Second batch very bitter.

[Bradsa]

The first beer we brewed was a winner for friends and family alike, it was the Mangrove Jacks Czech Pilsner LME "just add water and beer enhancer" type beer. It tasted sweet after a week in the bottles but the sweetness faded and we loved it.

This time, with the same process but a different beer (Munich Lager) we had a banana'ish taste at bottling but at 1 week it is very bitter.

I thought the lager would at least be milder than the pilsner, but it is at the opposite end of the bitter/sweet scale when compared to the pilsner.

The only difference between the two was that we left the lager in the fermentation bucket for 6 weeks due to us being either too busy or too lazy (ferm temp was around 20C for that period).

I know the sweetness mellows with aging, but will the bitterness subside in the same way?

 

[shawnbou]

How long did you leave the Munich lager in the fermenter?

Keep in mind that lagers and lager yeasts need time and cold conditioning to ferment out clean. But you'll get better results with a longer time in the fermenter instead of rushing them to bottle.

 

[BigFloyd]

Did the second batch use a lager yeast? If so, 20C is way too warm and can cause all sorts of disagreeable flavors.

If the kit was a faux-lager using ale yeast, the banana likely came from under-pitching, high pitch temp, high ferment temp or a combination thereof. Give it at least another two weeks at room temp, fridge a few days and then see what you think.

 

[hbtasdfg]

bitterness (if it is excessive hop bitterness) does diminish over time. Probably best bet is to give it a couple months and retaste.

If it'

 

[E_Marquez]

20c (68F) is high for a Lager.
What yeast did you use?
Was this a wort ready, just add water and yeast deal?

 

[Bradsa]

I doubt it was lager yeast. It came with the kit and had the same serial number as the pilsner. The "Lager" was in the fermentor for 6 weeks.

 

[Bradsa]

20c (68F) is high for a Lager.
What yeast did you use?
Was this a wort ready, just add water and yeast deal?

Same yeast as for the pilsner. Yep, wort ready just add water and yeast.

 

[FatDragon]

Same yeast as for the pilsner. Yep, wort ready just add water and yeast.

Erm, isn't a pilsner also a lager?

Looking at Mangrove Jack's yeast list, I suspect they gave you M84 "Bohemian Lager" yeast with both kits, which should require the same 'lagering' process (secondary stage of fermentation at lower temperatures) as any other lager yeast. I'm always a bit confused with starter kits for lagers - the refrigeration requirements for proper lagering seem like they would be out of range for most beginners.

 

[Bradsa]

Not sure about the yeast, it was just a plain white 5g packet with a serial number on it.

I'll just give it a few more weeks in the bottle and hope for the best. At least it's beer!

 

[FatDragon]

Not sure about the yeast, it was just a plain white 5g packet with a serial number on it.

I'll just give it a few more weeks in the bottle and hope for the best. At least it's beer!

Truth. My first beer, the caramel amber ale I dubbed "Holy Ester!" was an extract kit with little room to screw it up, but I still managed to do so by pitching the yeast and fermenting at higher-than-optimal temperatures. I've still got eight bottles of it, and it's improving daily. Even at its worst, it was still better than local Chinese beer, so "at least it's beer" is the right attitude!