Help Needed With Flavour

[jetman]

Hey gang, I've just taken a sample of my first AG After 9 days fermentation

SG:1.009

OG:1.044

Approx 4.6%

The alc content is fine with me as is but i've tasted the sample and found that far above all else is the very strong grain flavour (thats the only way I can think to describe it)

If I leave it for a while longer will that give the the hops a chance to impart more flavour?

I plan on filtering to 0.35microns and kegging so will the filtration process remove some of the grain flavour (as it removes the particles)

If it helps i'll post my recipe, its hard to say but I don't think this ones gonna be real nice as it is ATM

As always guys your help is greatly appreciated

 

[A3k]

Hi Jetman,
You should post your recipe. Did you chill or no chill?
As for the hop character, I notice that it comes out more once carbonated.
I don't think filtering will remove this grain flavour, but i can't say i have had this in my beer. All you can do is try. I filter and like the results.

 

[A3k]

One thing i forgot to mention is: i'm sure your beer will be fine. Every AG that i've done that i think i've made the worst stuff up ever has turned out great, just different to what i was expecting.

 

[jetman]

Hi Jetman,
You should post your recipe. Did you chill or no chill?
As for the hop character, I notice that it comes out more once carbonated.
I don't think filtering will remove this grain flavour, but i can't say i have had this in my beer. All you can do is try. I filter and like the results.

Thanks for any help mate here's a basic rundown. With an AG if the fermentations finished will the flavours change much if i leave it?

In the past i have filtered and kegged extracts whenever ive reached the gravity im after and I have no idea how long i should leave an AG especially as it won't technically be conditioned due to the filtration and kegging?
Started with 16L Ended up with 13.2L (restricted by 19L pot)

3kg Pilsener
0.3kg Vienna
0.2kgCarahel

Mash in @ 68C for 1Hr 10min sparged 1.7L

Boil 1Hr

12g POR (60min)
12g FUG (5min)

Crash chilled in ice

Pitched dry Saflager 34/70 @ 30C

let that cream a little in fermenter for 30min, gave it a vigorous stir then straight into a constant 12C fridgermenter

SG:1.044
Estimated FG:1.014

Thanks again for your help

 

[jetman]

One thing i forgot to mention is: i'm sure your beer will be fine. Every AG that i've done that i think i've made the worst stuff up ever has turned out great, just different to what i was expecting.

Cheers mate, do they usually taste so vastly different from an extract (when tasting samples)?

 

[rclemmett]

very strong grain flavour (thats the only way I can think to describe it)

Is it an astringent flavour... A bit mouth puckering?

 

[jetman]

Is it an astringent flavour... A bit mouth puckering?

No it still tastes ok i guess, not astringent more that the hop/grain flavours are really inbalanced if that makes sense?

Even the smell is just like that of a bag of pilsener grain................

 

[rclemmett]

I'd lager it for at least a few weeks and it should come up trumps.

 

[jetman]

I'd lager it for at least a few weeks and it should come up trumps.

Lager it?

 

[rclemmett]

Lager it?

Crash chill, filter then lager.

To lager is to store it cold for an extended period... Put it in a secondary and keep in the fridge as cold as possible for a while.

 

[A3k]

I agree with lagering it for a few weeks.

As for the comparison of AG to Extract, AG requires less time to mature in my oppinion. Some styles (not a lager) are ready as soon as they've fermented.

Another thing to note is that pilsner malt is a bit more grainy than ale malts. So maybe you're just getting more flavour from the malt than you're use to, and you're using vienna. I'm sure it'll be nice .

As for AG tasting different to extract in the samples, i can't remember, it's been a fair while since i've done an extract, however my worst AG was much better than my best extract (ignoring an infected AG i had once in a nochill cube).

 

[jetman]

Crash chill, filter then lager.

To lager is to store it cold for an extended period... Put it in a secondary and keep in the fridge as cold as possible for a while.

Thanks mate, so if i were to chill, filter, keg, leave for a while then carbonate and drink said keg that would be lagering right?

If so, how long do you lager for?

 

[A3k]

Lager it?

Yeah, lager yeasts produce sulfur and other flavours. The beer needs to be stored cold (the colder the better without freezing) to remove these flavours and get a clean beer. Storing it in your keg in the fridge for a couple of weeks should be okay.

 

[A3k]

read up on this sitehttp://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10.html
or even better buy the book. it's a great buy.

lagers are a bit more involved than a standard ale, but nothing rediculous.

 

[Screwtop]

Is it an astringent flavour... A bit mouth puckering?

Not likely if this is correct:

sparged 1.7L

No wonder it's malty/grainy

Screwy

 

[jetman]

Not likely if this is correct:




No wonder it's malty/grainy

Screwy

Sorry mate, are you saying 1.7L is too much sparge? no offence taken i was really experimenting and playing it all by ear.

 

[jetman]

Yeah, lager yeasts produce sulfur and other flavours. The beer needs to be stored cold (the colder the better without freezing) to remove these flavours and get a clean beer. Storing it in your keg in the fridge for a couple of weeks should be okay.

Thanks again mate, do you filter before lagering? I thought that such a fine filter would pretty much halt any characteristics from changing?

 

[A3k]

nah it's bugger all.
if you over sparge (and/or you pH is way off) you can extract tannins which is what Rob2 was thinking.

but with a only 1.7lt sparge it's not likely to be a big issue. This is what Screwy was getting at.

 

[jetman]

So i've decided to rack unfiltered to a keg, store at ???? degrees and then filter, carbonate, drink great beer.

Thanks for that link mate it makes a little more sense now, any suggestions on actual lager temp? 1-2C?

 

[A3k]

Most of the lagers i've done i've lagered first, but i think lots of other people do it the other way around for faster results. Some yeast still gets through the filter, it's probably enough to clean up the beer.