Coxy Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Long time lurker, first time poster...started DIY brewing in September last year. This forum's been great for getting hints, tips and advice. So far my track record is: 1. Starter kit lager: turned out great, easy drinking beer even my beer disliking wife liked! 2. Australian Pale Ale, dry hopped with Amarillo: Very tasty. Wife disliked (yay! ;-) 3. Lager kit again, but this time steeped amarillo hops, also dry hopped and added some extra sugar for a bit more of an alcohol hit: very very nice, only a couple of bottles left 4. Canadian Blonde w/Honey (Strawberry Blonde recipe), also threw in the last of my amarillo hops for a dry hop at the finish and extra dextrose too. Lacks head (too much sugar, needed malt I think) but a very distinctive flavour and an easy drinking beer. About 20 bottles of the 30 still to go, 15 still conditioning (8 weeks now). 5. Unreal Ale, made to recipe. I've just bottled that after 2 weeks fermenting. So I'm happy with my results so far, and with the weather here in Brisbane cooling I'm keen to try a Lager/Pilsener brew. I'm fortunate in a way that my brewing area is below ground. I've had a thermometer measuring air temp around the fermenter during the latest ale brew and it ranged between 18.3 and 21.6 degrees, which isn't bad given temperatures outside vary from about 8 to 26 over that period. Hence I think I'm keen to try one of the cooler-fermenting beers. I don't have a brew fridge (yet...convincing the missus slowly...scouring the trading post/gumtree for people nearby basically giving a fridge away! hehe). But am prepared for a setup with a water bath/ice/esky to drop a few degrees off the ambient temperature downstairs. I was thinking the Thomas Coopers Pilsener kit, as per recipe, but maybe throw in some Hallertau hops to dry hop. But given the potential learning curve with temps, whether I should just try a European Lager instead, or does it not really matter and I should just dive in? I've only brewed with ale yeast so far, and since the first 3 brews were all done during spring/summer in Brisbane (albeit a cooler than average one) I think that was safe and why the results have been pretty good. Sorry for rambling :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 BTW, I would love to make a "stella-like" (on top, not the bog awful bottled variety) beer. Should I got to the extra effort of getting a Thomas Coopers Pilsener or Heritage Lager, or just stick to the European Lager and make it to recipe? Is it worth adding extra hops/yeast to the European Lager or is the kit yeast enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Hi Coxy, and welcome. Your Pilsener and Lager brews want to be about 13 degrees so if you can maintain that try either. OR, if not, you can try a "Steam Beer" which is a lager brewed at the higher end of the scale (I'm about to bottle today and it's been brewed at 16.5). Get the Wyeast 2112 for this style. I added extra hops and it smells and tastes delicious, although maybe too bitter right now, hoping that softens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Cheers Adam. Well I bought myself a cheap, non-electrical temperature regulator (ie, a rubber garden bin which fits the fermenter + ice and water. lol). I haven't got a brew in there, but I have the empty fermenter with a thermometer sitting in it measuring the air temperature. Currently 13 degrees. Not bad for $12 at Bunnings... Think I might just give the Euro Lager a crack at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordEoin Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 firstly, good man on getting into hops quickly! That said sticking to amarillo will only get you a tast of amarillo. you want a stella? this is a recipe i've been thinking about: Pilsener kit 1kg LDM 300g Dextrose boil : 45g Saaz (60 min), Irish Moss (@10 min left), 15g Saaz (@5 min left) I've seen this recipe in a few dirrerent place and wantd to try it for myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 firstly, good man on getting into hops quickly! That said sticking to amarillo will only get you a tast of amarillo. Wise! And yes I realise this, however, since amarillo was the first experiment I tried, I felt I should just use up the pellets over consecutive brews. I do intend to branch out ;-) you want a stella? this is a recipe i've been thinking about: Pilsener kit 1kg LDM 300g Dextrose boil : 45g Saaz (60 min), Irish Moss (@10 min left), 15g Saaz (@5 min left) I've seen this recipe in a few dirrerent place and wantd to try it for myself Nice. I've decided to keep it simple being my first lager and just go the European Lager kit with the recommended enhancer. I ummed and ahhed over adding extra malt or not, and still umming and ahhing over whether to add some dry hops later. I still have about 24 hours to decide on the malt, and 4 days or so for the dry hops...just sanitising now ;-) My elaborate cooling machine isn't perfect, but it is keeping the temp around 17 degrees despite ambient temperature of about 22 in the middle of the day. Should be OK, not ideal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 OK just put down my first attempt at a geniune lager: 1 x Coopers Euro lager 500g BE2 500g LDM Kit yeast Mixed to 23L. Yeast pitched @ 22 degrees. OMG how good does the kit can smell? Where I store it (downstairs laundry) gets down to about 15 degrees naturally overnight so I'm thinking I'll let it do that, then the wet towel/ice trick before I leave for work tomorrow just to try and keep it around there (gets up to about 19-20 degrees during the day). OG measured at a crazy low 1.035...but then I checked it with water and it was 0.995, so I'm guessing it's closer to 1.040. Does that sound reasonable for the recipe? Anyway, let's see how we go! *fingers crossed* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien E1 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 1040 sounds about right. Personally I'd dry hop it at day 7 with 25 grams of either Saaz or Tettnang. Let it mature for a while and it will be beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordEoin Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 OMG how good does the kit can smell? Wait for the smell of eggs! [biggrin] If it starts, dont worry. It's just the lager yeast working and it will pass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Haha, I have read about the egg threat, so I'm prepared [sick] I haven't warned the wife though...hehe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Another question. I have read here and at other places that for a lager you need either double the yeast that comes with the kit, or you need to top up yeast later in the ferment. Is that true? Should I get a Saflager-23 or something in preparation? And does this have any undesirable impacts on the flavour compared to the kit yeast? Or should I just relax and let the brew take its course as usual. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 The yeast that comes with the kit is in a 7g packet and, if pitching cool, won't be enough. The coopers instructions say to pitch around 24 degrees and leave it there for 12-24 hours before dropping the temp. The warmer temp helps the yeast multiply quickly. If pitching at cooler temps then go with two packets. I pitched my last last pilsner at 13-14 degrees and brought it down to 12 pretty much straight away. I used 24g of lager yeast for that. How long did you leave it at the higher temp? It might be a good idea to have some S-23 handy just in case. S-23 won't have any undesirable impact on the flavour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Ah. Well I pitched it at 22 degrees at 8pm last night. It was still at 20 degrees at 7am this morning, at which time I wrapped it in wet towels in a tub of water (water level up to just above the height of the tap), with a couple of frozen PET bottles and a fan. The outside thermometer on the fermenter was saying 16 degrees when I left home at 7.30, but I imagine that'd primarily be the outside at that point. I doubt it'd cooled all the way through that quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Bit the bullet and ordered a yeast sachet, and some Hallertau while I'm at it. [innocent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Temp sitting on 14 degrees. Hopefully that's indicative of the internal temp. Not bad considering it reached 25 degrees outside today, 21 in the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Wow you're only just down the road from me! [lol] I'm planning on doing one of these Euro lagers soon, maybe around June or July and store it away for summer drinking. From what's been said on this thread it might pay to pick up an extra sachet of yeast for it. The night temps will be cooler by then too, so I'm thinking I'll have the wet towel on it during the day and then take it off at night? At the moment I'm just sort of going through all the kits to see what they're like (except the cerveza as I'm not a fan of the style), and doing a couple of full extract brews here and there. Cheers, Kelsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Wow you're only just down the road from me! [lol] I'm planning on doing one of these Euro lagers soon, maybe around June or July and store it away for summer drinking. From what's been said on this thread it might pay to pick up an extra sachet of yeast for it. The night temps will be cooler by then too, so I'm thinking I'll have the wet towel on it during the day and then take it off at night? At the moment I'm just sort of going through all the kits to see what they're like (except the cerveza as I'm not a fan of the style), and doing a couple of full extract brews here and there. Cheers, Kelsey Yeah I was going with the plan of just brewing what I'm drinking, then have another one ready to bottle when I'm half way through the current batch, and just have 45 PET bottles on circulation...but it's too much fun :P Currently have about 20 bottles of strawberry blonde, 5 of rocket fuel lager (OS Lager with way too much added dextrose :P), and 30 bottles of Unreal Ale conditioning...and the Euro Lager starting its 4 month journey to drinkability. Even gone to the level of printing labels for the bottles (so I can tell what's what mainly). Waiting a month should make keeping the temp down easier. I'm going to check on the temp before I go to bed tonight and decide whether to turn the fan off/remove towels. Will probably leave them going, since it'll only get down to about 15 degrees (inside) tonight. Am thinking of doing a Cerveza for summer drinking too. Probably the Aztec gold recipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 Lovely eggy smell coming from my Euro Lager 6 days on. Mmmm. Hehe. Put it in my newly acquired brew fridge now too, make it easier to maintain temperature (still not totally easy as yet to get a thermostat controller...improvising in the mean time...easier than the wet towels/ice method which I've used to maintain it around 14 degrees). To celebrate, cracked open one of my Unreal Ales. Still very early (only a week since bottling). Lovely colour, very clear, bit flat. Wondering if with the lower average temp I should tip the bottles over for a week. Tastes superb. Nice level of bitterness. Looking forward to it aging for a while :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 No need to tip the bottles, you would only upset the sediment. Leave them as they are and in time they will be fine. Patience is the virtue young Padiwan. Put your fridge on a cheap $5 timer if you don't have a controller yet. Just monitor the temps over a 24 hour period and adjust the timer to suit. Only need to check every now and then afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Thank you I do, Master Billda :-) We have an old cheap timer, but it doesn't work (one of those jumper-type insert ones...seems the jumper is partly broken, it doesn't flick on/off). Might go get one. At the moment I've managed to maintain temp between 10-11 degrees without power in the fridge, just a lunchbox of ice in the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 Argh! Help! I had the fridge on timer today (bursts of 30-45 mins every 4 hours apart) and somehow it's got the temperature down to 1.8C :( It's not finished fermenting yet I'm sure...have I just killed the yeast? If I get the temp back up to 10C+ will it come back to life? Help!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 Temp is back up around 10 degrees. Took an SG and it's around 1.013 (OG was 1.040). Tasted ok in the hydrometer sample :P I'll keep it at 10-12 degrees for the next couple of days and take readings and see how it's going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I'm by no means an expert, but from my learnings, you won't kill the yeast at that level. raise the temps, give it a swirl to "re-suspend" that has dropped to the bottom (no splashing!) and the yeast should come back to life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Thanks for that. Done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Yeah what Andy said should kick it back into gear. It will take a little longer than it would have to complete but it should be fine. With regards to the timer, my fridge does not kick in for long when it does. I suggest doing the following over a 24 hour period if using a timer. Get your brew to required temp. (we'll say 18C for this purpose) Monitor the brew and when it gets to 20C (assuming you are using the stick-on thermometer) then turn on the timer until it gets down to 18C again. Repeat these increments through a day but beware that at night it wont need to come on as often. I am guessing now but if unable to monitor for the first 24 hours then I would have it come on for 15 minutes every 4-5 hours and adjust from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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