Creamy tasting lager?

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MonkeyMick

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Hey

Another question that's probably asked a lot...

I started a wilco golden lager kit just over 2 weeks ago, substituting half the suger for light spray malt, and adding bourbon barrel oak chips. It's been sat in the garage, at roughly 20 - 22 degrees ever since.

Primary fermentation appears to have stopped now, with still a good layer of foam on top of the brew.

Question is - is the creamy taste normal given the oak chips and spray malt, or will it disappear if I fine the lager or on conditioning? It doesn't taste bad at all, more like drinking watery double cream!

Tai....
 
Okay:
  1. I never use finings on a brew! "Time + Gravity" will clear all brews!
  2. I don't know how you can taste anything "creamy" in just over two weeks! Patience is the brewers friend so please take your time.
  3. One way to establish whether or not a fermentation is complete is to take a Specific Gravity of the finished brew. If it is 1.010 or less then it is usually fermented sufficiently to bottle and carbonate.
Hope this helps.
 
Hi Monkeymick, I have just put mine in a pb 1 hour ago been in fv 2 wweks was clear as a bell'
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Given "lager" indicates "store", two weeks is pushing it a bit. Nevertheless, if it tastes good then drink it. Get another one on quick so that you can leave it a bit longer.
Cream lager. Now there's a style I haven't come across before.
 
Trust me, I've sat and watched it bubble away. I've caressed the FV, waiting for it to be ready to bottle.

Ive tasted it every couple of days, because I just can't help myself.

The best way to describe the texture just now would be it has a similar mouth feel to Guinness draft, with a mild bourbon (American stuff, not chocy biscuit) note and a 'just downed a pint of double cream' aftertaste.

After some research I think it may be 'dai-something' that creates a buttery sensation, so will try and be good and let nature take its course so the yeast can work on it.

I'm too impatient. My Evil Dog is almost gone, my mead will be a few months yet and I'm ploughing through the wine.
 
Trust me, I've sat and watched it bubble away. I've caressed the FV, waiting for it to be ready to bottle.

Ive tasted it every couple of days, because I just can't help myself.

The best way to describe the texture just now would be it has a similar mouth feel to Guinness draft, with a mild bourbon (American stuff, not chocy biscuit) note and a 'just downed a pint of double cream' aftertaste.

After some research I think it may be 'dai-something' that creates a buttery sensation, so will try and be good and let nature take its course so the yeast can work on it.

I'm too impatient. My Evil Dog is almost gone, my mead will be a few months yet and I'm ploughing through the wine.
Sounds gorgeous. Can we come round and help you taste it?
 
Given "lager" indicates "store", two weeks is pushing it a bit. Nevertheless, if it tastes good then drink it. Get another one on quick so that you can leave it a bit longer.
Cream lager. Now there's a style I haven't come across before.

It's certainly not offensive, and I'd be happy drinking it once carbed up! More than happy to share the 'recipe' or swap one or two bottles for something that's been produced properly and with patience!
 
From your description it sounds like it could be diacetyl. Did you use a real lager yeast and what temperature did it say to ferment at on the pack? Lager yeasts are more prone to diacetyl production when fermented too warm. Low and slow is the motto for lagers.

Yeast will consume diacetyl if left alone for a few days at the end of fermentation but if they've already flocculated then you may need to rouse them back into suspension.
 
Lager and 22c don't go together
Most “lager” kits come with a standard ale yeast, I assuming this is the case.

Also, a couple of the Fermentis lager yeasts are apparently still pretty crisp when brewed at ale temps.
 
Diacetyl produces a buttery flavour and a slick mouthfeel. I've got an ipa I bottled too early because we were going on holiday and it's evident in that. Wish I'd left it in the fermenter until I got back now...
 
Well, the kit was reduced because someone had lifted the instructions and yeast packet.

I googled the amount of sugar I needed to add, then replaced 500g of it with light spray malt before using a generic Wilco ale yeast. After 2 days the oak chips arrived and I dumped those straight into the mix. The yeast was hydrated for an hour before pitching.. W

It's got a thin layer of trub on the bottom of the FV, with a good thick foam on the head and thick sticky yeast floating in the head.

It's not a bad taste at all, but not what I expected...

So.. Would you recommend pitching another yeast with a little added sugar to clear it up?
 
Have you taken a hydrometer reading?

My concern is that you say it's been in the fermenter for nearly 3 weeks now and it's still got a thick creamy head on top. Assuming this is krausen then I would have expected it to have subsided and dissipated by this point.
 
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