Advise On Lager Recipe Needed

[dave_h]

Hi everyone,

Planning on putting down a honey lager for this misses and are thinking about doing the following and would appreciate some advice before I put in down in case ive made a balls up. (Its only my second BIAB)



Pilsner Malt 4.5kg

Vienna Malt 0.5kg

0.5kg Honey (good (ish) one from the supermarket)



Hallertau 20g @ 90mins

Hallertau 10g @60mins

Hallertau 10g @15mins



MeerMate puts the IBUs at 25.1 (not quite sure ive got the right Hallertau selected as they came with no info)

Colour SRM at 3.5



Plan on using a Saflager S-23 yeast



Thanks in advance

 

[amiddler]

You have 2 lots of bittering hops 90min and 60min. Drop the 90min and up the amount of your 60min to get your IBU and I would add 10-15 grams at 2min for some aroma.
Bottling or kegging the beer? I have always found when I use honey the final beer is a bit over gassed like the honey wasn't finnished fermenting so make sure fermentation is complete or drop your carbonation a touch if bottling the beer.

Drew

 

[rendo]

The main thing for me would be your brewing temps. What temp are u brewing at? How are you going to control temps? Lagers brew better in colder and consistent temps...If you have a temp controlled brewing fridge then ur laughing...or do you have an unused fridge you can out your fermenter in to maintain more stable temps and maybe rotate a frozen 1.25L bottle of water or two in and out everyday...

not as crucial is.......does the missus like hallertau flavour? I think "PILS" is all hallertau? Maybe Saaz instead...more like Urquell flavour?

Or maybe something more like cascade maybe??anyway....choice of hops is really your own. Nothing wrong with hallertau, NICE

Drop the 90mins to 10g...I think add the 10g you have taken out of the 90mins dry into the fermenter, on day 0 or day1....YUM...maybe up the 15min addition too a little.

its all just personal taste really....

rendo

Hi everyone,

Planning on putting down a honey lager for this misses and are thinking about doing the following and would appreciate some advice before I put in down in case ive made a balls up. (Its only my second BIAB)



Pilsner Malt 4.5kg

Vienna Malt 0.5kg

0.5kg Honey (good (ish) one from the supermarket)



Hallertau 20g @ 90mins

Hallertau 10g @60mins

Hallertau 10g @15mins



MeerMate puts the IBUs at 25.1 (not quite sure ive got the right Hallertau selected as they came with no info)

Colour SRM at 3.5



Plan on using a Saflager S-23 yeast



Thanks in advance

 

[dave_h]

Ok, second attempt using rendos and Drews advice

Hops

Hallertau 30g @ 60mins

Hallertau 10g @ 15mins

Hallertau10g @2mins



BrewMate gives an IBU of 25.2



I havent got a keg setup yet so will be bottling and will make sure they have finished fermenting (i may be away for a month so will get the misses to drop the temp), I will be brewing in a fridge around 12-13C (temp control thermostat is in the post)

I was thinking about using a saaz but i read somewhere on AussieHomeBrewer that Hallertau went well with honey, ive never tried either before (im still very green)



Thanks for the tips so far

 

[rendo]

I like the new hop schedule better!! Havent used either hops before...no worries, Best way is just to try it out then. I put a bit of effort into finding what commercial beers use what hops, then went and bought them, drank them and learnt that way

hallertau is great, if you like the german type beers....i know i do...

brewing in a temp controlled fridge is the sh!t....it makes such a massive difference, do it for ALL ur brews, ales around 17-18 (generally speaking)...lagers 10-12deg (generally speaking)..well done on getting temp control so early in ur brewing adventures....you are a goner!! haha

I'll take drink homebrew anyday over 'almost' any bought beer (not even considering cost, just the taste) ....i reckon you will be the same soon, if not already

Ok, second attempt using rendo's and Drew's advice

Hops

Hallertau 30g @ 60mins

Hallertau 10g @ 15mins

Hallertau10g @2mins



BrewMate gives an IBU of 25.2



I haven't got a keg setup yet so will be bottling and will make sure they have finished fermenting (i may be away for a month so will get the misses to drop the temp), I will be brewing in a fridge around 12-13C (temp control thermostat is in the post)

I was thinking about using a saaz but i read somewhere on AussieHomeBrewer that Hallertau went well with honey, ive never tried either before (im still very green)



Thanks for the tips so far

 

[amiddler]

I havent got a keg setup yet so will be bottling and will make sure they have finished fermenting (i may be away for a month so will get the misses to drop the temp), I will be brewing in a fridge around 12-13C (temp control thermostat is in the post)

With all my Lagers I warm them up to 22-24'C for a few days after primary (Day 7-8) Have read this helps get rid of Diacetyl (unwanted butter flavours) and will help the honey fully ferment, then down to 4'C for as long as I can (until I need to ferment something else) at least 7 days.

Drew

 

[dave_h]

Cheers guys,

Im planning on crash chilling it for a week or so (maybe longer if im away so the misses does not have to bottle).

Brew will have to wait anotherweek s as my previous brew has not quite finsihed and i want to crash chill that as well, cant wait (but will have to.....)

 

[mika]

When's the honey going into the process ?

 

[argon]

With all my Lagers I warm them up to 22-24'C for a few days after primary (Day 7-8) Have read this helps get rid of Diacetyl (unwanted butter flavours)

Diacetyl rests are only a good idea if you're actually detecting diacetyl in the samples. No use doing it if you're not tasting any. Let your palate determine what's necessary.

When taking a reading for finished gravity, have a taste... does it taste clean or does it taste slick/butterscotchy? If it's clean and finished fermenting go ahead and crash chill to lagering temps. If not, raise it to d-rest temps for 24-48hrs.

For my lagers, i ferment at 9C (dependant on strain), cool and long for around 3 weeks. At the end of fermentation if i taste any diacetyl i'll only raise to 15-16C, which is around the upper limit of temp tolerance for the lager yeasts i use. I've only detected diacetyl once in a lager and did this, which ended up cleaning it up. The other half dozen or so, the d-rest wasn't necessary as it was already clean.

 

[dave_h]

Not 100% sure when to put the honey in, i remember reading somewhere that it should not be boiled as it does something to the taste, might put it in after the boil.