'The Stink' Lager - 2.1 Australian Lager

[TheWiggman]

Sure, we all hate on the Aussie lagers because that's the job of a craft brewer right? Even so, the elusive challenge of perfecting the quintessential Australian beer remains for some. And for others, few things knock back a life-threatening thirst like an ice-cold crisp tasteless lager, and in my opinion few do it better than the Australian variant. This rendition is more aligned with Boag's Draught than any other.

---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 11.6 EBC
IBU: 22.9 IBUs Tinseth
OG: 1.041 SG
FG: 1.004 SG
BU:GU: 0.561 Calories: 305.0 kcal/l Est ABV: 4.8 %
EE%: 82.00 % Batch: 19.00 l Boil: 25.80 l BT: 75 Mins

---WATER CHEMISTRY ADDITIONS----------------

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.40 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 1 -

Total Grain Weight: 2.820 kg Total Hops: 22.00 g oz.
---MASH/STEEP PROCESS------MASH PH:5.40 ------

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.100 kg Pilsner, export - Joe White (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 74.5 %
0.110 kg Crystal - Joe White (147.0 EBC) Grain 3 3.9 %
0.010 kg Roasted Barley - JW (1150.0 EBC) Grain 4 0.4 %

Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Heat to 66.0 C over 15 min 66.0 C 60 min

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.032 SG Est OG: 1.041 SG
16.00 g Pride of Ringwood [8.70 %] - Boil 60.0 m Hop 6 20.1 IBUs
6.00 g Pride of Ringwood [8.70 %] - Boil 10.0 m Hop 7 2.7 IBUs

---FERM PROCESS-----------------------------
Primary Start: 17/05/2016 - 10.00 Days at 12°C

Amt Name Type # %/IBU 0.600 kg Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 EBC) Sugar 5 21.3 %

Add sugar around 1.015. Allow to rise to 17°C after 5 days for diacetyl cleanup if desired.



Others points of note -

• If no-chilling, late additions are at whirlpool
• Post boil should be 1.033
• RO water used (with a few drops of lactic acid in the sparge water if sparging). If you have a lot of minerals in your water you'll taste it in the glass.
• Oxygenate wort prior to pitching
• Use a big, healthy pitch of yeast. 19l is the brew volume for a 3 litre starter of fresh 2042 with a pinch of yeast nutrient in the starter, as well as pure O2
• The late addition of PoR is critical to giving it a bit of character on the nose and blends well with the hint of roast in the background
• Adding the dextrose during fermentation is favourable to adding it to the boil taste-wise
• Polyclar/gelatin/filter etc, if any beer needs clarity this is it.
• A long conditioning period isn't required if you get the basics right. Lager at 0°C until ready which should be approx. 2 weeks. Rack prior to lagering.

Remember, these beers are more about what you can't taste and so good technique and brewing practice are critical to impressing your mates. Serve chilled, filter or fine the guts out of it and drink with company. Or after a 40°C day after mowing your patch of dust, while fending off the wife and flies while trying not to burn some snags.

 

[TheWiggman]

I recently brewed up a variant of the above recipe. I changed a few things -

1. Pilsner Urquell 2001 yeast
2. Late cluster, 35g instead of 6g of PoR to make it more like XXXX Bitter
3. Accidentally used Simpsons medium crystal due to poor bag marking

Lagered for 6 weeks. The cluster is a welcome change however -

• Yeast only attenuated to 1.008, typical of 2001 (Pilsner Urquell has an FG of 1.016). I can't say that a few extra points fills it with body, but the yeast has a certain sweet edge to it and mild Euro nose. It doesn't suit the style well, I wouldn't use it for an Aussie pale again
• Medium crystal adds a surprising amount to the beer that again clashes with the light body and 'quaffability'. While striking to look at (especially gelatin fined), it's too dark.

Still a drinkable beer that's better consumed cold, but don't stray too far from the path when making an Aussie lager.

 

[manticle]

Me no hate.

 

[sp0rk]

I think I may need to give this a rip over summer
The wife's coworkers are fairly boganish/country girls and love their Aussie lagers, they've been asking me to make something similar since they've discovered I'll give them free beer (and I only have stout on tap at the moment)

 

[Meddo]

G'day Wiggman, looking at the specs of the Joe White crystal and the Simpsons medium crystal (neither of which I've used) the colour specs look to be pretty similar: 147 EBC for JW and 130-160 EBC for the Simpsons. Is the EBC not a particularly good indication of actual colour contribution for these two crystals if the Simpsons is making the beer that much darker?

My stash is mostly Wey malts at the moment so wondering what I should be looking for in an equivalent - Caramunich III at 140-160 EBC seems to be the closest.

Cheers,

 

[Midnight Brew]

Brewed a recipe very similar to this a few years back. Grist was all malt so no Dex and the gravities were very similar as well as the IBU. I used cluster, POR and coopers yeast. Came out remarkably similar but nicer then Carlton draught. I really enjoyed it and took it along to a case swap, it didn't really get touched due to the abundance of hoppy Apa's and IPA's on offer that day.

 

[TheWiggman]

G'day Wiggman, looking at the specs of the Joe White crystal and the Simpsons medium crystal (neither of which I've used) the colour specs look to be pretty similar: 147 EBC for JW and 130-160 EBC for the Simpsons. Is the EBC not a particularly good indication of actual colour contribution for these two crystals if the Simpsons is making the beer that much darker?

My stash is mostly Wey malts at the moment so wondering what I should be looking for in an equivalent - Caramunich III at 140-160 EBC seems to be the closest.

Cheers,

Interesting you mention that because I bought my grains from Cheeky Peak and they have JW Cara Malt, not crystal. Cara is 55°EBC but I've clearly put 147 in the recipe above. This explains why the medium crystal came out a bit darker. Looks like I'll have to update the recipe.
FYI I submitted my recipe to the NSW comp and got an HC, 3rd highest score in the pale lagers. Negative remarks were that it was a little too dark and too malty. While not a guideline stickler, having too much specialty malt doesn't suit. The medium crystal isn't a lot darker than JW cara, but too dark for a pale lager.
Caramunich III may work but to be honest I'd sooner forgo specialty malts than add. If you go with it I'd halve it, or alternatively leave it out and adjust the roast barley to 6 SRM.