doesnt taste right

[mrsupraboy]

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/47426-bluetongue-lager-recipe-needed/?hl=%2Bblue+%2Btongue+%2Brecipe#entry672728ey guys i made this blue tongue recipe

I also added 250 grams of wheat and used s189yeast


Now i didnt take any hydromater readings but let it sit for 3 weeks. It is now a month in the keg and the taste im getting is a full grain taste. It doesnt really taste at all like beer. I didnt see the air lock move at all. Am i getting this wheaty/grainy taste cause it didnt forment properly .

 

[carniebrew]

What temperature did you ferment at? Why didn't you take any gravity readings?

Take a gravity reading now...it'll tell you if it fermented at all. If it's like 1040 or above you can smack yourself in the head and make it properly next time!

 

[mrsupraboy]

I fermented between 12 to 15 cant remember to be honest. And no gravity readings cause i had never done it before. Only recently learnt how

Can i still do a gravity check with co2 in the beer.

 

[wereprawn]

May be a silly question but you did crack the grain, mash your grains at the correct temp ect right?

 

[going down a hill]

May be a silly question but you did crack the grain, mash your grains at the correct temp ect right?

Sounds like the right question to me. My first beer where I steeped grain wasn't cracked. Live and learn.

 

[mrsupraboy]

I started with the grain. At 68.c then after 1.5hrs removed the bag and boiled for a further hour

 

[Dunkelbrau]

Where abouts in sydney are you from?

Were the grains crushed up? Broken up like crushed biscuits or were they whole ? Did you boil any grains at all?

Did you boil with the lid off?

 

[mrsupraboy]

Windsor. Not sure. Maybe broken up. Got them from the country brewer. No didn't boil any grains. Stepped them at 68'c then once I pulled the grain out I boiled the water

 

[carniebrew]

Suggest you might want to find someone to show you the end to end process mate, you've jumped right into the deep end trying to do an all grain brew first up, without any research. Or grab yourself a copy of How to Brew (or read it online, it's free), and give it another go.

You mentioned you didn't do any gravity readings 'coz you'd never done it before. Unfortunately that's exactly the reason to take gravity readings...you need to keep up with what your wort/beer is doing during all the various stages. If you had've taken a gravity reading after steeping your grains, it would have set off a red flag straight away if your grain wasn't cracked, 'coz you'd have mostly grain-flavoured water in your pot.

With an all grain beer, early on in your brewing at least, you should be taking gravity readings after your mash/pre boil (preferably with a refractometer, but if using a hydrometer you need to adjust for temperature), during your boil, to see how it's tracking, and then post boil. Then again after transfer to your fermenter, before pitching yeast. And then every few days to see how fermentation is progressing.

And yes, you can take a hydrometer reading on gassed up beer, but if you're worried, take your sample into a jar and shake it around to let it go flat before testing.

 

[yum beer]

Dude do some research, sounds to me like you've charged in with **** all idea what you are doing and got the expected result.
Get a bit more knowledge, some correct instruments and try again.

 

[Spiesy]

I think I know your problem.

Blue Tongue Lager doesn't taste right to start with.

 

[simplefisherman]

On the same line as cracked/ not cracked grain, what type and how much hops did you add? If you have a grain- malty taste but it dosent taste like beer, then hops may be the missing taste?

 

[mrsupraboy]

I did a bit of research into it and when I spoke to the country brewer shop they gave me instructions which I followed to a tee. I got the feeling that it didn't ferment properly. The only thing I didn't do was gravity readings. What more is there to do.

This is what I did. Preheated the ern to 70'c. Added the bag and all the grains in and let it sit for 1,5hrs. After 1.5hrs removed the bag and boiled the water for another 1.5 hours. I added hops at 60mins 15mins and 5mins.

What else was I meant to do and all I have is a hydrometer.

I also stated that I didn't see much to any air lock activity

 

[mrsupraboy]

For a 25L batch, I ended up going 4.5 kg JW pils, 750g rice, 200g carapils. 20g POR 60 mins, 15g Hersbrucker 5 & 0 mins. S189 yeast.

And also added 250gs of wheat

 

[Dunkelbrau]

If you're keen, jump into the western sydney brewers sub forum on this site and check out their website, monthly meetings etc.

I'm out penrith way so only around 15-20, could probably swing out that way tomorrow if you want me to have a taste?

 

[Dunkelbrau]

For a 25L batch, I ended up going 4.5 kg JW pils, 750g rice, 200g carapils. 20g POR 60 mins, 15g Hersbrucker 5 & 0 mins. S189 yeast.
And also added 250gs of wheat

Sounds like a fine recipe , would have left the rice for me and changed POR, but that's my tastes..

 

[Spiesy]

Dude do some research, sounds to me like you've charged in with **** all idea what you are doing and got the expected result.
Get a bit more knowledge, some correct instruments and try again.

Bit harsh.

 

[yum beer]

At what temp did you pitch your yeast, possibly killed it off if temp too high when pitched.

 

[mrsupraboy]

At 12'c

 

[yum beer]

Bit harsh.

Doesn't know ferment temp, didn't take hydro readings, doesn't know if grain was cracked.....

harsh...I think not.