SpeedYellow
Well-Known Member
After brewing dozens of German-styled lagers, I'm beginning to think it's impossible to achieve that German character as a home brewer. It's that sharp crispness that clearly sets apart German lagers from American counterparts. My beers are IMHO professional-quality but lack that crispness, and instead taste American (e.g. Michelob).
Here's a typical description of what I'm doing. Am I missing something?
- Always a base of German pilsner malt.
- Very little crystal or other non-base malts.
- German yeasts, e.g. Wyeast 2308, 2124, WLP 833
- Good water, e.g. 50% lake Michigan, 50% distilled.
- Mash pH around 5.4-5.5 (room temp, measured w/meter)
- Typically single infusion, sometimes triple-infusion (hochkurz method)
- Proper lager fermentation (pitch 46F, ferment 48F 7-10 days, d-rest 3-days, slowly lower over 2 wks to 32F).
This has frustrated me for 15 years now!
Here's a typical description of what I'm doing. Am I missing something?
- Always a base of German pilsner malt.
- Very little crystal or other non-base malts.
- German yeasts, e.g. Wyeast 2308, 2124, WLP 833
- Good water, e.g. 50% lake Michigan, 50% distilled.
- Mash pH around 5.4-5.5 (room temp, measured w/meter)
- Typically single infusion, sometimes triple-infusion (hochkurz method)
- Proper lager fermentation (pitch 46F, ferment 48F 7-10 days, d-rest 3-days, slowly lower over 2 wks to 32F).
This has frustrated me for 15 years now!