AG#57 Munich Helles
I made a Helles recently just back in July. However, something obviously went pear shaped - although the right flavours were there, I had trouble getting it to clear and there was also a nasty yeasty aftertaste. Best guess, I pitched too little yeast too cold and the yeast got stressed (this was one of the last brews I did before I got my brew fridge set up).
So, not to be deterred, and seeing as this is a really tasty beer when you do it right I figured I'd have another go.
I've taken a break from my recent overnight mashes - I like the big jump in efficiency I get, but I don't like the yo-yo-ing mash temps and the knock on affect I think it has on achieving a predictable attenuation and/or FG.
Instead I've gone completely the other way and done a 30 minute mash instead - couple of reasons for this: First I'm impatient! But I've done a few 30min mashes before without issue; Second,
I read an article recently (scroll down the article to "The Building Blocks") suggesting that short mashes might add more body so was curious to give this a go.
One other change is I'm using W-34/70 instead of CML "Hell" - they may well be the same strain (I'm not totally convinced) but I had a pack of W-34/70 to use up, it's a much more known quantity and it worked well in the German Pilsner I made at the start of this year.
15L tap water, 5ml lactic acid 80%, 2g CaCl, half a Campden tablet.
2.0kg Lager Malt
250g Carapils
250g Vienna Malt
50g Victory Malt
2.55kg Total
30min full-volume no-sparge mash @ 68degC
Boil 30mins:
30g Hersbrucker 3.2% 30mins
20g Hersbrucker 3.2% 15mins
1/4tsp Irish Moss powder 15mins (oops - should have added this a bit later!)
One thing that has really confused and surprised me is I measured the mash pH as 6.09 @ 25degC. Now my pH is normally a bit higher than ideal (maybe 5.6-5.8) due to my mega-hard water - I performed a hardness test just to check and it hasn't changed from normal (I know I could use Tesco Ashbeck but I prefer to avoid the plastic waste).
I've used exactly the same grist many times in a range of beers, along with the combination of 5ml lactic acid and CaCl in more malty beers (you don't want to overdo it with lactic acid as it can have a flavour impact over about 0.3ml/L). So even allowing for all this, it's an odd result.
9L crystal clear wort into the FV + 4L more crud in bottles to settle out and top up the FV, expect to end up with 10-11L in total.
OG was a touch over at 1.047 so I liquored back with 400ml water to 1.045 - each to their own but I'd rather have the extra bottle of beer.
It's in the fridge now just cooling down to 15degC then I'll pitch a pack of W-34/70.
3.65 SRM - very pale!
16 IBUs Rager
OG 1.045, should end up around 4.8% ABV.