Nelson Savin Lager

Zider · May 12, 2012

I am looking to make a dry NS lager. All the recipes I see are for people who like puckeringly hoppy brews, hop bombs and similar.

I am not a fan of IPAs, pilsners and other hoppy overloads but am a huge fan of New Zealand Sauvingnon Blanc and refreshing lager so am looking to make a light zesty grapefruity lager.

I found this easy recipe 3/4 down the page by kiwijimbob

http://homebrewandbeer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7991#p83776

23L Batch

3kg LDME
200g Crystal steeped
30g Nelson Sauvin (12.6%AA) @ 20min
30g Nelson Sauvin @ 5min
30g Nelson Sauvin @ dry hopped
Saflager

Boil 4L with water from crystal and 500g LDME

I have not made lagers except from kits, so this hopping and steeping is new.

2 questions, is 30IBUs too much for a lager? Would halving the hops halve the ibu? Would it be more lagery of just a waste?

Second, the crystal, this should be light say 20L. If all I can get is 60L could I put in half or is flavour totally different? Im using an ultra light DME.

any pointers helpful I'm waiting for order to come in so I have time to mull it over. The a reason for picking this out is the simplicity but I want it to be good too.

TIA

klnosaj · May 12, 2012

Zider said:
I am looking to make a dry NS lager. All the recipes I see are for people who like puckeringly hoppy brews, hop bombs and similar.

I am not a fan of IPAs, pilsners and other hoppy overloads but am a huge fan of New Zealand Sauvingnon Blanc and refreshing lager so am looking to make a light zesty grapefruity lager.

I found this easy recipe 3/4 down the page by kiwijimbob

http://homebrewandbeer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7991#p83776

23L Batch

3kg LDME
200g Crystal steeped
30g Nelson Sauvin (12.6%AA) @ 20min
30g Nelson Sauvin @ 5min
30g Nelson Sauvin @ dry hopped
Saflager

Boil 4L with water from crystal and 500g LDME

I have not made lagers except from kits, so this hopping and steeping is new.

2 questions, is 30IBUs too much for a lager? Would halving the hops halve the ibu? Would it be more lagery of just a waste?

Second, the crystal, this should be light say 20L. If all I can get is 60L could I put in half or is flavour totally different? Im using an ultra light DME.

any pointers helpful I'm waiting for order to come in so I have time to mull it over. The a reason for picking this out is the simplicity but I want it to be good too.

TIA

IMHO, 30 IBU for a lager is a lot. I usually make mine with 10-15 IBUs.

Second, there is an enormous difference between 20L and 60L. They are different things with different flavor profiles.

Third, the color is going to be darker than one might usually associate with a "premium" or "standard" lager. Yours is more like an amber lager (and that's with the 20L---the color will be darker still with 60L) or a Vienna lager in color.

Fourth, it's a bit odd not to see any bittering hops. And that last addition is going to give you aroma but not a lot of flavor and is probably unnecessary if you're going to dry-hop. I find that boiling those really high alpha acid hops for awhile rounds out and balances their final manifestation in the beer. I, like you, am not at all enamored of the hop-centric styles. And I also like those NZ hops. To showcase them I'd go with a SMaSH recipe with straight 2-row or (DME if that's how you roll) and a hop schedule something like:
1/3 of an ounce at 60 mins followed by 1/3 oz at 15 mins and then dry hop away.

Best of luck. :mug:

bbrim · May 12, 2012

I think your hop schedule will be perfect. With an extract batch you should have some residual sugar to balance the bitterness. Nelson has a very unique profile. This will be a great recipe to explore that.

Zider · May 12, 2012

Thanks, that's dry hop with 1/3 oz as well I guess? [Would you do that say just before dacetyl rest for 5 days in total, (I lager in bottle).] That regime will get the IBU's down to about 10 I suppose? Since I ordered 3oz I should be good to try a few variants on the hopping front. I'll try to get some v light xtal or just not bother with it. Is that a lot of DME? It cost quite a bit could I cut it with dextrose or is this a crime against beer?

Zider · May 21, 2012

Got impatient so am dry hopping 1/3 oz in a Festabrew kit currently at 1.020 from 1.050. Tasted after 3 days, its pretty subtle so far, more bitter than zesty but a gazillion times better than festabrew neat. I'll try it again at day 5 or 6. Will the fizzing in the ferment drive off the volatiles, would it have been better to wait until nearer end of primary?

Zider · May 24, 2012

Ended dry hopping and took them out today. Got to say they are a spectacular taste/aroma. Even yeasty and 1.015. Bit bitter even at 1/3 oz but maybe it'll die down. Fruity-grapefruity almost floral.
It's going to be a great summer lager.
Can't wait to get on with the full Nelson recipe but only 1 fridge....

Zider · Oct 6, 2012

Zider said:
Ended dry hopping and took them out today. Got to say they are a spectacular taste/aroma. ....

Yeah but in 2months most of aroma gone. Bitterness remained. Maybe dry hop at bottle not at lager.

Zider · Nov 4, 2012

Finally made this a month back. It's first non kit beer for me.
Steep 200g light crystal malt +500g dme in4L. boil up rest (2.5kg) of dme and 1/3 oz hops at 15 mins add 1/3oz for 10 min more
Add cold Water to 23l

2packs purple lager yeast. (34/70)
Fridge at 10c
1.045 og
Ferment 3 weeks. Diacetyl rest 2 days dry hop 1/3oz. ***currently here. Tastes wonderful, slight appley note***. Lager at 0C for 4 weeks .if fruity aroma gone during lager re hop one week before bottling.

Zider · Dec 15, 2012

Drinking this now.

It is pretty darn tasty. In summer itd be quite lethal as it is very clean no aftertaste and enough alcohol to get a buzz off a quick half. However even a Lilly livered non hop head like me has to admit it'd be better with just a slight kick in the aftertaste.

Any suggestions on what bittering hop to add and how much?

Nelson Savin Lager

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