jeffg
Well-Known Member
Confessions of a home brewer #501:
OK, so I racked my Munich Helles this weekend after two weeks in the primary. SG was 1.008, which is great, it is clear with a real nice color just slightly darker than straw. Aroma was, well, a little thin, which I mainly attribute to this German lager yeast I am using for the first time and I'm not really used to lager yeasts generally. So obviously I taste it--and it kind of tastes like a flat budweiser. Now, I don't panic, it's only two weeks old and has many many weeks of conditioning to look forward to in the secondary and the keg.
However, it suddenly hit me that I really have no idea what an authentic Munich Helles should even taste like. I have never been to Munich and don't recall drinking any commercially--I brewed this because I liked the description and wanted to try something different. I actually brewed this beer before about 9 years ago, but that was a half extract with a dry yeast and I had to substitute some grains and it came out nothing like this one...
Oddly enough, today I have lunch in the last remaining german bar in the city and what is on tap: Hoffbreau Munich original. I am obliged to get one and surprisingly, it looks and tastes pretty much exactly like my beer did, although carbonated and more finished---but the recipe appears to be dead on. Now for the confession--it is not my favorite beer (especially when they had Spatan lager and Optimator on tap). It's a little thin on the hops for my taste and I expected it to be a tad bit spicier--I am undecided on the maltiness at this point since that may round out.
Now, in six weeks i could love this beer and it could be the best lagar i've ever made--I know better than to jump to conclusions early, but I am thinking of dry-hopping it to spice it up a little. What do you guys think--leave it in its authentic form and reap what I have sewn, or jazz it up while I still can?
I feel like a dumb*ss, in a Jonny Damon kind of way
OK, so I racked my Munich Helles this weekend after two weeks in the primary. SG was 1.008, which is great, it is clear with a real nice color just slightly darker than straw. Aroma was, well, a little thin, which I mainly attribute to this German lager yeast I am using for the first time and I'm not really used to lager yeasts generally. So obviously I taste it--and it kind of tastes like a flat budweiser. Now, I don't panic, it's only two weeks old and has many many weeks of conditioning to look forward to in the secondary and the keg.
However, it suddenly hit me that I really have no idea what an authentic Munich Helles should even taste like. I have never been to Munich and don't recall drinking any commercially--I brewed this because I liked the description and wanted to try something different. I actually brewed this beer before about 9 years ago, but that was a half extract with a dry yeast and I had to substitute some grains and it came out nothing like this one...
Oddly enough, today I have lunch in the last remaining german bar in the city and what is on tap: Hoffbreau Munich original. I am obliged to get one and surprisingly, it looks and tastes pretty much exactly like my beer did, although carbonated and more finished---but the recipe appears to be dead on. Now for the confession--it is not my favorite beer (especially when they had Spatan lager and Optimator on tap). It's a little thin on the hops for my taste and I expected it to be a tad bit spicier--I am undecided on the maltiness at this point since that may round out.
Now, in six weeks i could love this beer and it could be the best lagar i've ever made--I know better than to jump to conclusions early, but I am thinking of dry-hopping it to spice it up a little. What do you guys think--leave it in its authentic form and reap what I have sewn, or jazz it up while I still can?
I feel like a dumb*ss, in a Jonny Damon kind of way