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Author Topic: Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.  (Read 1590 times)

Offline brutusbird

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Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.
« on: April 26, 2021, 04:32:45 pm »
So I am new to brewing (so far so good) and there is a flavor profile I am trying to avoid. Helles aftertaste. I am concerned that I might use an ingredient that will land that flavor in my beer. Basically what I am saying is that I don't know if it comes from hops, malt or yeast. I refer to it as the Heineken aftertaste. I know its popular but it is just not for me.

Offline RC

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Re: Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2021, 05:07:55 pm »
Your referencing Heineken makes me think you're talking about the skunky taste often found in that beer in the U.S. That comes from exposing the beer to UV light (i.e. sunlight), which cleaves a fragment off of a certain hop molecule, and this fragment causes that flavor. Keep your beer out of direct sunlight and you won't get that off-flavor. It's called skunked or lightstruck.

Offline erockrph

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Re: Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2021, 07:22:34 pm »
Your referencing Heineken makes me think you're talking about the skunky taste often found in that beer in the U.S. That comes from exposing the beer to UV light (i.e. sunlight), which cleaves a fragment off of a certain hop molecule, and this fragment causes that flavor. Keep your beer out of direct sunlight and you won't get that off-flavor. It's called skunked or lightstruck.
This is immediately what comes to mind when I think of Heineken specifically. If this is more generally most Continental lagers, then it might be sulfur dioxide (SO2) which gives a bit of a burnt match character. Personally,  I like a little of this in my lagers - I think it pairs well with noble hop character. But only certain yeasts (generally lagers) produce it in significant quantity, and it will fade over time.

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Offline pete b

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Re: Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2021, 07:30:48 pm »
I am assuming that it’s the continental lager taste in general based on the helles reference. Although Heineken has the skunkiness it also has the continental lager flavor which I perceive as a distinct malt flavor with a hint or more of sulfur. It sounds like the OP simply doesn’t like continental lagers so my advice would be to simply not make those kinds of beers.
Brutusbird, is this flavor actually being detected in beers you brew? If so, what styles?
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Offline Village Taphouse

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Re: Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2021, 09:18:58 pm »
I think we need to know which helles the OP is referring to.  Heineken is not helles but Heineken certainly can have that skunky character.  Could it be the "sauergut" character that I mentioned in THIS thread?  A sort of grapey/vinuous flavor that in some beers is very strong and in others it's barely noticeable or not there at all?  The OP mentions helles but also Heineken so I am a little confused.  Which helles did you try that had a flavor you did not care for?
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Offline BrewBama

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Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2021, 09:19:57 pm »
I believe it’s the barley continental lagers are brewed from that produces a certain flavor.  Try a domestic craft maltster’s pils malt to see if you like the results.

I’ve brewed with lager yeast strains and continental hops and like those fine. But I get a certain flavor I don’t particularly like with certain continental pils malts.

I used to say I don’t like pils malt and just substituted pils with pale malt. ...but I really think it’s the continental barley I don’t like.

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« Last Edit: April 26, 2021, 09:36:40 pm by BrewBama »

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Trying to avoid the Helles aftertaste.
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2021, 04:02:43 am »
I will often blend some pils and two row pale with a light touch of Carahell, rather than going all pils, especially on a helles.  I bought a sack of Rahr North Star Pils and I prefer it blended with Proximity 2 row pale, because on its own, the flavor is somewhat too malt forward for my palate.  I prefer Barke Pils from Weyermann and Best Pils, if I am going with 100% pils malt, which I will do on a German Pilsner.
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