Don't Underestimate The Lagering Process..

[BjornJ]

Learned something funny today.
Guess I learn stuff all the time about brewing, but not often have I so directly tasted the effect of something I have only been reading of!

I made a lager, pilsner malt with 10% sugar and a touch of crystal. WLP830 liquid German Lager yeast.
3 weeks fermentation, 3 weeks in a cube at freezing temps before bottling. Took a LONG TIME to carb up.

Then
-had a bottle last weekend, had a clear homebrew twang.
-had two bottles at work today at our normal beer tasting session on Fridays. The guys loved it, said it was my best beer ever. The bottles had been in the fridge since Monday.
-had a bottle just now, that had been in the fridge a couple of hours today, just enough to get cold. Tasted "horrible" as in it has that twang of something or other.


So;
Lagers REALLY need to lager :lol:
Maybe I could have done it in bulk after bottle carbonating, just popping them back in the fridge at 0 degrees for a couple of weeks. Or maybe I just have to bite the bullet and store them in the fridge for a week or two before drinking.
But get this: The beer was dramatically different after a week in the fridge!
I had a similar kind of experience with my Dr.Smurto's Golden Ale. It was orange coloured and not very clear. I blaimed the high % of wheat as I am not used to using that much wheat. Then left a few bottles two weeks in the fridge and the beer came out very clear and tasting "cleaner".


Note to self:
Go back to not touching my beers until they have had the chance to spend a couple of months in the bottle. Skip "having a taste every week" as it means I will learn to taste what is "wrong" and then recognize that taste even after the beer is ok. Second, beers need a week or even two weeks in the fridge...

Anyway, that seems to make a BIG difference in my beers..

BribieG, if you see this: Please put the lager I sent you in the fridge for a week before trying it!

thanks
Bjorn

 

[Brewman_]

Hi Bjornj,

All beer making requires good sanitation, ingredients, technique and PROCESS. I think what you are highlighting is process. As you mentioned you learnt something, well done, so take notes for your next brew.

I reckon the process side of homebrewing is not given the attention that is deserves.

Fear.

 

[sinkas]

god that was a boring read, where is a copy of "That's life" when you need one

 

[Brewer_010]

god that was a boring read, where is a copy of "That's life" when you need one

what a miserable shite you are sinkas -

to BjornJ: it's hard but stay away from your beer til its had enough time to age properly - lagers really do benefit from 6-8 weeks lagering.

 

[ianh]

I try not to drink mine till they have been in the bottle for 3 months as I think they improve with time. Fortunately I have enough storage space for about 16 brews.

Trouble is at this time of year I am behind with my brewing and currently drinking a brew that was bottled on 18th Feb.

Just my 2c worth

 

[Ecosse]

god that was a boring read, where is a copy of "That's life" when you need one

Probably might need to keep that copy of 'Thats life' for this post too.

Just sayin'

 

[rendo]

Hey BjornJ,

I was going back thru our PM's re: yeast reuse, I was sure you mentioned how long this brew took to carb up, but I cant find it.
SO......how long did this brew take to properly carb up mate?

rendo

3 weeks fermentation, 3 weeks in a cube at freezing temps before bottling. Took a LONG TIME to carb up.

god that was a boring read, where is a copy of "That's life" when you need one

what a miserable shite you are sinkas -

Couldnt agree more brewer....poor form sinkas, comments like that really demotivate people who are wanting to learn and share with others in a positive manner, all in the spirit of making good/better beer. I hate to judge, but simply you should STFU. And so should I..

 

[Nick JD]

One of the coolest aspects about homebrewing is what I like to call, The Inverse Cycle Sampling Principle of Homebrew.

You have a cupboard full of beer. You try a recently carbed up beer and don't like it. It goes to the back and you continue drinking the nicer stuff.

All your nicer stuff is now gone because your mates came over and cleaned you out. That stuff you put to the back now comes out and goes into the fridge...

...and now it tastes awesome. You begin to wonder why you didn't drink it earlier.

And so the cycle continues. :icon_drunk:

 

[BjornJ]

Adam, it took a month to really carb up. Guess I lost a yeast from 3 weeks in cold conditioning.


thanks
Bjorn

 

[berapnopod]

Adam, it took a month to really carb up. Guess I lost a yeast from 3 weeks in cold conditioning.


thanks
Bjorn

Next time, you should ferment, carbonate and THEN cold condition.
Berp.

 

[wynnum1]

The Inverse Cycle Sampling Principle of Homebrew. mentioned also add the last bottle always tastes the best