Vienna Lager

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delcosansgluten

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Now that it is cold enough to lager in my basement I wanted to use the opportunity to try a new lager. I used this recipe - Classic Vienna Lager - as the staring point but made some adjustments and ended up with the following grain bill and yeast.

12 lbs Vienna Millet
2 lbs Biscuit Rice
2 lbs Crystal Rice
2 sachets M84 Bohemian Lager yeast

While mashing and brewing this lager, the entire basement smelled like honey bread. This marks the first time I used a yeast starter and will do this going forward. Krausen has started not even 24 hrs after pitching!! I'll post follow ups when its drinkable. Cheers!!
 

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Will be interesting to know the OG and eventual FG. The recipe suggests that it is expected to finish at about 1.013. When I used Termamyl for the high temp rest and Diatase enzyme for the lower rest, I always finished around 1.008. It wasn't until I switched to Ceramix Flex and Ondea Pro that I started to see FG at about 1.013.
Great that you have a basement that maintains consistent low temps such that you can do a true lager!

They are only calling for a 30 minute boil?!? Interesting. Even with lagers I seem to always see 60 minute boil, but it makes sense to end up with relatively low bitterness but still have strong hop flavor to do a shorter boil and use the flavoring hops for the bittering additions.
 
Will be interesting to know the OG and eventual FG. The recipe suggests that it is expected to finish at about 1.013. When I used Termamyl for the high temp rest and Diatase enzyme for the lower rest, I always finished around 1.008. It wasn't until I switched to Ceramix Flex and Ondea Pro that I started to see FG at about 1.013.
Great that you have a basement that maintains consistent low temps such that you can do a true lager!

They are only calling for a 30 minute boil?!? Interesting. Even with lagers I seem to always see 60 minute boil, but it makes sense to end up with relatively low bitterness but still have strong hop flavor to do a shorter boil and use the flavoring hops for the bittering additions.

OG was 1.057
 
Are you milling by hand? Oh my I tried that once and never again :)

Yes I am. Eventually I will purchase the $300 grain mill on GFHB dot com but I personally want to use the next $300 I spend on home brewing to be on a chest freezer. Lagers are my favorite and only being able to make 1 - 2 per year leaves me wanting more.
 
Yes I am. Eventually I will purchase the $300 grain mill on GFHB dot com but I personally want to use the next $300 I spend on home brewing to be on a chest freezer. Lagers are my favorite and only being able to make 1 - 2 per year leaves me wanting more.

I have the same type of corona mill that you're using. What I did was bought a big bolt which screws right into that mill and then used a 13mm socket and a drill bit that converts to a socket attachment. Then I bought a cheapo Harbor Freight drill and now I've got an electric mill. This is a super easy way to turn that hand cranked corona mill into something more efficient. That rice malt it brutal on a hand cranked corona mill.

adapter.jpgsocket_bolt.jpgmill.jpg
 
I have the same type of corona mill that you're using. What I did was bought a big bolt which screws right into that mill and then used a 13mm socket and a drill bit that converts to a socket attachment. Then I bought a cheapo Harbor Freight drill and now I've got an electric mill. This is a super easy way to turn that hand cranked corona mill into something more efficient. That rice malt it brutal on a hand cranked corona mill.

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This is brilliant! Where did you find the bolt that can screw into the mill?
 
This is brilliant! Where did you find the bolt that can screw into the mill?

Here's a nice YouTube video that Brian from GFHB did a few years ago for reference. I'd recommend not removing the bolt head though as that seems unnecessary with a socket drill adapter.



I believe I bought the bolt and drill to socket adapter at Home Depot. Pretty sure the bolt size is 5/16" but you could just bring that part of the mill with you to be sure.
 
The video below shows that my airlock has a slight leak, given there is no bubbling with such a vigorous fermentation.
 

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Yes these fermonsters seem to do this frequently. I have the same thing happen when using with a brew jacket. You may want to check the lid gasket next brew and also I bought the lid tool as well.
 
I am sure the active yeast in suspention is altering the color. It will get a nice uniform color after sitting for a few weeks. Although I have a fermentation fridge that can hold those low temps, and although I use Saflager W34/70 regularly, I have not yet done a "true" lager temp fermentation. Would be great to see what gravity readings you get over time and when it stabilizes at FG. How long do you plan on holding it before bottling/kegging?
 
I am sure the active yeast in suspention is altering the color. It will get a nice uniform color after sitting for a few weeks. Although I have a fermentation fridge that can hold those low temps, and although I use Saflager W34/70 regularly, I have not yet done a "true" lager temp fermentation. Would be great to see what gravity readings you get over time and when it stabilizes at FG. How long do you plan on holding it before bottling/kegging?

I am going to bottle when the gravity gets to 1.017 or there about. Then I am going to let the bottled beer sit in a cardboard box which will sit on a staircase underneath the Bilco doors that lead to my basement. Most likely I will let the lager for 5-6 weeks. I'll post pics again once I bottle.
 
With your grain bill it’s going to be a pretty light colored lager and not quite BJCP range color for a Vienna lager. If you use a recipe tool like Brewers Ftiend or Beersmith it should give you an expected SRM. Also not shilling for these products but a Tilt hydrometer is one of the best brewing investments I ever made along with a brew jacket to control fermentation temps.
 
Unfortunately I've had a stuck fermentation for the past 3 days... I brought the fermonster into a 68 degree room, hoping that it wakes the yeast up so they can finish their job. Should this not work, it looks like ill end up with 3% lagers. not the end of the world but still frustrating.
 
Unfortunately I've had a stuck fermentation for the past 3 days... I brought the fermonster into a 68 degree room, hoping that it wakes the yeast up so they can finish their job. Should this not work, it looks like ill end up with 3% lagers. not the end of the world but still frustrating.

Are you using a refractometer? If so, are you accounting for the alcohol in the sample?
 
Unfortunately I've had a stuck fermentation for the past 3 days... I brought the fermonster into a 68 degree room, hoping that it wakes the yeast up so they can finish their job. Should this not work, it looks like ill end up with 3% lagers. not the end of the world but still frustrating.
Sounds to me that you are doing the correct thing and I expect it will work. I read a series bruelosophy ExBEERiment articles that explored the differences between long low fermentation with a rise to mid to upper 60's temp after a lager temp primary fermentation. I could not find the articles but it discussed that lager fermentation requires a long lagering time to dissipate the sulfur byproduct that is common with lager yeasts. If I remember correctly, it discussed that many do the primary fermentation at the low temp and then bring it up to upper 60's for a few days to dissipate the sulfer before going back down to low temp for conditioning. You will end up doing this basic process.

While looking for the ExBEERiment article, I found this: Dimethyl Sulfides (DMS) in Home Brewed Beer
Interesting as it recommends a 60 to 90 minute boil to reduce the Dimethyl Sulfides before going to the fermentor. Interesting!
 
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Decided to bottle these tonight and it turns out the FG was 1.021, just like everyone said the refractometer was wrong.. So happy to say this beer ended up with 4.7% alcohol. Now they are boxed up and about to set in my bilco doors for 5-6 weeks. Cannot wait to try these!!
 

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While these still have another week or so until they are fully conditioned, I decided to crack one of these open after getting the metallic scent from my Ordinary Bitter.

These lagers taste delicious, dare I say a little too sweet, next time Ill probably go with 1lbs of Crystal rice instead of 2. Also pictured is my 'lagering' chamber i.e. bilco doors haha.
 

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