I made a Mexican-ish Vienna lager with WLP 940, following the "quick lager" method from Brulosophy... and I am not super happy with it. I am still tasting some butter, and I smell something that might be green apple. However, it may still be too young. I would appreciate some input from lager fans, especially impatient ones!
OG was about 1.051 and I did sequential 1.7L starters, which should have been plenty of cells.
I pitched the yeast at 50F, and per the "quick lager" method I began to slowly increase the temperature once the beer hit 50% attenuation. I actually let it go a little longer, more like 66% attenuation, which happened in about 5 days... I figured slower in this phase could only help, and I was too busy to get to the fermenter anyway.
I ramped up the ferm chamber air temperature by +5F every 12 hours or so, until I got to 65F. 4 days after beginning the warming phase, I tested and tasted because I was curious. At this time gravity was 1.014 and it tasted like a butter bomb! It was also kind of sour and bitter as there was still a lot of yeast in suspension, but I think there was green apple in there too. It was Not Awesome, but also obviously really young.
8 days after that, today, I tasted and tested again. It hit FG, 1.013. There is still some butter and green apple apparent, but it's much better. I finished my 8 oz sample glass, but I wouldn't serve it to anyone!
To recap, I did 5 days at 50F, slowly warmed to 65F over ~2 days, and left it at 65F for another 12 days.
Would you turn up the temperature, or let it cruise at 65F until the chill step?
How long would you wait before tasting again?
OG was about 1.051 and I did sequential 1.7L starters, which should have been plenty of cells.
I pitched the yeast at 50F, and per the "quick lager" method I began to slowly increase the temperature once the beer hit 50% attenuation. I actually let it go a little longer, more like 66% attenuation, which happened in about 5 days... I figured slower in this phase could only help, and I was too busy to get to the fermenter anyway.
I ramped up the ferm chamber air temperature by +5F every 12 hours or so, until I got to 65F. 4 days after beginning the warming phase, I tested and tasted because I was curious. At this time gravity was 1.014 and it tasted like a butter bomb! It was also kind of sour and bitter as there was still a lot of yeast in suspension, but I think there was green apple in there too. It was Not Awesome, but also obviously really young.
8 days after that, today, I tasted and tested again. It hit FG, 1.013. There is still some butter and green apple apparent, but it's much better. I finished my 8 oz sample glass, but I wouldn't serve it to anyone!
To recap, I did 5 days at 50F, slowly warmed to 65F over ~2 days, and left it at 65F for another 12 days.
Would you turn up the temperature, or let it cruise at 65F until the chill step?
How long would you wait before tasting again?