Lager tasting sweet...

[lukey_brews]

Hi Folks!

Need some input here!

I've currently got a Helles in the fermenter...

The recipe was basically
90% Pilsner
5% carapils
5% Acid malt

Mash Temp 66C

19 ibu from Hallertauer

I made a starter from wyeast 2308 and pitched at lager cell count.

I chose to use the brulosophy lager method as I made a great Czech pilsner last year, doing so.

This batch fermented at 12C until 50% attenuated and has been at 19C since then. The Gravity now seems stable at 1.010 (One point lower than expected). Its been in the fermenter for 9 days total. The pilsner I made before ended up being cold crashed on day 10.

Anyway.... I just drew a sample to check for diacetyl, and the beer tastes way too sweet. I'm gutted, and stumped. Any thoughts on this would be great. I haven't used this yeast strain before...

Thanks a lot!

 

[An Ankoù]

Just had a look as I haven't used it either. It's not a very high attennuating yeast. You could chuck a sachet of SO5 or something similar in there or one of the saflagers without spoiling it since the original yeast has given its character to the beer and it now only needs a bit of drying out.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Weird I made a Helles with 2 packs of CML Hell at 16c and its in the corny carbing and lagering and I tried it tonight after 1 week and it's sweetish. It's not clear enough yet or carbed enough so I'll leave it another 2 weeks and try again.

 

[Zephyr259]

I used Wyeast 2308 a few times last year, as An Ankou says, it's not the best attenuator, especially when I was pairing it with large percentages of munich malt. Having said that I've not noticed any of the beers as being sweet. I made an amber lager, pilsner and a maibock (should be ready to drink about now).

What was your OG? Helles can be a hard style to do well due to the low IBUs, I brewed one with WY 2124 a few years back and it was too sweet.

 

[lukey_brews]

Just had a look as I haven't used it either. It's not a very high attennuating yeast. You could chuck a sachet of SO5 or something similar in there or one of the saflagers without spoiling it since the original yeast has given its character to the beer and it now only needs a bit of drying out.

OK thanks, that sounds like an interesting option, I've never added extra yeast during fermentation. But I get what you're saying, and I do have a pack S05 kicking about....the thing is the attenuation is around 80% at the moment as OG was 1.048 so it seems pretty well fermented.

 

[lukey_brews]

I used Wyeast 2308 a few times last year, as An Ankou says, it's not the best attenuator, especially when I was pairing it with large percentages of munich malt. Having said that I've not noticed any of the beers as being sweet. I made an amber lager, pilsner and a maibock (should be ready to drink about now).

What was your OG? Helles can be a hard style to do well due to the low IBUs, I brewed one with WY 2124 a few years back and it was too sweet.

Thanks for the input. OG was 1.048 so currently at 1.010 it's around 80% attenuation.

 

[Zephyr259]

Interesting, in that case adding extra yeast is unlikely to do much as it's not got much more attenuation to play with and there's not really any food left for it to get a stable population going.

Right so a 0.5 IBU/OG ratio, that will be on the sweeter/maltier side of things, and I've often heard of pilsner having a sweeter flavour than pale malt, but I don't use it much myself. The carapils may not helped that either as it should have some very light sweetness being a crystal malt.

It might taste better once it's carbonated and conditioned, it is also only 9 days old so maybe leave it some more time before cold crash.

 

[lukey_brews]

Interesting, in that case adding extra yeast is unlikely to do much as it's not got much more attenuation to play with and there's not really any food left for it to get a stable population going.

Right so a 0.5 IBU/OG ratio, that will be on the sweeter/maltier side of things, and I've often heard of pilsner having a sweeter flavour than pale malt, but I don't use it much myself. The carapils may not helped that either as it should have some very light sweetness being a crystal malt.

It might taste better once it's carbonated and conditioned, it is also only 9 days old so maybe leave it some more time before cold crash.

Thanks zephyr, I'll give it longer and hope for the best!

 

[lukey_brews]

Hi Folks! Just wanted to say thanks for the advice on the Lager last month. I had my first pint last night and it's tasting great! It's Definitely got that Munich flavour I was seeking!!