Orange And Coriander Lager

[GrumpyPaul]

I liked the sound of a lime and coriander recipe I found - after some discussion with the guy in my local home brew shop we came up with a slight variation to this recipe

LHBS guys reckons Lime would be too strong and arange would make it a bit more belgian like

Ingredients

I can Tooheys Classic Dry Lager
500g Dried Light Malt
1.1 ltr Can Coopers Liquid Wheat Malt
25g Coriander seeds
zest annd Juice of 2 oranges
Safbrew T58 yeast
1 kg Coopers Dextrose

Instructions

1. In 3 litres of water boil the Light and Whate Malt for 1 hour
2. Crack (but not grind) the Coriander seeds/
3. Zest and juice the oranges
4. 10 Mins before the hour is up add Corainder and Orange juice and zest.
5. Add Can of lager to fermenter and pur in the boiled malts
6. Add water to make up 23 litres.
7. Dissolve in Dextrose
8. Sprinkle over yeast.

I just bottled it after 3 weeks and it smelled awesome - cant wait to taste it.

I am still very new to all this and dont really understand what I am doing.

The OG was 1090.
final gravity at bottling was 1018. (stayed steady at that for about 4 days - suggesting to me it was done)

Can anyone enlightent me is the OG very high? and what does that mean...

How do I work out what the acohol content will be?

 

[Maple]

The OG was 1090.
final gravity at bottling was 1018. (stayed steady at that for about 4 days - suggesting to me it was done)

Can anyone enlightent me is the OG very high? and what does that mean...

How do I work out what the acohol content will be?

holy heck. to figure out OG/FG Alc content and other great stuff, click on the Brew calcs section just under the site sponsers above. input your stuff and your away.

edit: actually not as easy as I remember. you can fudge around under the yeast tab and come close but is likely between 9.5 and 10%.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

I looked at the calculators - I think I still have a lot to learn - I didnt understand most of the input fields.....

Maple - i reckon you were right about it being between 9.5 and 10%....if not even higher.

I tried one of these beers last night (after only 2 weeks in the bottle - but i could wait) My son and I shared a 500ml grolsch bottle - so I only had about 250ml myself and it had a kick, I found it went straight to my head even on that small taste.

I am very happy with the taste - It was beautiful. I hadnt been aiming for something that strong - but what the heck.
It was pretty cloudy - in hindsight and after reading this site, I might try racking it to try clalrify it a bit next time.

If there is anyone that lives near Boronia Victoria that would like a taste let me know...I would love to get an "expert" opinon from someone that knows what they are doing.

At this stage I am working on the theory - if it tastes good .....I did OK.

Each batch I learn and try something new next time. I've got a lot to learn and that means - I have a lot of beer to make....

 

[manticle]

I reckon you got a high reading because of malt in the tap. Happens quite regularly.

1 kit plus 1 kg dex will give around 1040 give or take. An extra 1.5 kg malt extract (at a rough guess - haven't plugged it in) might drive it up to around 1060. Did you take a small amount out first to flush the tap before you took the sample?

1018 isn't ridiculous considering the extra malt although I would have expected it to drop a couple more points - maybe 1016 - 1014. If it tastes good though, that's the main thing.

Just plugged it in to the recipe spreadsheet I use. Comes in at 1059 and around 5.3 % with that finishing gravity. It probably gave you a kick because you always get a kick out of drinking something good that you made.

Bottoms up, make another.

 

[jivesucka]

how does one crack, and not grind a coriander seed?

 

[Nick JD]

how does one crack, and not grind a coriander seed?

Lazerbeam eyes.

 

[manticle]

how does one crack, and not grind a coriander seed?

One method available to one is that one uses one's mortar and pestle.

 

[Sydneybrewer]

yes yes but how do you crack them in a coffee grinder?

 

[manticle]

Bash them with it?

 

[Stove]

I just wrapped them in a tough plastic bag and put them on a benchtop. Then crushed them under the base of a good beer glass
Rolling pin would do the trick also I'd reckon. You're just cracking the outer husk, not powdering them

 

[GrumpyPaul]

bahahah...laserbeam eyes and smashing with a coffee grinder.

here i was trying to impress you with my first serious posting.....and you get more enjoyment out of the one little line about how to crack and not grind coriander seeds.

The original recipe I was playing with said.

"Crack the Coriander seeds lightly using a Motar and Pestle. Don't grind them as you would for cooking, you just want to increase the surface area."

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Well I am and truly into drinking these now...so far everyone I have shared it with raves about the taste.

Really smooth, fair bit of body and areally nice aftertaste. The wife who is a big beer fan even loves it.

The orange comes through but the coriander isnt too obvious.

Definitely not for a big session - kind of heavy, but mores so because of the potency. 3 in a night was (500ml grolsch bottles) my limit. (started to get very silly, but that could be just me)

Next time I will try racking to clarify it...it is pretty cloudy, with a decent amount sediment.

The offer is still open for anyone in the Boronia (Vic) area to try one and give me their opinion - send me a PM.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

One more question about this recipe.

I have been reading a bit where there seems to be a view that wheat beers should be drunk young.

Would this apply to my recipe?

How long will it last inthe bottle?