Leon103's brew days

[Leon103]

I will jump on the band wagon and do one big thread for all my brews.

Today's brew was a bohemian Pilsner using the recipe from Greg Hughes' book page 94. I don't normally drink lagers but this will make a nice summer brew that I can pull out at bbq's. I decided to do have a brew (11.5l) and is my first go at a proper lager.

I won't post the recipe on here because it's in the book, I just handed everything but then decided to add an extra 500g of the malt because it was going spare and I realised last night that the marking on my boiler were out so I wanted to add a bit more water.

For those that don't know I do BIAB method with the HBC kit. Mash got up and beyond the 72c I was looking for rather quickly. This is because when I went to put my sterilised bag in some boiling water I noticed the thread tie was stuck in the bag. Took me a good 15 minutes to thread it bag through. Mash went well, lost less than a degree. I mashed with near enough the right volume for the brew, I added about 3l during the Sparge. The recipe called for a decoction mash so I removed some of the mash at 30 mins and boiled it down on the stove, adding ready for the sparge.

For the sparge I opened the boiler tap and run the wort back over the grains. This step I followed from another member, I guess a sort of fly sparge. Did this until the wort was clear and put the boil on. It took ages to get to a boil. Not sure if the freezing cold weather and hail shower had anything to do with it.

Wort chilled pretty quickly and yeast was thrown in at around 15c. Now sat in the brew fridge at 10c. I will let it ferment for at least three weeks before I keg/bottle and then lager.

All in all took me 5 hours from start to finish cleaning, not bad seeing as I over heated the mash and waited for it to cool, 75 min boil which took ages to get started and a longer cleaning process as my element has scorched.
Pictures to follow.

 

[Covrich]

I reckon it will be good, not normally a lager drinker anymore myself but have made a pseudo lager okay so a cheat version at 17 with us05 Now I did base it on roughly the GH template but changed the hops for the slovenian ones but it is really really nice.

A nice lovely delicate AG lager seems a far cry from the mass produced fizzy **** which as soon as it starts to warm up starts tasting bad.

Look forward to seeing what you think.

 

[Leon103]

I reckon it will be good, not normally a lager drinker anymore myself but have made a pseudo lager okay so a cheat version at 17 with us05 Now I did base it on roughly the GH template but changed the hops for the slovenian ones but it is really really nice.

A nice lovely delicate AG lager seems a far cry from the mass produced fizzy **** which as soon as it starts to warm up starts tasting bad.

Look forward to seeing what you think.

Thanks will keep you posted

 

[Leon103]

Apologises. I have just uploaded the photos and they are terrible but here goes. Must have been ****** taking them.

 

[Leon103]

Never used true lager yeast and currently using bohemian Pilsner yeast by mungrove jacks. Not sure if this is normal. Seems like clumps just under the top. Picture was poor but I didn't want to open it too much. Looks like little cloud like clumps.

 

[MyQul]

Are you cold fermenting (at 12C) or fermenting at ale temps?

 

[Leon103]

Are you cold fermenting (at 12C) or fermenting at ale temps?

Cold fermenting, currently at 10.3c

 

[Leon103]

Been fermenting a week so I checked on it and its going really well. Lovely thick head on it and it smells amazing.

 

[MyQul]

Been fermenting a week so I checked on it and its going really well. Lovely thick head on it and it smells amazing.

As in big krausen? That's weird as lager yeast's are usually bottom fermenting

 

[Leon103]

As in big krausen? That's weird as lager yeast's are usually bottom fermenting

That is what I thought but there is a lovely big krausen. Using MJ's Bohemian Pilsner yeast

 

[MyQul]

That is what I thought but there is a lovely big krausen. Using MJ's Bohemian Pilsner yeast

Very odd. I did look at the MJ site and it does say that strain is bottom fermenting. I've never used a lager strain before, perhaps they throw up krausen too? Bit counter intuitive though

 

[Leon103]

Very odd. I did look at the MJ site and it does say that strain is bottom fermenting. I've never used a lager strain before, perhaps they throw up krausen too? Bit counter intuitive though

I never expected to see anything either. When fermenting started those little clouds in the wort appeared and no a very healthy looking krausen.

 

[MyQul]

Have you noticed any sulphur smells from the MJ bohemian pilsner yeast? I'm undecided as to wether to use the Bohemian yeast fermented at ale temps or the MJ CaliLager yeast for my next pseudo lager. I'm leaning towards the bohemian at the mo because forumite Albion has reported very high attenuation with the CaliLager strain. Also I'd be interested in what attenuation you got with the bohemian yeast

 

[Leon103]

Have you noticed any sulphur smells from the MJ bohemian pilsner yeast? I'm undecided as to wether to use the Bohemian yeast fermented at ale temps or the MJ CaliLager yeast for my next pseudo lager. I'm leaning towards the bohemian at the mo because forumite Albion has reported very high attenuation with the CaliLager strain. Also I'd be interested in what attenuation you got with the bohemian yeast

No I haven't been I will pop in the garage later and have a smell.

 

[MyQul]

No I haven't been I will pop in the garage later and have a smell.

Thanks. Believe me you'd know. I once bottle cultured the brakspear strain up, which seems to kick out a significant amount of sulphur. The flat smelt like dog farts for two days :sick:. Mrs MQ was not pleased

 

[Leon103]

Thanks. Believe me you'd know. I once bottle cultured the brakspear strain up, which seems to kick out a significant amount of sulphur. The flat smelt like dog farts for two days :sick:. Mrs MQ was not pleased

Its in a brew fridge in the garage and I don't go out there often.

 

[Leon103]

Just checked, no smell.

 

[GHW]

Thanks. Believe me you'd know. I once bottle cultured the brakspear strain up, which seems to kick out a significant amount of sulphur. The flat smelt like dog farts for two days :sick:. Mrs MQ was not pleased

Ahh, the old 'blaming it on the beer' trick, eh myqul?

 

[MyQul]

Ahh, the old 'blaming it on the beer' trick, eh myqul?

I know I'm a prodigous farter but filling the flat full of rank and noxious gas for 2 days slolid is beyond even my abilities :lol:

 

[GHW]

I know I'm a prodigous farter

I imagine there's a few of those on this forum.