Help With Lager Recipe

I want to brew a simple lager with S-34/70, with Weyerman Pils as a base malt. Planning on a 90 minute boil and using crystal for hops. That's all I've got planned....

What would you add for some subtle character?

A little bit of Vienna. Then you'll have yourself a nice tasty Helles. And I'll be knocking on your door wanting to drink it...

Henry Hill said:

I want to brew a simple lager with S-34/70, with Weyerman Pils as a base malt. Planning on a 90 minute boil and using crystal for hops. That all I've got planned....

What would you add for some subtle character?

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You say you wanted simple, what's wrong with just your original list of pils malt and crystal hops? In what direction do you want to go?

Melanoidin malt. Yay malty!

On an aside, I hate the 34/70. It's always performed sh*ttily for me.

Saccharomyces said:

A little bit of Vienna. Then you'll have yourself a nice tasty Helles. And I'll be knocking on your door wanting to drink it...

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Pretty much what I had already figured. I have some raw red wheat I was going to use for retention, also.

BigEd said:

You say you wanted simple, what's wrong with just your original list of pils malt and crystal hops? In what direction do you want to go?

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That would be a nice enough one, I understand, but I've done 15 gallons of kolsch this summer, with just the pils and 2565, and I want to do something just a tad more for grain bill. No particular direction, I guess, just wanted a little 'more' than the pils only, but not chewy.

Evan! said:

Melanoidin malt. Yay malty!

On an aside, I hate the 34/70. It's always performed sh*ttily for me.

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I don't know this grain-know about it, but haven't used it. Does it swing the beer into a more specific style?

I have only used the 34/70 once, and it performed as well as I hoped for, better even. I adopted a rauchbier kit from Homercidal, and it was far, far better than I had expected. xiang tried it and said he would have had a hard time saving any to send back. Gotta love using dry, so I was going to give it another shot.

Many folks have good success with the 34/70, use two packages rehydrated per 5 gallons and you are good to go. One package isn't enough unless you make a starter.

Melanoidin malt adds a decoction type flavor, it's about 20*L and has a caramel apple flavor on its own. Some folks use pils + melanoidin to make a Helles though it'll be a bit darker than mine.

Or you could decoct.

Just sayin'.



Bob