Pilsner goes very dark?

[windymiller]

Aye aye!

Having only gotten onto this about 6 brews ago, (in less than that many months...), I have started off with Muntons Connoisseurs IPA Bitter and had surprisingly excellent results (fluke!). In response to "consumer demand", batch 5 was to have been a Muntons Connoisseurs Pilsner, and con-incided with first use of a brewbelt, to save leaving the heating on the kitchen all the time when it wasn't windy. That brew appeared to go badly, as my assumption that the brewbelt would automatically keep the right temperature was wrong (yes, have read all about them now!), and the brew ended up a bit warm. That, I put down to being the cause of it darkening quite dramatically before the end of fermentation.

Not to be outdone, I got another kit exactly the same and brewed it exactly the same way (500g Muntons light spraymalt, 500g cane sugar), and set it going, this time without the brewbelt, but keeping the kitchen at 18 degrees or so. This one has gone exactly the same way, and the brew has gone the same same rusty, orangey brown colour. Certainly not the pale yellow lagery colour that was expected!

The first brew has now been conditioning for a few weeks, and although clearer, is still the colour of rusty ditchwater

After an early run of success with the IPA Bitter from Muntons, and even a Coopers lager, I seem to have discovered I cannot make a simple Pilsner kit!

The next kit will be another Muntons IPA Bitter (to get back some stable results and convince myself I can do it!), but I am curious to understand why these Pilsner kits come out so rusty looking! The stuff is palateable, it just doesn't look particularly attractive to serve up to a lager drinker!

Is it the spraymalt that darkens it so much? (Its supposed to be light spraymalt), the cane sugar rather than brewing sugar? Or just my incompetence?

All suggestions to a relative newbie much appreciated!

Cheers

Windy

 

[Aleman]

Use of any spraymalt (even extra light in my case) causes the kit to darken considerably. . . . Don't know why this should be, as it really is not all that dark.

 

[Ceejay]

Use of any spraymalt (even extra light in my case) causes the kit to darken considerably. . . . Don't know why this should be, as it really is not all that dark.

Oxidation maybe? :hmm:

 

[Aleman]

I did think along those lines, but even using 10 campden tablets as an antioxidant didn't stop it going dark. . . . Funny thing is make it up with sugar and the colour is fine . . . I thought I was paranoid and seeing things that wasn't there, so split a batch up into 5 demijohns 3 with sugar and 2 with spraymalt . . . the spraymalt ones darkened and the sugar ones didn't. Something in the spray malt is causing the colour balance to go way out.

 

[windymiller]

Cheers for the replies. Was not sure about the spraymalt, as about the 2nd brew I made was a Coopers lager kit, with Muntons Brewkit Enhancer (half spraymalt, half dextrose). I wasn't aware that that one darkened more than I thought a lager should....

Both these last batches of pilsner have started off "kind of dark" when first mixed up, then during fermentation, became a very blonde colour in the fermenting bin which looked promising (viewed through the plastic!). But both have darkened quite a lot by the time fermentation is completed. I did wonderi about bottling when its still blonde coloured, but the gravity was still way too high.

I'll maybe try another one in the future without spraymalt and see what happens.

Cheers for the thoughts folks!

 

[Aleman]

I've not had it happen to the Muntons Kits I've made (The expensive 2 can kits) . . . which don't require additional fermentables (Duh!!), but have had it happen with Coopers Kits (The European Lager)