Where does te sweet aftertaste come from

[scaffologist]

I am new to making home brew, but not to drinking it. My parents have been making home brew for as long as I can remember. Always canned malt kits and always lagers. The only thing is, they aren't set up to lager, so technically they are ales I guess, with a lager style recipe. There is always a smooth taste on the beer, but a sweet aftertaste that's not there on the Molson Canadian or Kokanee that I'm used to drinking. It's only since I started making my own beer recently (1 kit down, 2 brewing) have I really researched beer and learned what the difference between lager and ale is. I talked to my mother today and she thought it was just the yeast. She had no idea about the temp. She thought the sweet taste that isn't there in the mass produced beers (which some of the kits she makes are intended to be clones of) came from the priming sugar/bottle carbonation used in home brewing. I think it's the ale yeast and temperatures that give those flavours. I am mostly a lager drinker, and would invest in a lagering setup if it would be a huge improvement. So what would be money better spent? Lagering chest or kegging to eliminate the need for priming sugar?

 

[LLBeanJ]

Just speculating, but I'd venture a guess that the sweet aftertaste is something inherent in the canned malt. Could also be a higher FG, which would also be a possible byproduct of the malt. What I do know is that it's not from the priming sugar.

 

[Randy_Bugger]

The sweet taste doesn't come from sugar and the small amount one uses for priming is fermented completely into booze.

Your beer has a high FG and a residual malty sweetness that can be eliminated by pitching the right amount of yeast.

Since you don't have the ability to ferment a lager yeast at lager temps, I suggest you use an ale yeast.

You say you prefer lagers, but I'll bet you will enjoy the same recipe using a neutral ale yeast like S-05.

 

[cluckk]

So what would be money better spent? Lagering chest or kegging...?

If you insist on brewing lagers then you have no choice but to invest in a lagering chest or some other way to control fermentation/lagering temps. It is the only way you will even make good (accurate) lagers. If you were going to make ales--my personal favorite--then I'd say go with the kegging system, but not for the sweetness issue.

Fermenting lagers at ale temperatures will make some good beers, but will not make a true lager and will not taste right. If you want a lager--a true lager--then you need to control the temps. There is just no other option.

But like Randy Bugger says, if you don't want to spend to control the temp for a lager, then use your recipe with something like US-05.

 

[Yooper]

Just speculating, but I'd venture a guess that the sweet aftertaste is something inherent in the canned malt. Could also be a higher FG, which would also be a possible byproduct of the malt. What I do know is that it's not from the priming sugar.

My experience is that it's the canned LME "kits". They are prehopped, and then condensed to the extract. As a result, they just aren't the same quality and taste that fresh grains, fresh hops, fresh extract, and quality yeast can give. They have a distinctive "kit taste" to them.

Buying only extract (not those prehopped "lager" kits), hops, quality yeast (NOT the ones that come with the kit) and a few specialty grains will make a beer that will taste like a commercial beer.

 

[scaffologist]

Thanks for the tips guys. I have no problem paying for a lagering chest. Just not right now. Been off all summer healing up severed tendons in my finger. Once I get back to work and tidy up some of the debt, I'm gonna get into lagering. The kits I've been making are technically all grain. They are brewhouse pre made wort kits. An all grain wort in a bag (just like a wine kit). I know it's not all grain brewing in its true sense, but for someone just starting, I think it's a good place to begin. I made a light Canadian lager, and it's been bottled 3 weeks now, and it's pretty good beer. But it still doesn't taste "right". I can't help thinking that chucking out the coopers yeast that comes with that kit and getting a good quality lager yeast and picking up a deep freeze on kijiji (Craigslist for you guys in the states) and a temp controller to make a real lager would make it "right"

 

[jonmohno]

Did you actually Lager it though? If it dosnt taste right that may be it. You would have made a steam beer if you did not. You could conditon it more and give it a few weeks in the fridge then get back to it and see what you think. Yeast are temperature sensative when fermenting, it has a significant impact on the result with what temps you are fermenting at. Its something that is important that is most easily overlooked when first starting out. Even though I researched for months before beginning brewing. My first few batches all I read on yeast packets was to cool under 80 deg. then pitch and I would ferment at higher temps because I was worried that it wouldnt ferment if I kept it lower. I thought I had to keep it above 70F for some reason. Even with months of meticulous learning of brewing just some simple things can be overlooked or not learned yet. Im just glad I didnt give up because of the things I overlooked or just plain didnt know yet.

 

[Hex23]

Thanks for the tips guys. I have no problem paying for a lagering chest. Just not right now. Been off all summer healing up severed tendons in my finger. Once I get back to work and tidy up some of the debt, I'm gonna get into lagering. The kits I've been making are technically all grain. They are brewhouse pre made wort kits. An all grain wort in a bag (just like a wine kit). I know it's not all grain brewing in its true sense, but for someone just starting, I think it's a good place to begin. I made a light Canadian lager, and it's been bottled 3 weeks now, and it's pretty good beer. But it still doesn't taste "right". I can't help thinking that chucking out the coopers yeast that comes with that kit and getting a good quality lager yeast and picking up a deep freeze on kijiji (Craigslist for you guys in the states) and a temp controller to make a real lager would make it "right"

You can get good lager yeast, and fermentation chamber, but if you don't create all the conditions for a good complete fermentation you may not end with that clean, crisp, dry flavor common to many commercial lagers. You'll definitely want to up your pitch rate considerably for the cooler temps and oxygenate. You might also consider adding some adjuncts to help getting to a drier taste and lighter mouthfeel - something like rice syrup solids. If you are going to use extracts, make sure they are very fresh and/or use DME instead of LME.

 

[scaffologist]

Did you actually Lager it though? If it dosnt taste right that may be it. You would have made a steam beer if you did not. You could conditon it more and give it a few weeks in the fridge then get back to it and see what you think. Yeast are temperature sensative when fermenting, it has a significant impact on the result with what temps you are fermenting at. Its something that is important that is most easily overlooked when first starting out. Even though I researched for months before beginning brewing. My first few batches all I read on yeast packets was to cool under 80 deg. then pitch and I would ferment at higher temps because I was worried that it wouldnt ferment if I kept it lower. I thought I had to keep it above 70F for some reason. Even with months of meticulous learning of brewing just some simple things can be overlooked or not learned yet. Im just glad I didnt give up because of the things I overlooked or just plain didnt know yet.

I followed the advise of the guy who worked at the brew store for temp. I brew in my basement, and it has a temp of 15 degrees. I used a heat belt until fermentation began, and then removed it for the duration of fermentation. As far as further conditioning, that's not possible. There are only 7 bottles left, and I'd rather drink it like it is than not have beer. It's really not bad, and I do really enjoy it. And as far as pitching temp, it was room temperature since there is no boiling required with my beer kits

 

[scaffologist]

You can get good lager yeast, and fermentation chamber, but if you don't create all the conditions for a good complete fermentation you may not end with that clean, crisp, dry flavor common to many commercial lagers. You'll definitely want to up your pitch rate considerably for the cooler temps and oxygenate. You might also consider adding some adjuncts to help getting to a drier taste and lighter mouthfeel - something like rice syrup solids. If you are going to use extracts, make sure they are very fresh and/or use DME instead of LME.

Oh don't worry, before I start lagering I intend to thoroughly research the best techniques to make the best beer possible. Especially since It takes so long to make. I'll probably just keep on going with the brewhouse kits for a while yet though. I like how simple and quick they are. It only takes 30 mins (including sanitation time) to get a batch going. That will be important once I'm back to work since time at home will be pretty busy already.