Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: I am new to lager  (Read 22453 times)

Offline hairyhood

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #30 on: December 14, 2011, 08:06:02 am »
What is the procedure for purging the keg?  I guess I am not really sure what you mean.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2011, 08:09:58 am by hairyhood »

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #31 on: December 14, 2011, 08:11:19 am »
Put it on CO2, release the pressure and let the CO2 refill to about 10-12 psi.  It clears the headspace and refills with fresh CO2. If you have a lot of acetaldehyde, you can help to reduce it in this way as well as with aging.
Dave Zach

Offline hairyhood

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #32 on: December 14, 2011, 08:25:09 am »
OK.  That is what I thought you meant, but wasn't sure.  Thank you for all of the advice.  I will almost certainly have some off flavors to work on.  Good luck on finding your barrel.  It shouldn't be too hard to come across.  We get them for $50-$60 down here pretty easily.

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #33 on: December 14, 2011, 08:30:53 am »
Just thought of something else.  If you had a lot of cold break transfer to the fermenter, you may not want to keep it in primary that long as it can produce sulphur.

There a good list of off-flavors at www.howtobrew.com and a better one in Brewing Better Beer by Strong with the given recommendations on how to fix them.
Dave Zach

Offline hairyhood

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #34 on: December 14, 2011, 08:37:52 am »
Awesome!  I have both of those books.  Have not gotten into Brewing Better Beer yet.  I guess I better start reading.  Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #35 on: December 14, 2011, 08:42:48 am »
The starter was still after almost a day at room temp (around 70), so I figured the yeast was bad.

If you had nice fresh yeast, the starter could have finished out in less than a day.
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.

Offline jeffy

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4222
  • Tampa, Fl
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #36 on: December 14, 2011, 08:44:05 am »
Just thought of something else.  If you had a lot of cold break transfer to the fermenter, you may not want to keep it in primary that long as it can produce sulphur.

Never heard that before.  What is the reference?
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #37 on: December 14, 2011, 08:46:57 am »
Just thought of something else.  If you had a lot of cold break transfer to the fermenter, you may not want to keep it in primary that long as it can produce sulphur.

Never heard that before.  What is the reference?

Agree, Jeff.  Never heard that one before.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline hairyhood

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #38 on: December 14, 2011, 08:51:47 am »
My yeast was 5 days past the Use By Date.  I should have probably taken that into account and made the starter earlier.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #39 on: December 14, 2011, 08:52:27 am »
My yeast was 5 days past the Use By Date.  I should have probably taken that into account and made the starter earlier.

That's not enough to worry about. 
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline hairyhood

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #40 on: December 14, 2011, 09:06:33 am »
I didn't think so either.  I don't know if maybe that vial was just bad.  I guess I will never know now.  Another thing I noticed.  The smell of the yeast was very different.  Bitter smelling....a buddy of mine decribed it as rancid.  I noticed it in both of the lager yeast....not nice and bready like the ale yeasts I am used to.  I assume this is a characteristic of lager yeast?

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #41 on: December 14, 2011, 09:07:47 am »
Just thought of something else.  If you had a lot of cold break transfer to the fermenter, you may not want to keep it in primary that long as it can produce sulphur.

Never heard that before.  What is the reference?

Agree, Jeff.  Never heard that one before.

Strong:  Brewing Better Beer, Troubleshooting.  Sulphury:  ".........Reduce it's formation during fermentation by increasing yeast nutrients in wort, increasing lipids, increasing aeration, having healthy, active yeast, and removing hot and cold break and trub."

Goldammer:  The Brewer's Handbook, Chapter 12-Wort Cooling and Aeration, Removal of Cold Break.
"After the wort is cooled, the cold break must be removed before fermentation, or else the beer will taste wort-like, bitter, and even harsh. Opinions vary as to whether cold break should be removed at all before transferring the wort to the fermenter.
Traditional lager brewers advocate the removal of cold break prior to fermentation, and some even filter cold worts prior to pitching (14). Lager brewers believe cold break removal aids in colloidal stability in the beer, circumvents the formation of sulfury flavors, and removes harsh bitter fractions derived from hops."

When I started lagering, my first 2-3 really sucked, so I did a LOT of research as to why.  Now, they are pretty darn good!   ;D
Dave Zach

Offline hairyhood

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #42 on: December 14, 2011, 09:23:22 am »
Sounds like it is something to think about.  I think I am ok on the cold break.  I will pay attention to it in the future.

Any thoughts on the smell of the lager yeast vs. ale yeast?

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #43 on: December 14, 2011, 09:31:38 am »
Sounds like it is something to think about.  I think I am ok on the cold break.  I will pay attention to it in the future.

Any thoughts on the smell of the lager yeast vs. ale yeast?

It really depends on the strain, but on a whole I have found the smell of lager yeast to be not nearly as yeasty/bready and more sour.

Guys?

Dave
Dave Zach

Offline Kit B

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 607
Re: I am new to lager
« Reply #44 on: December 14, 2011, 09:42:15 am »
Just thought of something else.  If you had a lot of cold break transfer to the fermenter, you may not want to keep it in primary that long as it can produce sulphur.

Never heard that before.  What is the reference?

Agree, Jeff.  Never heard that one before.

Strong:  Brewing Better Beer, Troubleshooting.  Sulphury:  ".........Reduce it's formation during fermentation by increasing yeast nutrients in wort, increasing lipids, increasing aeration, having healthy, active yeast, and removing hot and cold break and trub."

Goldammer:  The Brewer's Handbook, Chapter 12-Wort Cooling and Aeration, Removal of Cold Break.
"After the wort is cooled, the cold break must be removed before fermentation, or else the beer will taste wort-like, bitter, and even harsh. Opinions vary as to whether cold break should be removed at all before transferring the wort to the fermenter.
Traditional lager brewers advocate the removal of cold break prior to fermentation, and some even filter cold worts prior to pitching (14). Lager brewers believe cold break removal aids in colloidal stability in the beer, circumvents the formation of sulfury flavors, and removes harsh bitter fractions derived from hops."

When I started lagering, my first 2-3 really sucked, so I did a LOT of research as to why.  Now, they are pretty darn good!   ;D

Dude...Nice post.
I'm impressed & interested.
I'll have to do some experimenting.