Lager advice

[NuggetSA]

Another newbie question, sorry :blink:

I've had a Coopers lager toucan down for four days but only just managed to plug it into IanH's brilliant spreadsheet (had to dig up the old laptop, stupid bloody ipad is useless...)

My recipe was 2 x coopers lager, 200g Coopers BE2, 2 x kit yeasts. the spreadsheet is showing a final IBU of 10 which is more than I'd like. Is there anything I can do at this stage to dial it back? This is meant to be a swill beer for a party but if its that hoppy no one is going to want to drink it...

Ideas please? It is still working the airlock reasonably hard so still some time left I hope.

 

[wbosher]

Mate, IBU of 10 is nothing, that's not hoppy at all.

 

[NuggetSA]

I must be misunderstanding the graph... its got the recipe miles off into hoppy land.

Sorry, still got heaps to learn.

 

[wbosher]

No need to apologise, you don't ask questions you dont learn.

I think 20 would probably be considered a low IBU by most standards, some of mine have been as high as 60 for an IPA. I've seen some other recipes which double that again!

 

[kierent]

Lagers can be anything from 5-17 IBU according to one website, so 10 is fine. I've never had a beer that low! But I like hoppy beers. I don't think you need to worry about 10

 

[NuggetSA]

I was thinking that 10 didn't sound that high but got thrown off by the graph. I think I've got some learning to do on using the spreadsheet - just dialled in a recipe off of here for a Corona style that put the end alcohol at 14.5%... might make a decent floor cleaner.

 

[NuggetSA]

I love hoppy beers but this one isn't for me its for the masses

 

[carniebrew]

According to the AABC style guide, which Ian's spreadsheet/graph is based on, an "Australian Lager" would range between 10-20 IBU. An "Australian Premium Lager" 15-25 IBU.

So 10 is certainly nothing to worry about. BUT...if you really used 2 cans of Coopers Lager, you'll have more like 40 IBU in 23 litres (each can gives a little over 20 IBU in 23 litres). Are you sure you're not reading the "EBC" field?

So you are way over the mark for IBU's in an Aussie lager from a style perspective. Which is not to say it won't taste any good...but it won't taste like an aussie lager!

EDIT: I don't think there's any way to do a toucan that wouldn't end up with a lot more IBU than required for the aussie lager style. Instead you should use a can of Aussie lager and a can of light LME...that would leave you with 21 IBU and nearly 5% with the little bit of BE2 you chucked in. Maybe the Black Rock export pilsner could be a toucan lager, it'd end up with around 28 IBU.

 

[NuggetSA]

Ahh now I've got it, I was reading what the IBU 'should' be for that style of beer... the graph is showing 39 IBU which is actual. Bugger, that is a bit high. Anything I can do about it?

Only did a toucan out of some misplaced enthusiasm without really understanding how it works... and I wanted to get rid of the cans. Doh!

 

[carniebrew]

No, there's not really much you can do about it now. You could dilute the beer with more water before bottling, but it'd have to be a LOT more to drop that IBU back into the style range, and of course your abv (and the beer overall) would suffer badly.

When's the party? Keep this brew for yourself, and do another one for the masses. Or just go buy 'em a slab of Tooheys Extra Dry?

 

[NuggetSA]

Blurgh TEDs... between it and Hahn SuperDry I wonder why more people don't drink wine... And diluting beer just makes me feel dirty in so many ways...

Next month, fortunately I've got two Pale's and a cider already going which all look promising so might just have to share damnit.

 

[carniebrew]

Let us know how the toucan lager actually turns out? I don't think the kit yeast will do it much justice but will be interesting to hear how the hops come through.

 

[NuggetSA]

Will do, thanks for your help everyone

 

[Bribie G]

In my kits days I made a few "toucans" on just two straight tins of Coopers Lager, and they didn't turn out too bitter - any bitterness was balanced out by the extra body and hint of sweetness.

 

[Nick JD]

A good German Pilsner is north of 35 IBUs; Bohemians are a tad more again.

In other words ... you're bang on the bitterness for an actual good lager.

 

[wbosher]

That's the problem Nick, he doesn't want good lager, he want's megaswill for the masses. To hell with them I say, make them drink it, they might just bloody like it.

 

[NuggetSA]

I actually just sampled it (gotta love working from home) as I couldn't help but see how it was going. It was actually a bit too sweet for my liking and a bit bland. I'm thinking of chucking in some cluster I've got sitting in the freezer just for fun

 

[wbosher]

Remember, it's still fermenting. So it will be a little sweet as the yeasties haven't eaten all the sugar yet. I'd leave it alone mate.

 

[NuggetSA]

Good point... should have thought of that.

 

[Nick JD]

One of the golden rules in brewing. Get ya hand off it!