Brewed up my first lager/pilsener, and just tasted it as I racked it into a secondary after 4 weeks in primary, and let me tell you, this thing tasted horrible.
Here's the recipe I jury-rigged from what I had on hand.
(3 gal batch)
4 lbs Briess pilsener malt
1 lb Munich malt
1 lb dry malt
4 ounces of cascade and crystal
-two decoctions, sacc rest at ~ 150*
-60 min boil, w/ additions at 60, 45, 0
-pitched Wyeast CZECH pils at about 78*
-fermented at 52* for 21 days, slowly raised to 60* over a week.
-was going to lager at ~ 40* for three weeks.
OG - 1.049
FG - 1.012
NOTES:
Smack Pack did not swell after three days, ( I had noticed it was 9 months since MFD ) that's why I smacked it in advance.
I didn't see activity for 2.5 days or so. I oxygenated by shaking my carboy vigorously. When I didn't see activity at day 2, I gave it another shake.
Anyway,
The taste is very bitter, kind of acrid bitter, not hop round bitter. Almost no hint of malt, just this almost rubber or plastic taste that coats the tongue.
The fermentation smelled quite strange too, granted it was my first lager so I didn't know what to expect. Still, it was very vegetal, very sour, sulfur, strange aromas coming from the airlock.
I'm kind of thinking chuck the thing at this point. I can't imagine this turning into anything drinkable. Or maybe I just don't know lagers. Mostly, I'm curious about what happened, or IS happening.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
K
Here's the recipe I jury-rigged from what I had on hand.
(3 gal batch)
4 lbs Briess pilsener malt
1 lb Munich malt
1 lb dry malt
4 ounces of cascade and crystal
-two decoctions, sacc rest at ~ 150*
-60 min boil, w/ additions at 60, 45, 0
-pitched Wyeast CZECH pils at about 78*
-fermented at 52* for 21 days, slowly raised to 60* over a week.
-was going to lager at ~ 40* for three weeks.
OG - 1.049
FG - 1.012
NOTES:
Smack Pack did not swell after three days, ( I had noticed it was 9 months since MFD ) that's why I smacked it in advance.
I didn't see activity for 2.5 days or so. I oxygenated by shaking my carboy vigorously. When I didn't see activity at day 2, I gave it another shake.
Anyway,
The taste is very bitter, kind of acrid bitter, not hop round bitter. Almost no hint of malt, just this almost rubber or plastic taste that coats the tongue.
The fermentation smelled quite strange too, granted it was my first lager so I didn't know what to expect. Still, it was very vegetal, very sour, sulfur, strange aromas coming from the airlock.
I'm kind of thinking chuck the thing at this point. I can't imagine this turning into anything drinkable. Or maybe I just don't know lagers. Mostly, I'm curious about what happened, or IS happening.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
K