Czech Pilsner kind off BIAB AG

[BeerCat]

This will be my 50th AG give or take a few I've forgotten to record since May. No wonder have put on a few pounds. Anyway i thought its time to brew a lager now the temps have dropped and hopefully will be able to ferment in my garage as i don't have any proper temp controls sorted yet. Next on my to do list. The recipe from the Greg Hughes book was all Saaz but i don't have enough so gonna substitute some summer hops instead at the start. Also i have some maize to use. Nearly forgot he uses pilsner malt and i only have lager malt.


Recipe;
75minute boil
4.5kg lager malt
500g flaked maize

40g summer hops @ 75
10g saaz @75
19g saaz @15
19g saaz @0
protofloc @15
yeast is Saflager S-23 bottom fermenting

I don't really drink lager anymore apart from the (Adnams hopped if i get a chance) but i like experimenting and the Mrs prefers it to my hoppy beers. Using RO water so only gonna add .5g per 10l of gypsum. Gonna finish my beer and crack on.
Still making plenty of mistakes with my brewing but hey ho its all good fun and the few beers i have ditched haven't cost much to brew. Cheaper than a pub habit. :)

 

[BeerCat]

Something strange with my calculations. I was aiming for 1050 and tonight when its cooled it reads 1070. Got 18l but lost 6 to trub and gave up when the syphon blocked 3 times. I figure i can have some 8% beer or dilute it to around 5.5%. I also didn't buy enough yeast to ferment in my garage so its gonna be done in the kitchen. Still fairly cold though. All in all not an entire success so far but wort tasted good, time will tell.

 

[clibit]

How much did you intend to make?

 

[BeerCat]

Was going for 20l. After top up and a 1litre starter i now have 17.5 l at 1050.

 

[clibit]

I'm a little confused, but it sounds like you've sorted it out and all ok. :thumb:

 

[BeerCat]

Thanks its confused me a bit as well. Next time i do a lager will make sure to have double the yeast.

 

[BeerCat]

It got really cold in my kitchen so i took a reading Sunday night which is a week i think and was about 1012ish. Added some saaz tea, not much was all i had left and had a taste. Anyway could someone tell me what the FG of lager normally is? Am guessing 1004 or so and how should i condition it? Warm place for 2 weeks to carb then the garage for a month or the other way around? Hope that makes sense. If i sort out the stuff for my kegs could go in there.

 

[BeerCat]

FG of 1005 which makes this 5.5% if I am not wrong. Extremely pale and pretty clear so I added 100g of sugar and kegged. Looking forward to this although I suspect I will regret not using more hops!

 

[BeerCat]

Been in the keg now for about 10 days. Still not clear but it tastes like lager. Kinda shocked and even er indoors likes it. Next week i plan do do another with liquid yeast. Once i find the stuff will get a starter on the go as would like to split this. I am getting withdrawal symptoms from not brewing enough but every time i turn round something else breaks.

 

[BeerCat]

I have some WhiteLabs American Lager Yeast WLP840 and need to split it into 2, preferably 3. If someone can point me in the right direction would appreciate it. I know there are threads on here but bit short of time today so thanks in advance. :)

 

[McMullan]

1L aerated starter (1.020-1.030); step up to 3L aerated starter (1.040), in a 5L water bottle? When done, mix well and pour off 3 x 1L splits. Refrigerate. Build up one of the 1L splits as before (first step @ 1.040 this time) for a 5 gallon brew. If they're stored in the fridge for any longer than a month, make the first step @ 1.020.

 

[BeerCat]

How long would i ferment the first lot for and would i pour off the top and add the remainder to a fresh 3l wort? Presume a demijon is ok or do you find a 5l bottle easier? Another very interesting subject. I enjoy making starters but get a bit lost after that.

 

[McMullan]

At least 48 hours at 20ish degrees C (remember the idea is to propagate yeast, not ferment a clean lager). Eyeball it, check for CO2 production by placing an air lock after 48h, take a G reading... No, you don't have to pour off the spent starter wort from the first step. Just add enough DME for 3L @ 1.040, about 300g, to 2L water and add when ready to the first (1L step). Equals 3L @ 1.040ish. Demijohn is fine. Give it a really good shake, unless you have a way of stirring it. Use a sanitised funnel to fill 3 sanitised vessels marked at about 1L volume. Mix the finished 3L starter before pouring and even between pourings :thumb:

Edit: oxygenate/shake the starter worts before, or immediately after, adding the yeast.

 

[BeerCat]

Apologies once again i though i hit post and had not. Some great advice which i am very keen to try. Been in bed with the lurgy but in the next few days will be getting this on the go. Super excited i may invest in some duran bottles rather than using old sauerkraut jars. Mrs is gonna love me when i start filling up the fridge. Many thanks :)

 

[BeerCat]

Lager round2.
5.3kg lager malt
500g flaked maize
Saaz and Sorachi Ace. Will figure amounts when I get inside. Taters in here.

 

[BeerCat]

A few more questions. I forgot to record exactly how much hops i used on that one but its been fermenting away in my fairly cold kitchen for the last week. I was planning on racking it and sticking it in the garage for a month as i dont have a fridge. I would like to dry hop with Sorachi Ace but a month seems too long, when would be the best time to do this. I may also make a hop tea depending on the bitterness when i try a sample. Also when i good for this. I also wanna save some yeast from the bottom but theres lots of trub in there as i do BIAB. Is this a problem or can i separate it. I should of grown the yeast but i forgot.

 

[BeerCat]

This has been sitting in the kitchen for a few months and when i opened it had this white stuff on top. Any ideas what it is?
The airlock may of been pulled of this for an unknown amount of time but i cant be certain. Sample tasted ok so i racked it and put it in the garage. I would of done it sooner but it was forgotten about.

 

[BeerCat]

As expected that batch was binned. So far my experiments with Lager have not produced anything i would enjoy drinking. If i had a fridge i would give it another go though, probably.

 

[MyQul]

As expected that batch was binned. So far my experiments with Lager have not produced anything i would enjoy drinking. If i had a fridge i would give it another go though, probably.

Thats a shame that your last efforts got infected. Dont give up on (pseudo) lagers though. My latest efforts (Vienna pseudo/hybrid lager/ale thing) have turned out fantastic. I'm going to buy a cool bag tommorow and see if it's possible to cold condition/lager with it and some ice bottles

 

[BeerCat]

Best of luck will be interesting to hear how you get on. Yes its annoying ditching beer but then again i really enjoy drinking so not gonna worry too much. If i don't get a fridge this summer will be trying it again this Autumn. . Bit of a problem for me freezing water as the freezer is crammed full (mainly hops) much to the joy of the Mrs. She did enjoy my first bash though which i didn't so not all lost. :)