bernerbrau
Well-Known Member
I'm starting to get frustrated here. I've been doing lagers for about a year now, and all except one have come out tasting like friggin' Boone's Farm. Cold crashing and gelatin have helped, and friends really like my lagers, but from a technical perspective, it's still a flaw.
I'd say the issue is underpitching, but this Sunday I drew a sample from my next-to-latest pilsner, into which I pitched a 2-step starter, 1 gallon each, aerated on a stirplate. Bam. Aroma, palate, finish, Hawaiian Punch. Now, it hasn't lagered yet, but I'm not finding any good information on just which off-flavors are cleaned up during the lagering phase, and due to my previous results I'm somewhat pessimistic about the final product.
I'm fermenting these in a chest freezer hooked up to an analog controller set at 50F. Thus far I've left the probe dangling in mid-air, but even so, I wouldn't expect it to get past 55-60F in the carboy. I've taped the probe to the side of the fermenter for my latest lager as a precaution to minimize the discrepancy.
I'm also seriously considering buying some form of aeration tool, whether that's the plastic fan blade that hooks up to a power drill, or an O2 tank with a .5 micron diffuser stone.
So, lager vets. Besides making my starters even huger, improving my aeration techniques, and more precise temperature control, any other ideas as to what I could try to make my lagers more Pilsner Urquell and less Bacardi Silver?
I'd say the issue is underpitching, but this Sunday I drew a sample from my next-to-latest pilsner, into which I pitched a 2-step starter, 1 gallon each, aerated on a stirplate. Bam. Aroma, palate, finish, Hawaiian Punch. Now, it hasn't lagered yet, but I'm not finding any good information on just which off-flavors are cleaned up during the lagering phase, and due to my previous results I'm somewhat pessimistic about the final product.
I'm fermenting these in a chest freezer hooked up to an analog controller set at 50F. Thus far I've left the probe dangling in mid-air, but even so, I wouldn't expect it to get past 55-60F in the carboy. I've taped the probe to the side of the fermenter for my latest lager as a precaution to minimize the discrepancy.
I'm also seriously considering buying some form of aeration tool, whether that's the plastic fan blade that hooks up to a power drill, or an O2 tank with a .5 micron diffuser stone.
So, lager vets. Besides making my starters even huger, improving my aeration techniques, and more precise temperature control, any other ideas as to what I could try to make my lagers more Pilsner Urquell and less Bacardi Silver?