milestone international lager
brewed: 04/01/2016
pitched: 05/01/2016
bottled/kegged: 21/01/2016
subsequent batch info: will definitely brew this one again, but will change the yeast and potentially other small tweaks as well.
ingredients:
100% joe white craft export pilsner
16.8 ibu magnum - 60 mins
3.7 ibu saaz - 10 mins
1 whirlfloc tablet
0.5 teaspoon yeast nutrient
2 x saflager w34/70 german lager yeast
process:
batch size: 23L
steps: 3
mash: 64C - 45 mins, 72 - 35 mins, 75 - 10 mins
boil: 60
chill method: plate chilled
ferment temp: 10C
d-rest: 18C
chilled: 1C
estimated OG: 1.045
actual OG: 1.045
estimated FG: 1.008
actual FG: 1.012
estimated %abv: 4.7
actual %abv: 4.4
ibu: 20.5
brewing notes:
06/12/15 - i've decided that the beer i'll be making in celebration of my son miles being born, is an international (european-esque) lager. there are a few reasons for this choice. the first reason is that i wanted to brew a beer that many people will enjoy - as i plan on sharing most of it with friends and family. while i know many don't enjoy big, hoppy craft beers, most of them like a lager, so why not? it'll be fun to try and make, which brings me to my second point; it will be a milestone for me also, as i've never brewed a proper lager before. i'd ideally like to brew this beer (or improved versions of it) at most or every big milestone that miles reaches in his life. at first, i intend to brew it because of his birthday. after this, i'll re-brew it whenever a milestone is reached. by this i don't mean to consider some things more important than others, but whatever is a feat of his own volition. initially however, i'll happily re-brew them when he talks for the first time, or walks, or does some other random awesome baby thing. cannot wait. i love my little man.
05/01/16 - brewed this bad boy up today on the grainfather and it went SO smoothly. so excited about using this sexy piece of equipment. i'm a very lucky husband, dad, and brewer. i'll update below for tastes and i intend to follow the same ferment schedule as the sleepless lager.
21/01/2016 - kegged and bottled a few of these tonight. am looking forward to letting it mature out as lagers often need to do. on initial taste, there is a noticeable yeasty green apple smell which i'm used to with w34/70, so am hoping this will clear with time. i also gelatin-fined this beer so fingers crossed she turns out nice and clear. while the mouthfeel tastes balanced (thin but also strangely full), the gravity finished quite high. i'm going to mark this up to two possible reasons - the health of the yeast not completing a proper ferment, or the mash schedule. will adjust both for future batches to see.
tasting notes:
07/03/2016 - well well well. just had a sample from a few bottles of this bad boy and whadyaknow? not bad at all! normally lagers can take some time to mature out and this one still needs a few weeks in the keg i'd say, but at the moment, the bottle conditioned ones are tasting pretty scrumptious. am very much looking forward to cracking open the keg once my holidays hit in a few weeks.
22/03/2016 - had a taste of this one this evening after a long day. really hit the spot. super cold and refreshing. still has a very slight bite to it, but i think that should fade with time, and it was the last bottle also. i'm really looking forward to tapping the keg in the next few weeks. will be looking to smash this beer down over the easter break if not a bit after on my first teaching holidays.
30/04/2016 - have had another try of this guy over the past week. have noticed some diacetyl so i took it out of the keg fridge and let it sit at ambient temps for about 4 days. this worked a treat. had a taste tonight and it's clean as a whistle. literally the cleanest tasting beer i've ever made even though it's taken since january to come good. good old lagers. i'll have to start brewing this kind of beer well in advance of my little man's milestones so i can remember the reason for the re-brew! all in all, i was concerned about this beer as it took so long but right now i'm super impressed (after 100 days in the keg - ouch!). future batches will likely end up with other yeasts though to give them a try and perhaps a lot more saaz hopping.
13/06/2016 - finished this beer last night with many good friends and it had become super clean and crisp. a really good beer and i'm super proud that this was technically my first full-sized lager. definitely would like to speed up the process for the next one.
brew day / beer pictures:
pitched: 05/01/2016
bottled/kegged: 21/01/2016
subsequent batch info: will definitely brew this one again, but will change the yeast and potentially other small tweaks as well.
ingredients:
100% joe white craft export pilsner
16.8 ibu magnum - 60 mins
3.7 ibu saaz - 10 mins
1 whirlfloc tablet
0.5 teaspoon yeast nutrient
2 x saflager w34/70 german lager yeast
process:
batch size: 23L
steps: 3
mash: 64C - 45 mins, 72 - 35 mins, 75 - 10 mins
boil: 60
chill method: plate chilled
ferment temp: 10C
d-rest: 18C
chilled: 1C
estimated OG: 1.045
actual OG: 1.045
estimated FG: 1.008
actual FG: 1.012
estimated %abv: 4.7
actual %abv: 4.4
ibu: 20.5
brewing notes:
06/12/15 - i've decided that the beer i'll be making in celebration of my son miles being born, is an international (european-esque) lager. there are a few reasons for this choice. the first reason is that i wanted to brew a beer that many people will enjoy - as i plan on sharing most of it with friends and family. while i know many don't enjoy big, hoppy craft beers, most of them like a lager, so why not? it'll be fun to try and make, which brings me to my second point; it will be a milestone for me also, as i've never brewed a proper lager before. i'd ideally like to brew this beer (or improved versions of it) at most or every big milestone that miles reaches in his life. at first, i intend to brew it because of his birthday. after this, i'll re-brew it whenever a milestone is reached. by this i don't mean to consider some things more important than others, but whatever is a feat of his own volition. initially however, i'll happily re-brew them when he talks for the first time, or walks, or does some other random awesome baby thing. cannot wait. i love my little man.
05/01/16 - brewed this bad boy up today on the grainfather and it went SO smoothly. so excited about using this sexy piece of equipment. i'm a very lucky husband, dad, and brewer. i'll update below for tastes and i intend to follow the same ferment schedule as the sleepless lager.
21/01/2016 - kegged and bottled a few of these tonight. am looking forward to letting it mature out as lagers often need to do. on initial taste, there is a noticeable yeasty green apple smell which i'm used to with w34/70, so am hoping this will clear with time. i also gelatin-fined this beer so fingers crossed she turns out nice and clear. while the mouthfeel tastes balanced (thin but also strangely full), the gravity finished quite high. i'm going to mark this up to two possible reasons - the health of the yeast not completing a proper ferment, or the mash schedule. will adjust both for future batches to see.
tasting notes:
07/03/2016 - well well well. just had a sample from a few bottles of this bad boy and whadyaknow? not bad at all! normally lagers can take some time to mature out and this one still needs a few weeks in the keg i'd say, but at the moment, the bottle conditioned ones are tasting pretty scrumptious. am very much looking forward to cracking open the keg once my holidays hit in a few weeks.
22/03/2016 - had a taste of this one this evening after a long day. really hit the spot. super cold and refreshing. still has a very slight bite to it, but i think that should fade with time, and it was the last bottle also. i'm really looking forward to tapping the keg in the next few weeks. will be looking to smash this beer down over the easter break if not a bit after on my first teaching holidays.
30/04/2016 - have had another try of this guy over the past week. have noticed some diacetyl so i took it out of the keg fridge and let it sit at ambient temps for about 4 days. this worked a treat. had a taste tonight and it's clean as a whistle. literally the cleanest tasting beer i've ever made even though it's taken since january to come good. good old lagers. i'll have to start brewing this kind of beer well in advance of my little man's milestones so i can remember the reason for the re-brew! all in all, i was concerned about this beer as it took so long but right now i'm super impressed (after 100 days in the keg - ouch!). future batches will likely end up with other yeasts though to give them a try and perhaps a lot more saaz hopping.
13/06/2016 - finished this beer last night with many good friends and it had become super clean and crisp. a really good beer and i'm super proud that this was technically my first full-sized lager. definitely would like to speed up the process for the next one.
brew day / beer pictures: