Oops, I Cloned Spaten

[Evan!]

Awhile back, I set out to make my second Pils batch. It was pretty simple, mostly Pilsner malt with half a pound each of honey malt and carapils.

I used the W34/70 dry Saflager yeast, and had many problems. Fermentation was gimpy, slow, and pathetic. I ended up having to raise my temps up to the lower 60's just to get it moving. It finished around 1.013 or so, but I was worried about what that stupid yeast did.

After lagering in the carboy for awhile, I tasted it and the honey malt had come screaming through, so I called it Pilsmead (or meadpils). I lagered it in the keg for another while, and I've finally got it back on tap after it took a backseat to my Saison for awhile. So the other day, one of my coworkers, the boss's son, has a Spaten craving mid-day...so we go down, my boss, he and myself, to a nice little bar down the street that has Spaten on tap. And then it hit me...this is what my "Pilsmead" tastes like. Mine's a little dark to be a pils, probably from the honey malt and the decoction I did, but it looks just like Spaten too.

So, anyway, if you want to brew up some Spaten, here you go.

 

[Soulive]

So would you consider it Munich Helles? Or just some weird hybrid that tastes like Spaten and no other Munich Helles?

 

[Evan!]

So would you consider it Munich Helles? Or just some weird hybrid that tastes like Spaten and no other Munich Helles?

Not sure what I'd call it, I just know it tastes like Spaten on tap. I have a true-blue Munich Helles that's lagering right now, and it tastes nothing like this, but I think it's closer to what a Munich Helles should be. I've always thought that Spaten was a bit dark and a touch sweet for a MH, but I also know that it's one of the primary commercial examples, so what can you say?

 

[Soulive]

Not sure what I'd call it, I just know it tastes like Spaten on tap. I have a true-blue Munich Helles that's lagering right now, and it tastes nothing like this, but I think it's closer to what a Munich Helles should be. I've always thought that Spaten was a bit dark and a touch sweet for a MH, but I also know that it's one of the primary commercial examples, so what can you say?

I say, if it tastes good - drink it! Style guidelines have their place, but one beauty of homebrewing is being able to disregard them from time to time...

 

[Evan!]

I say, if it tastes good - drink it! Style guidelines have their place, but one beauty of homebrewing is being able to disregard them from time to time...

No doubt, no doubt. I just thought it was interesting to accidentally clone something...