1st Lager

[BrewStooge]

Hi all, back again with some overly long and ultimately simple inquiries.

So I recently put together a simple lager, mostly for the BMC drinkers that come by here and again that don't drink the heavy stuff I usually make. Ingredients include:

2lb Extra Light DME
4lb 2 row
2lb flaked rice
1lb Honey

.5oz Cascade @ 60
.5oz Cascade @ 5

White Labs American Lager Yeast 1000 ML Starter

OG was 1.051, primary for 5 days @ 55 deg (I think it was 5, moved it just after the krausen dropped) and moved it to 45 deg. Out of curiosity I decided to sample it and take a reading about 2 weeks in the cooler. Got a reading of 1.018 and gave it a taste which was a bit, odd... Not unpleasant, but it seemed to almost have a wood-like taste that I've never found in any of the ales. Having never done a lager before, figured I'd ask is this something fairly typical of young/unfinished lager brew, or perhaps something with the ingredients used?

 

[meddin]

Lagers take some time to mature. I would have left it in at your original temp for for probaly about 10-12 days though. Did you do a diacetyl rest (move the fermentor to room temp for a day or two before lagering)?

If not, I would do one now, then lager for a few weeks. Do you kow your expected FG?

 

[BrewStooge]

Didn't give it a rest, may have to give that a try. From what beersmith gives me the expected fg is 1.011