between maize and flaked corn?

Ok, that's 4 questions.
I have been waiting for winter to arrive to try a lager. No temp chamber yet but have a room off my basement that stays quite cold and should do the trick. Monitoring room temp to see if it is in range yet.

In your version you added carapils and Munich, can you elaborate on what effect that had? Carapils helps with the head retention. Munich gives it a better flavor.
Did you do a 60 or 90 min boil? 6o min boil
Did I see somewhere that you don't grind the corn or rice hulls? That is correct no grinding.
What's the difference between maize and flaked corn? Nothing at all, experimenting with Grits which is found in your local store.

Thanks for the info.
This is definitely next on my brew schedule.

Just completed the next round of "Lager". Used Grits this time around.

Yeungling Lager
American Amber Ale
Brewer shadows69
Date 11/29/2013
Batch Size 5.500 gal Boil Size 6.875 gal
Boil Time 70.000 min Efficiency 70%
OG 1.046 FG 1.015
ABV 4.0%
Bitterness 21.7 IBU (Tinseth)
Color 9.6 srm (Morey)
Calories (per 12 oz.) 154

Fermentables
Total grain: 11.425 lbName Type Amount Mashed Late Yield Color
Briess - 2 Row Brewers Malt Grain 8.000 lb Yes No 80% 2.0 srm
Grits Adjunct 1.800 lb Yes No 80% 1.0 srm
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L Grain 14.000 oz Yes No 74% 80.0 srm
Munich Malt Grain 6.000 oz Yes No 80% 9.0 srm
Rice Hulls Adjunct 6.000 oz Yes No 0% 0.0 srm

Hops
Name Alpha Amount Use Time Form IBU
Cluster 7.8% 0.500 oz Boil 60.000 min Pellet 11.4
Cascade 7.2% 0.800 oz Boil 20.000 min Pellet 10.3

Yeast
Name Type Form Amount Stage
WLP810 - San Francisco Lager Yeast Lager Liquid 2.367 tbsp Primary
Notes

Single Infusion

I brewed this myself yesterday.
Actual efficiency was very disappointing at 59%.
It boiled down to 5 gallons when I transferred to fermenting bucket but after measuring FG, I decided not to top it off.
Target FG was 1.046 and it measured 1.042.

I can't imagine what I am doing wrong or need to do differently but effeciency has been low on every AG batch I've done so far.
I ran the grains through the mill twice (LHBS mill) and did a 90 minute mash at 151 deg.
Almost making want to go back to using LME.

Any ideas?

Try looking at your grinder/mill settings. I run at .032 and 70/75 percent Efficiency. That's the best place to start. You add a little more grain next time as well. I started with Cream of three crops when i started all grain to dial in everything, only because it is a low grain weight and I get about 90 percent Efficiency. 1.042 is not to bad just a little low but you will still make good beer.

Thanks. I wasn't too worried about the 1.042 FG, it would just be a little lower ABV.

I was afraid you would call out the mill settings. I don't have my own mill. I can use the mill at the store when I buy the grains. I have no idea where theirs is set. It did look like many were not getting cracked so I ran everything through twice. I asked one of the guys there and they said they had recently adjusted the mill but he didn't know to where.

I was hoping to not have to buy my own mill. I don't see a savings in buying bulk to offset the cost. Having to add more grains to compensate for the low effeciency will add cost as well but at least it is not all coming out of the pocket at once. I will have to think about that.

I know corona style mills can be found pretty cheaply so maybe that is an option.

Corona mill is what I have. It's a $35 want to be but it works and had it for 2 years now. Buying bulk grains is always a money saver. I would have them recheck the mills setting. Buying my own mill was one of the best investments I ever did when going to all gain. Ebay has cheap mills that get the job done.

I have a mill on my Christmas wish list so we will see.

Should the mash be stirred during the process or just let it sit?

Starrider said:

I have a mill on my Christmas wish list so we will see. Should the mash be stirred during the process or just let it sit?

Click to expand...

I usually stir my mash 3-4times throughout the hour mash.
Then when adding sparge water since I batch sparge I will stir the $h!+ out of it then let it sit for 10min then drain then second sparge and stir like a madman again then wait 10 and drain.
I usually get 75-85% efficiency on my system

GilSwillBasementBrews said:

I usually stir my mash 3-4times throughout the hour mash.
Then when adding sparge water since I batch sparge I will stir the $h!+ out of it then let it sit for 10min then drain then second sparge and stir like a madman again then wait 10 and drain.
I usually get 75-85% efficiency on my system

Click to expand...

I on the other hand found by only stiring the sparge in the beginning works best for me. I was getting a lot of stuck sparges by stiring while in the mash process. Doesn't seem to effect my efficiency one way or another.

I do stir once after adding the sparge water but not sure if I was giving it a full 10 minutes before draining. I am also only doing one sparge. I will have to try doing two as you suggest.

Last couple of batches had rice hulls and didn't have any sticking trouble. I havent been stirring during the mash so I will give that a try too.

Next batch I think I will take my feeler gages to the LHBS and check their mill before I grind and see for myself where they have it set. I would think that if it was set too wide, they would have heard about it from other brewers.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I do stir one time in the beginning of the mash. 1 time in the beginning of the sparge after adding warer both times. I have only ever done a single sparge myself. I like to keep it simple. Half the amount of water in the mash and the remaining half of the water for the sparge. I dont ever mess with water amounts and it always seems to work for me. Must be because im a keep it simple kinda person.

What's your OG and SRM on this recipe? 1.050 and 10?

Yeah that's pretty close. I got 85%efficiency on this batch so my OG was 1.058 and the SRM was around 9-10 so I would think you're good with 1.050 and SRM 10

Getting ready to keg the first batch. This will be on tap for new years eve as I do this one every year for new years eve. By the time new years eve comes, I should be alittle over 7 weeks lagered. I still dont fully understand when going to the secondary in the lagering phase put it right in the keg. Anyone know if thats with co2 in the keg or not? I always transfer my lager into a carboy for min of 8 weeks unless I need it sooner. After 8 weeks or so I then keg it and pyt it on co2.

If I lager in the keg I hook up the gas that way when it's done its ready to drink. Plus you can taste along the way to see how it's progressing.

Though so but wasnt sure. Thanks for clearing that up. I might have to try that. Sure would be one less step to do.

I'm considering the following extract recipe to get close, and welcome any comments/suggestions. Shooting for maybe just a bit "lighter" than the original with the syrup substitution and the crystal 60. Considering a small dry hop, just to use up the 1oz packages....I can buy Yeungling locally, so this is more of Yeungling as an inspiration than trying to replicate too close. This is my first attempt at a recipe.

5.5gal batch, 3.5 gal partial boil, 60 min boil, bottled spring water.

3.3 lbs breiss gold lme
1.0 lb breiss pilsen dme
2.5 lbs brewers corn syrup (2.5 lbs is the package size at LHBS)

.75lbs Crystal 60 (steep 20 mins ~150f in 1 gal water)

1/2 oz cluster @ 55 min
1/2oz cluster @ 35 min
1/3 oz cascade @ 20 min
1/3 oz cascade @ 5 min

(dry hop 1/3oz of cascade remaining?)

I plugged this into a free online recipe program and got 1.047 OG, IBU ~20, color ~8 SRM

yeast either Nottingham dry, or Wyeast 2112 ferment temp will be ~57-60 f

I would go with the Wyeast 2112. As for the rest, give it a try. New years eve I will be posting pics my results of my latest batch.

Does Munich add much to this? I see it added in one of the recipes and am wondering if my extract recipe should have a little bit? I have the rest of the ingredients, but need to stop by the lhbs in the next few days anyhow. Probably brew this in the next week or two, as I find time.

cjbalough said:

Does Munich add much to this? I see it added in one of the recipes and am wondering if my extract recipe should have a little bit? I have the rest of the ingredients, but need to stop by the lhbs in the next few days anyhow. Probably brew this in the next week or two, as I find time.

Click to expand...

Munich won't add anything unless you mash it as far as I know. It MAY add a small bit of color and/or body from starch (not residual sugars) but it is a base malt. I've never steeped a base malt. It seems like it could make a cloudy finished product.

That said, that's the beauty of homebrewing though. You can certainly try it and see what happens.

What about using victory? Would that be better suited to a steep? I'm worried about my recipe needing some more malt flavor to keep it from being too "lite" bodied from the corn syrup...hope to brew this tomorrow evening. Plan on using 2112 yeast that I saved from a steam beer I moved to secondary about a week ago.

Victory will be a similar situation. If you can steep though you can mash. Search brew in a bag or biab. Deathbrewer has an excellent writeup on it that has turned many an extract brewer into stove top all grainers. Myself included. Check it out and see what you think. AG is much easier than many people think.

Thanks, I've read conflicting things on steeping these...I'm just going with what I have.... we'll see if its any good in 6 to 8 weeks.

Ended up changing the hops schedule after playing with brewers friend.
.5 oz cluster(7aa) @ 60
.5 oz cascade (6aa) @ 30
.33 oz cascade (6aa) @ 5
And did the 1lb of DME and the corn syrup as late additions, 3 gal boil. OG measured at 1.050 w/ 5.5 gal.
wyeast 2112, from the cake of a steam beer I racked last week...nervous about the yeast, as this is a first for me.

IBU should be 23 & color 8 to 10

This may have been asked in an earlier post so forgive me if it has.
I will be bottling mine either today or tomorrow. It has been laggering for about a month probably below 40 deg the whole time. It has been cold here in Mich. and I don't have good temp control.

My question is if there will still be enough yeast to bottle condition?
I have washed yeast I could repitch but how would I measure and should I run another starter etc. etc.
I don't want to over pitch and ruin the flavor but I don't want to find it flat either.

Thanks for any help.

I made this at the end of November using the recipe in the first post with White Labs WLP810 San Francisco lager yeast. After primary I let it lager for about two weeks before I put the keg on gas to carbonate. I didn't put it side by side with some Yuengling but I think it compares very favorably. I plan to brew it again soon using some yeast I saved off the first one's starter.

Sorry for the delay...here's the pic as promised.

Mine is on the left.....I just going to add mine is a smother taste. Yeungling lager has a sort of twang (sour) at the end of the taste. I can't place it if it is the yeast or the hop. Maybe someone can shed some light on what this taste is coming from. I'm going to go with the hop itself needs to be more like 10 mins instead of 20 mins??

They look identical. Great coloring!

My guess is the yeast. If I remember correctly the premium has the same kinda twang thinking they use the same yeast for both flavors Lager just seems more mellow in the twang to me

Wonder what yeast they use. My guess is some sorta german yeast. I took the brewery tour but no mention of any kind of yeast.

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Thought I'd provide an update on my extract take of the recipe using corn syrup. It is definatly missing the corny flavor of yuengling but did result in a good beer that would please the average american. (light bodied easy drinker) It took a few weeks of post carb aging for the bitterness to balance, but I think I'll make it again...with a couple tweaks. 1) using amber lme. 2) bumping up the flavor & aroma hops.

This was my clone it was real close I'll post my recipe if anyone's interested.


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Looks good could you post your recipe please?