Why can't I choose a recipe?

[sunshine22]

Hi everyone, I've been having some trouble coming up with my next brew. For some reason i just can't decide on what to make! Ive done a few ipas and DIPAs and ive brewed blue moon a few times. Somebody help!

 

[fj605]

What do you like to drink? Porters and stouts are good drinkers during late February.

 

[Fedora]

IPA' s, DIPA's, and blue moon clones? Sounds like you need to take a walk on the malty side. How bout a nice brown ale? Or a stout.

 

[kh54s10]

I was also thinking about a Brown Ale. Two of my best were browns that I created with leftovers.

 

[flars]

Do you brew extract, partial mash, or all grain?

 

[sunshine22]

I go all grain. I was thinking about a stout, but haven't really been a fan lately. I was thinking about maybe a steam beer, but yes perhaps i could go with something more malty. I just finished a 6 of SA white Christmas last night and that was pretty good. Its an ale brewed with nutmeg clove and ginger i think.

 

[flars]

Try Northern Brewers Two Hearted Ale clone, Dead Ringer.

 

[sunshine22]

Something in me really wants to try a pilsener. Although I don't have the equipment to lager

 

[lhommedieu]

Something in me really wants to try a pilsener. Although I don't have the equipment to lager

"O that way madness lies." I've just started on the road to making Pilsner. Get your ducks (i.e. equipment) in line before you begin.

You could try making an alt and lagering in the fridge at its lowest setting for a few months.

 

[sunshine22]

"O that way madness lies." I've just started on the road to making Pilsner. Get your ducks (i.e. equipment) in line before you begin.

You could try making an alt and lagering in the fridge at its lowest setting for a few months.

I was thinking brewing a pils recipe but fermenting with 05 or a kolsch yeast and then "lager" in my beer fridge for about 3 weeks

 

[lhommedieu]

I was thinking brewing a pils recipe but fermenting with 05 or a kolsch yeast and then "lager" in my beer fridge for about 3 weeks

I'm no expert but I would think that you'd want to lager for at least 2-3 months. I think that you'll get a much smoother beer that way. I'm testing my first Pilsner after 3 months of lagering and it's just turning the corner into a smooth, tight beer. I figure another 1-2 months and it will be ready.

 

[Pershey]

Remember you have to drink it in a month or two I'de go stout or maybe a belgian triple or quad something to warm you up in those cold winter months ahead.

 

[lhommedieu]

It's a short step from brewing IPA's to brewing a less hop-forward pale ale, porter, or stout. As the temperature and light declines I'm enjoying my Northern Brown Ale.

 

[sunshine22]

I don't want to drink it too young, but I was searching online and stumbled upon NB's American Pils recipe. Theyre instructions call for a 1-2 week primary, 2-4 week condition, and a 2 week bottle condition period with Saflager. I am not opposed to waiting a little for good beer, but that 8 weeks is for a lager yeast. Ale yeast should be a slightly shorter turn-around, no?

 

[IslandLizard]

I don't want to drink it too young, but I was searching online and stumbled upon NB's American Pils recipe. Theyre instructions call for a 1-2 week primary, 2-4 week condition, and a 2 week bottle condition period with Saflager. I am not opposed to waiting a little for good beer, but that 8 weeks is for a lager yeast. Ale yeast should be a slightly shorter turn-around, no?

\o/
That NB's recipe is a crock, there is no way you can get a respectful Pilsner in that short of a time. Plus you need to ferment and lager it pretty cold for all the time it takes, as said previously, you're looking at 3 months, easily. NB wants to sell kits, but telling people the truth that it takes this much time and that much control will shy them away so they'll buy a similar kit elsewhere that doesn't tell them that. In short Lagers takes time, patience, and control.

How about a Porter? That Deschutes Black Butte is pretty darn nice. So is Edmund Fitzgerald. They can be ready to drink in 3-4 weeks, with a nice foamy head. I love Porter foam.

 

[sunshine22]

It's a short step from brewing IPA's to brewing a less hop-forward pale ale, porter, or stout. As the temperature and light declines I'm enjoying my Northern Brown Ale.

I'm not too keen on brewing and the time of year. I like to drink all beers year round. Then again, who doesn't? What do you think about a kolsch?

 

[sunshine22]

\o/
That NB's recipe is a crock, there is no way you can get a respectful Pilsner in that short of a time. Plus you need to ferment and lager it pretty cold for all the time it takes, as said previously, you're looking at 3 months, easily. NB wants to sell kits, but telling people the truth that it takes this much time and that much control will shy them away so they'll buy a similar kit elsewhere that doesn't tell them that. In short Lagers takes time, patience, and control.

How about a Porter? That Deschutes Black Butte is pretty darn nice. So is Edmund Fitzgerald. They can be ready to drink in 3-4 weeks, with a nice foamy head. I love Porter foam.

I hate sounding so picky, but i am not a huge fan of the porter/stout style beers, at least not anymore. I was kind of aiming to do a light, clean, dry hopped beer. We have a local beer in CT called Ol' Factory Pils. Its a dry hopped Pilsner. I guess I was going to try and make something close to a pilsner without going OCD about sticking to the style which is why I recomended using ale yeast. I usually cool my wort, transfer to fermentor, put that in a 20 gallon rubbermaid bin, and fill with cold hose water. The last IPA I brewed fermented at about 62*F and it was only half full.

 

[IslandLizard]

I hate sounding so picky, but i am not a huge fan of the porter/stout style beers, at least not anymore. I was kind of aiming to do a light, clean, dry hopped beer. We have a local beer in CT called Ol' Factory Pils. Its a dry hopped Pilsner. I guess I was going to try and make something close to a pilsner without going OCD about sticking to the style which is why I recomended using ale yeast. I usually cool my wort, transfer to fermentor, put that in a 20 gallon rubbermaid bin, and fill with cold hose water. The last IPA I brewed fermented at about 62*F and it was only half full.

Sounds like you've found your recipe, a dry-hopped steam ale it shall be!

They can be pretty good, and keeping that ferm temp low will help giving you a cleaner beer in the end that doesn't need to be "conditioned" for a couple months.

 

[sunshine22]

Sounds like you've found your recipe, a dry-hopped steam ale it shall be!

They can be pretty good, and keeping that ferm temp low will help giving you a cleaner beer in the end that doesn't need to be "conditioned" for a couple months.

Is that even possible? So what do you think, I'd like to use pilsner malt, and I know it calls for Saaz hops but I do not know much else.

 

[IslandLizard]

Is that even possible? So what do you think, I'd like to use pilsner malt, and I know it calls for Saaz hops but I do not know much else.

You can use any Pilsner recipe (Pilsner malt) and make it malty enough by making sure it contains a decent amount of Vienna (30%) or for more character, Munich (say 15%), some Carapils, Saaz if you like, and she's ready to go.

Traditionally you'd use a lager yeast at higher temps, but you'll be drowning in Diacetyl when that's done. Instead I'd use a clean West Coast Ale yeast at low temps. US-05 would be fine but even better, use a liquid yeast such as WY2565 (Kolsch, very clean @60°F), which would be my preference, or even WP1272 (fruitier). Either would be fine as long as you make a good size starter, since you ferment at or a hair below the bottom of their recommended range.

 

[sunshine22]

You can use any Pilsner recipe (Pilsner malt) and make it malty enough by making sure it contains a decent amount of Vienna (30%) or for more character, Munich (say 15%), some Carapils, Saaz if you like, and she's ready to go.

Traditionally you'd use a lager yeast at higher temps, but you'll be drowning in Diacetyl when that's done. Instead I'd use a clean West Coast Ale yeast at low temps. US-05 would be fine but even better, use a liquid yeast such as WY2565 (Kolsch, very clean @60°F), which would be my preference, or even WP1272 (fruitier). Either would be fine as long as you make a good size starter, since you ferment at or a hair below the bottom of their recommended range.

So how does this sound for a 5.5 gal batch:

75 min mash @150

9lbs German Pilsner
2lbs Vienna
.75lbs American CaraPils

1.5oz Saaz@90 min
1oz Saaz @ 50min
1oz Saaz @ 15min
.5oz saaz @ flameout

Wyeast 2565 2x starter at around 60F

lager in fridge at 35 for 2-3 weeks

 

[IslandLizard]

^ Excellent! ^

When do you decide to dry hop? At the end of the fermentation, 5 days before lagering?

You could drop in a couple oz of Melanoiden and/or raise the Vienna to 3#. I make those tweak decisions on the spot when measuring grains. I guess the smell triggers certain inspirational areas one doesn't get from a screen. We need a BeerSmith Nose plugin perhaps?

 

[Schmoltsbeer]

t is very possible to make a good lager in less than a month utilizing the following link's advice. I have made several in-a-row lagers, to include a couple of lighter lagers, and a bock following these steps. my bock took just over 4 weeks to bottle. I could lager longer, but why? Good beer doesn't need to sit around forever, lager or ale.

http://brulosophy.com/methods/lager-method/

If you want to try lager yeast, perhaps this is a route you would be interested in following. It worked well for me, and I will continue to utilize it in the future.

 

[sunshine22]

^ Excellent! ^

When do you decide to dry hop? At the end of the fermentation, 5 days before lagering?

You could drop in a couple oz of Melanoiden and/or raise the Vienna to 3#. I make those tweak decisions on the spot when measuring grains. I guess the smell triggers certain inspirational areas one doesn't get from a screen. We need a BeerSmith Nose plugin perhaps?

I guess thats what i was hoping to get from this thread. I could dry hop with an oz of saaz as i am putting it in to lager? Or halfway through the lager?

And sure i have no problem with switching the malts. What will adding vienna do? What is melanoiden?

 

[sunshine22]

I was hinking of using wlp029 since i read that it flocculates better. Anyone have any advice on making a starter? I've never made a starter for a colder fermenting beer

 

[IslandLizard]

I was hinking of using wlp029 since i read that it flocculates better. Anyone have any advice on making a starter? I've never made a starter for a colder fermenting beer

The ferm range for WLP029 lies a lot higher than WY2565. I think 2565 is closer to a real hybrid yeast, like no other. 029 is a regular German Ale.

At lager temps hop extraction is minimal, so I'd give the hops some time at the higher temps, like during the Diacetyl rest, before lagering. You can leave them in for those few weeks. I'd stick em in a roomy hop sock.

Use MrMalty or Brewer's Friend for your yeast calcs. Lagers need 2x as many cells as ales, but you're on the lower end of an ale yeast, so 1.5x should be good. I'd aim at 300-350 billion cells at 60°F with 2565. Starters for lagers follow the same procedure and temps as ale yeasts, you just need a 1 gallon clear growler or 5 liter flask for the last step up. Or split over two 2-liter ones.

 

[sunshine22]

The ferm range for WLP029 lies a lot higher than WY2565. I think 2565 is closer to a real hybrid yeast, like no other. 029 is a regular German Ale.

At lager temps hop extraction is minimal, so I'd give the hops some time at the higher temps, like during the Diacetyl rest, before lagering. You can leave them in for those few weeks. I'd stick em in a roomy hop sock.

Use MrMalty or Brewer's Friend for your yeast calcs. Lagers need 2x as many cells as ales, but you're on the lower end of an ale yeast, so 1.5x should be good. I'd aim at 300-350 billion cells at 60°F with 2565. Starters for lagers follow the same procedure and temps as ale yeasts, you just need a 1 gallon clear growler or 5 liter flask for the last step up. Or split over two 2-liter ones.

Okay, I have no problem using 2565. Only question I have is generally how long to lager in the fridge?

Also, I'm double thinking the dy hopping. Ive read only bad things about dry hopping pilsners. They start tasting like onion and grass

 

[sunshine22]

The ferm range for WLP029 lies a lot higher than WY2565. I think 2565 is closer to a real hybrid yeast, like no other. 029 is a regular German Ale.

At lager temps hop extraction is minimal, so I'd give the hops some time at the higher temps, like during the Diacetyl rest, before lagering. You can leave them in for those few weeks. I'd stick em in a roomy hop sock.

Use MrMalty or Brewer's Friend for your yeast calcs. Lagers need 2x as many cells as ales, but you're on the lower end of an ale yeast, so 1.5x should be good. I'd aim at 300-350 billion cells at 60°F with 2565. Starters for lagers follow the same procedure and temps as ale yeasts, you just need a 1 gallon clear growler or 5 liter flask for the last step up. Or split over two 2-liter ones.

Okay, I have no problem using 2565. Only question I have is generally how long to lager in the fridge?

Also, I'm double thinking the dy hopping. Ive read only bad things about dry hopping pilsners.

 

[b-boy]

I'd go with a steam beer. Very lager-like, but less hassle.

 

[IslandLizard]

3 weeks of lagering should be plenty. It will be nice and clear by then. If you keg, you can rack to keg as soon as the beer is clear enough for you and it will continue lagering and carbonate while the keg is in your keezer/kegerator. It also allows you to sneak a pint.

I can't answer why the dry hopping of a lager gives grassiness, except that these beers are so clean anything shows up as off flavors without much to cover it up. Dry hop in a sock for 5 days during lagering. You don't need much, it's not an IPA, just an extra touch of aroma. So I guess later would be better as aroma fleets. It would be easy to overdo, so I'd take samples.

Someone must have dry hopped a Pilsner/Lager/Kolsch successfully and written about it.