I'm not a noob, but I was away from brewing so long, I forgot a lot, and the brewing world changed a great deal. I have been making noob mistakes, so I guess that makes me a born-again noob. My latest noob error: preparing to throw out a decent and unique beer.
So I made a lawnmower beer a few weeks back. Years ago, I wrote the recipe as my almost-sarcastic answer to cheap American beer. I put flaked corn in it and used a yeast which was supposed to be like Budweiser yeast, but I also put real hops in it. Beersmith thinks it has 26.8 IBU's, compared to Budweiser's 1.6 x 10^-19 IBU's. I think the official IBU number for Bud is one over Avogadro's number.
Back when I first made it in '04, it shocked me, because I actually liked it. It was a little sweet, and it had sort of a honey flavor. It was light. The hops were spicy and pulled it back from the abyss of excess sweetness. I thought it was what Anheuser-Busch might have made if they actually cared about beer instead of commercials with CGI frogs.
So I made it again recently, and I could not stand it. It was like beer mixed with ginger ale. It had a weak head. I had accidentally used a wheat beer mashing schedule, so I thought that was what had ruined it. I also thought I had overdone the crystal malt. I was going to pour the keg out.
Today, just for kicks, I installed a new Nukatap to replace the Perlick 650SS I was using, and I fiddled with the Kegland flow control disconnect I had installed. I had cut the beer line down to a meter or so.
The first glass I got was kind of flat, but there was some head on it. This was before I installed the Nukatap. Once I got the Nukatap on there and did what I could to open the flow, I got a beer I could actually drink. It's very nice, weird as it is. Total session beer.
The carbonation is not perfect because last night I removed the CO2 and put it on a stout to get it up to snuff. I figured it didn't matter if I let a crap beer go flat. Now I'm pumping it up again, to about 12.
Here is my question: does every beer get dryer in the keg? That's what happened here. I remember it happening with stout years ago.
I ran most of the yeast from this beer down the bathtub drain, and I am keeping it at 38°, where yeast is supposedly not happy, but now the overwhelming sweetness is gone, as if the yeast had eaten it. It's still a sweet beer, but that was deliberate. I mean, I was hoping to please Bud drinkers who fear hops.
I'm really glad I didn't pour this out. I went ahead and ordered another batch of grain, though, with one-third less crystal malt. I did that before I made this beer. I still think it was a good idea to reduce the crystal, but this beer is definitely not going down the drain. Unless I'm the drain.
I am wondering if the unnecessary protein rest killed the head retention.
Here is what I did, in case people want to make fun of it. I totally understand.
8 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row)
1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn, Flaked
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
0.45 oz Magnum [16.20 %] - 60 minutes
1.50 oz Magnum [16.20 %] - Steep
1.0 pkg Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) - No hydration or starter. I think.
0.60 tsp Gelatin
I think I'll finish with Crystal hops next time. They would be excellent. Or maybe half Crystal and half Magnum. Wow. That's an idea.
My only issue here is that the yeast didn't live up to the hype. Some people say it's good up to 72° or something, I fermented at 68°, and I can definitely taste some bananas. I like esters, but I wasn't expecting them.
I need some popcorn. This is a popcorn beer.
So I made a lawnmower beer a few weeks back. Years ago, I wrote the recipe as my almost-sarcastic answer to cheap American beer. I put flaked corn in it and used a yeast which was supposed to be like Budweiser yeast, but I also put real hops in it. Beersmith thinks it has 26.8 IBU's, compared to Budweiser's 1.6 x 10^-19 IBU's. I think the official IBU number for Bud is one over Avogadro's number.
Back when I first made it in '04, it shocked me, because I actually liked it. It was a little sweet, and it had sort of a honey flavor. It was light. The hops were spicy and pulled it back from the abyss of excess sweetness. I thought it was what Anheuser-Busch might have made if they actually cared about beer instead of commercials with CGI frogs.
So I made it again recently, and I could not stand it. It was like beer mixed with ginger ale. It had a weak head. I had accidentally used a wheat beer mashing schedule, so I thought that was what had ruined it. I also thought I had overdone the crystal malt. I was going to pour the keg out.
Today, just for kicks, I installed a new Nukatap to replace the Perlick 650SS I was using, and I fiddled with the Kegland flow control disconnect I had installed. I had cut the beer line down to a meter or so.
The first glass I got was kind of flat, but there was some head on it. This was before I installed the Nukatap. Once I got the Nukatap on there and did what I could to open the flow, I got a beer I could actually drink. It's very nice, weird as it is. Total session beer.
The carbonation is not perfect because last night I removed the CO2 and put it on a stout to get it up to snuff. I figured it didn't matter if I let a crap beer go flat. Now I'm pumping it up again, to about 12.
Here is my question: does every beer get dryer in the keg? That's what happened here. I remember it happening with stout years ago.
I ran most of the yeast from this beer down the bathtub drain, and I am keeping it at 38°, where yeast is supposedly not happy, but now the overwhelming sweetness is gone, as if the yeast had eaten it. It's still a sweet beer, but that was deliberate. I mean, I was hoping to please Bud drinkers who fear hops.
I'm really glad I didn't pour this out. I went ahead and ordered another batch of grain, though, with one-third less crystal malt. I did that before I made this beer. I still think it was a good idea to reduce the crystal, but this beer is definitely not going down the drain. Unless I'm the drain.
I am wondering if the unnecessary protein rest killed the head retention.
Here is what I did, in case people want to make fun of it. I totally understand.
8 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row)
1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn, Flaked
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
0.45 oz Magnum [16.20 %] - 60 minutes
1.50 oz Magnum [16.20 %] - Steep
1.0 pkg Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) - No hydration or starter. I think.
0.60 tsp Gelatin
I think I'll finish with Crystal hops next time. They would be excellent. Or maybe half Crystal and half Magnum. Wow. That's an idea.
My only issue here is that the yeast didn't live up to the hype. Some people say it's good up to 72° or something, I fermented at 68°, and I can definitely taste some bananas. I like esters, but I wasn't expecting them.
I need some popcorn. This is a popcorn beer.