What To Do With My Larger/pilsner/whatever

[Aces High]

My current larger was just doomed not to follow plan and its gone wayward at every turn. So now I need some advice on what should happen. This is the first true larger ive attempted, mainly because there is never enough full kegs to wait a month for a fermenting beer.

So, I made the larger very basic, almost completely pilsner grain. I'd grabbed a wyeast czech pilsner smack pack and was about to pour it into the starter when i realised that it was actually a 2308 Munich larger pack...damn you wyeast for making every packet look the same (shakes fist in the direction of wyeast)... Ok, its not what I was going for, but it could be worse, it might bring out a bit of malt flavor, so I chuck it in anyway.

I chuck the starter in the main batch, set the fridge to 12 and off she goes...well actually nothing happens for a couple of days, then finally a krausen. This goes on for a week, then I go for a holiday to bali, come back yesterday and find that the frige wasn't completely closed. Its just a touch open, so the things been at the mercy of the Perth weather for 8 days. It was showing 16 degrees on the day I got home and realised. Who knows what temps it has been in the mean time.

I took a reading and its down to 1012, but tastes quite clean, Im not sure its exactly crisp, but it tastes pretty good and doesnt seem to have any off flavors.

So my question is, would it benefit from a couple more weeks at 12 degrees or are its largering days over and it might as well just keg it from here?

 

[argon]

Tldr... But first thing I'd do is a spellcheck

 

[bum]

^enjoyed it

So my question is, would it benefit from a couple more weeks at 12 degrees or are its largering days over and it might as well just keg it from here?

It doesn't seem that you believe it has done any lagering at all. I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you asking "is there any point trying to salvage this?" - if so, yeah, you say it tastes good so it is probably worth a bit of extra effort.

 

[Aces High]

^enjoyed it


It doesn't seem that you believe it has done any lagering at all. I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you asking "is there any point trying to salvage this?" - if so, yeah, you say it tastes good so it is probably worth a bit of extra effort.

I've never done a larger before, so I guess Im just wondering if it will get more of a crisp larger flavor if i leave it any longer. Or if largering for the full month as intended will improve it any or should I just keg it now.

 

[Parks]

Please stop saying larger - my batches are big enough.

If it tastes fine don't stress. You probably won't have your best beer but you'll learn from your mistakes. No-one can really help you when you don't know what your beer has been through.

 

[Aces High]

Please stop saying larger - my batches are big enough.

If it tastes fine don't stress. You probably won't have your best beer but you'll learn from your mistakes. No-one can really help you when you don't know what your beer has been through.

Sorry, had a shocker there... i must be tired... lager lager lager

 

[kelbygreen]

it will be fine you said it fermented for a week before the temps got higher?? You want it to be cool when the yeast are multiplying. What you have done not intentional is a dialect rest and it will not harm it. Should you lager for a month?? Yes if you have the space and have the beer to drink in the meantime do it. You could do it in the keg if you have a spare one

 

[sim]

So my question is, would it benefit from a couple more weeks at 12 degrees or are its largering days over and it might as well just keg it from here?

The time for 12c is while its fermenting. If its finished fermenting, and you said its gravity is 1.012 so its basically there give or take, then you dont need 12c anymore.

Most people let lagers warm up a tad once theyre finished fermentation, so 16c is fine although i'd imagine it just happened too soon in this instance is all. If your happy its finished then its ready for lagering at 2-6c for as long as you can (i would keg at this point), you didnt say how long you were Bali so you decide.

I wouldnt worry too much mate. Follow it through and see how it goes, and if its not quite right then just chalk it up to experience.

 

[Aces High]

it will be fine you said it fermented for a week before the temps got higher?? You want it to be cool when the yeast are multiplying. What you have done not intentional is a dialect rest and it will not harm it. Should you lager for a month?? Yes if you have the space and have the beer to drink in the meantime do it. You could do it in the keg if you have a spare one

Thanks Kelby, i've just been doing a bit more research on lagering and I think I will do it in the keg (I hadn't really thought about doing it this way), maybe chill it down to 2 degrees for another week to clear it up a bit then transfer to purged kegs and chuck it in the keggerator for a month.

 

[kelbygreen]

I would. You know one of the best beers I ever done was a kit beer with just malt and dex??? it was a euro lager and I used the kit yeast as its a true lager. I fermented for 4 weeks and CC for 5 weeks at 1-2c I bottled it and left for 4 weeks. It wasnt in your face hops like I usually brew so I can keep the turn over going. It was crisp and clean and clear and so bloody nice. I took the time with that beer and it showed very well. I have done AG lagers and rush them threw and they stand up but rarely beat that beer.

TBH if you can spend the time with your beers dont rush them they will make there own. I should add all was done in primary no finnings and it was crystal clear when bottling.

I have a lager in the fridge ATM it will get my love and care. I plan to brew again this week. I have a coopers sparking clone fermenting (using ringwood yeast as already drinking the first cube done with the coopers yeast) I got a APA fermenting with the coopers yeast I had the first CSA, I have a pils fermenting and I got the other half of the APA in a cube to ferment on the ringwood yeast when its done. So if I brew again that lager should not have to be touched I should have enough beer