Aussie Lager - Questions

[Xarb]

Given the replies on this and other threads about creating an Aussie "Lager" (along VB/XXXX lines) but using US05 (or 1056 I guess) perhaps we need to delineate an Aussie "Cream Ale" style! Low bitterness, rice/sugar adjunct, and POR or Cluster. Any input?

My goal this summer is to make Aussie style beers. At the moment the "Aussie-ness" has been limited to using POR as the hop of choice but I'm loving it so far.

My last beer was:

JW Pils 80%
Cooked Rice 20%

10 IBU POR FWH
17 IBU POR 45 min to go
(hop schedule borrowed from Tony's Aussie Ale http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...p;#entry396383)

Mashed @ 64.
WLP833 - German Bock Lager yeast (it is what I had on hand at the time).

I know the yeast isn't very Aussie, nor the addition of rice but it turned out brilliant, my best beer so far.
Much nicer that Carlton, VB etc and unlike most homebrewers I actually don't mind drinking megaswill beer when I'm at the pub.


Currently fermenting is my vain attempt to get a beer ready for Xmas. I only got it in the fermenter Monday morning so don't like my chances.

Pale Malt 75%
Wheat Malt 25%

Hopped as above, but using US-05.

Looking forward to this one too.

 

[vaanderal]

Ok so here's the recipe that i've settled on.


ANZAC Lager
Australian Lager

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 23.0
Total Grain (kg): 5.000
Total Hops (g): 20.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.042 (P): 10.5
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (P): 2.8
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.13 %
Colour (SRM): 3.4 (EBC): 6.7
Bitterness (IBU): 21.3 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
4.500 kg Pale Malt (90%)
0.500 kg Rice Hulls (10%)

Hop Bill
----------------
20.0 g Pride of Ringwood Pellet (8.3% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.9 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 64C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 18C with Safale US-05

-------

 

[drsmurto]

Ok so here's the recipe that i've settled on.


ANZAC Lager
Australian Lager

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 23.0
Total Grain (kg): 5.000
Total Hops (g): 20.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.042 (P): 10.5
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (P): 2.8
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.13 %
Colour (SRM): 3.4 (EBC): 6.7
Bitterness (IBU): 21.3 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
4.500 kg Pale Malt (90%)
0.500 kg Rice Hulls (10%)

Hop Bill
----------------
20.0 g Pride of Ringwood Pellet (8.3% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.9 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 64C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 18C with Safale US-05

-------

I assume you mean rice, not rice hulls?

 

[Josh]

I assume you mean rice, not rice hulls?

Or rice gulls? h34r:

 

[pimpsqueak]

Ok so here's the recipe that i've settled on.


ANZAC Lager
Australian Lager

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 23.0
Total Grain (kg): 5.000
Total Hops (g): 20.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.042 (P): 10.5
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (P): 2.8
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.13 %
Colour (SRM): 3.4 (EBC): 6.7
Bitterness (IBU): 21.3 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
4.500 kg Pale Malt (90%)
0.500 kg Rice Hulls (10%)

Hop Bill
----------------
20.0 g Pride of Ringwood Pellet (8.3% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.9 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 64C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 18C with Safale US-05

-------

Looks good, even with Rice Gulls.
What makes it ANZAC though?
Throw some Riwaka in there and your claim on ANZAC will be legit.

 

[Nick JD]

Looks good, even with Rice Gulls.
What makes it ANZAC though?
Throw some Riwaka in there and your claim on ANZAC will be legit.

Stirring the mash with your tongue out and a mean look on your face adds the aNZac.

 

[vaanderal]

I assume you mean rice, not rice hulls?

Yeah i mean rice. I couldn't see rice in BrewMate so rice hulls will have to do for now!

Looks good, even with Rice Gulls.
What makes it ANZAC though?
Throw some Riwaka in there and your claim on ANZAC will be legit.

It was named ANZAC because i originally was going to use some Nelson Sauvin hops. If it offends your sensibilities that much i will rename it.

 

[Flewy]

Yeah i mean rice. I couldn't see rice in BrewMate so rice hulls will have to do for now!

You'd be better off using flaked rice in Brewmate rather than rice hulls, rice hulls are not fermentable so will be throwing your calculations off a bit.

 

[pimpsqueak]

It was named ANZAC because i originally was going to use some Nelson Sauvin hops. If it offends your sensibilities that much i will rename it.

Nah, I like Nicks idea. Just bust out a Haka while you're mashing in :beerbang:

 

[Jazzafish]

Just one thing to think of when brewing a low bodied beer... balance.

Bittering to gravity ratio is good to look at. Not exactly a linear equation in my experience, as they tend to attenuate to ~80% with little effort. EG: Beers like standard pub swill have around 18:44 (0.4) ratio and are fairly balanced at their low final gravities... even if it is like sex on a canoe (******* close to water). But double that to 36:88 (0.4) and you'll have a stronger malt balance, especially if it has a F.G less than 80% attenuated.

Another thing to look at is the chloride to sulfate ratio in your water. Chlorides will draw attention to malt sweetness, sulfates will draw attention to hop flavour/bitterness. This relationship is not linear either. Lower gravities will benifit with a higher chloride ratio, but higher gravities benifit towards a greater sulfate balance. Again an attenuation thing.

I'm still fighting the good fight and brewing the odd megaswill type beer at home. Why? Pleases friends/family, teaches me a lot about my process and highlights any issues I may have (nowhere for flaws to hide)... and it always makes my other beers taste much better in comparison. Need average beer to truely appreciate the good to outstanding beer.

 

[vaanderal]

Nah, I like Nicks idea. Just bust out a Haka while you're mashing in :beerbang:

I'll give it a try! Might give the neighbours a bit of a fright though haha.

Just one thing to think of when brewing a low bodied beer... balance.

Bittering to gravity ratio is good to look at. Not exactly a linear equation in my experience, as they tend to attenuate to ~80% with little effort. EG: Beers like standard pub swill have around 18:44 (0.4) ratio and are fairly balanced at their low final gravities... even if it is like sex on a canoe (******* close to water). But double that to 36:88 (0.4) and you'll have a stronger malt balance, especially if it has a F.G less than 80% attenuated.

So if i understand this correctly, you are advising me to up the grain bill in order to be able to add more bitterness with the hops? Or have i completely missed the mark? :unsure:

 

[Jazzafish]

In a way yes... it is finding a balance of sweetness and bitterness using a ratio calculation. So if you want more bitterness, up the malt to balance.

Basically, if you wanted to clone something like VB, aim for an original gravity of 1.044 and 18IBU. (BU:GU of 18:44 = 0.4). This should attenuate to easily to 1.007 for a 4.6% abv.
If you wanted to make a beer like VB, with a little more flavour... Say an original gravity of 1.050. Use the same ratio of 0.4 to calculate the bitterness of 20 (50*0.4). Same attenuation will give around 1.010 final gravity around 5.3%abv. Note maths done in head so allow some tollerance! Call it a loose guide.

When talking about the BU:GU ratio not being linear... The lower the gravity the more you will percive bitterness (especially below 1.045 SG beers), so be conservative with your bittering. The higher the gravity, the more you can afford to chuck more hops in and still have the same percieved balance.

Hope this clears up what I'm getting at?

I'll give it a try! Might give the neighbours a bit of a fright though haha.




So if i understand this correctly, you are advising me to up the grain bill in order to be able to add more bitterness with the hops? Or have i completely missed the mark? :unsure: