bottle aging a lager

Brewed my first lager a few months ago. I did and AHS Shiner Bock clone, I wanted to have something to compare it to. I couldn't resist hitting it with the 1% alc boost, sooo it isn't really pure corn sugar like the recipe says. The beer spent 2 weeks at 50, then 4 at 36. Now it has been in bottles for 4 weeks. It sucks. It still has a very "green" taste to it. honestly, it tastes almost like my 1st brew, which was all extract, but a very similar recipe. Does it suck because it's a crap recipe, did I screw something up, or do lagers, with such a little bit of yeast in the bottle (didn't add any more @ bottling) take longer to eat up the carbing sugar, and taste green longer? There is that initial twang on the first couple of sips, then it gets better, but never quite right.
I will just let it sit and mellow, but I do have another identical kit. not sure if I want to use it.


Type: Partial Mash
Date: 2/23/2008
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: Neal Wendele
Boil Size: 5.54 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Neals Pot
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.00 lb Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 40.00 %
2.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 33.33 %
1.00 oz Brewer's Gold [8.00 %] (60 min) Hops 28.0 IBU
1.00 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 13.33 %
1.00 lb Corn Syrup (1.0 SRM) Sugar 13.33 %
1.75 oz malto ferm
1 Pkgs German Bock Lager (White Labs #WLP833) [Starter 35 ml] Yeast-Lager



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.88 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.34 %
Bitterness: 28.0 IBU Calories: 225 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.6 SRM Color:

I think you would have been better off doubling up the corn sugar if you wanted an alcohol boost. What kind of corn syrup was it? All the ones I've seen readily available at the supermarket have vanilla flavoring in them. My experience with Shiner Bock is extremely limited because I've only tried it once and wasn't impressed (no offence to anyone who likes it). But I can say that all the lagers that I've brewed haven't changed much after the same time schedule you indicated. So, anything's possible, but I'm not hopeful that your beer will taste any better in due time.

What temperature have you been bottling conditioning at?

I'm not clear- did you use alcohol boost instead of the corn syrup? And no grains except some two row?

I think your heavier liquid extract is giving you a lot of that flavor that you had in your first brew. That caramally flavor from the heavier liquid extracts always came through for me when I was doing extracts, especially in the lighter beers. Especially because there aren't really any specialty grains to steer the flavor away from that. So, given my very very limited recipe experience, I think some of it can be attributed to that...

Some of it might be attributed to your yeast pitching too. 35ml starter seems damn small...lagers require a lot more yeast. While you came out great on your FG, the yeast may not have been healthy enough to do a full job elsewhere.

That being said, I'd definitely let it sit. Two of my last four beers were pretty poor when I first tried them, after a few weeks of aging they tasted completely different. Good Luck!

Pardon my recipe post- it wasn't complete- I am not sure the size of my starter- it was pretty big. Yes the only grains were two row, then I had the alc boost, 1 lb brewers corn syrup, 1 3/4 oz malto ferm, and 3 lbs amber lme. I have been bottle conditioning at 72 ish. There is a good carbonation pop upon opening, but little effervescence.
It is an AHS recipe. Maybe just being the lack of specialty grains is making it taste like an all extract brew. I was going for a carmel flavor, but it is the "twang" that sucks. I guess it isn't bad, just not very good. I am brewing 10 gallons of schwarzbier tomorrow, so hopefully those go well...