I was looking for a simple, tasty, no nonsense lager for the summer so I kept the recipe simple. Mostly German Pils with a little Munich for character and all German Hallertau hops. I used the WLP833 German Bock yeast because it's a supposed to be a versatile yeast which is what I was looking for since I plan on re-using the yeast for multiple batches. I also decided to go with a single temperature infusion mash. I thought about maybe doing a protein rest but this isn't a show beer so I'm not concerned with clarity. With today's highly modified malts, there's no need for any sort of step mashing/decoction so why complicate the issue?
Like a lot of homebrewers I usually brew ales for obvious reasons. This is only the second lager I've brewed and the first that came out well. It seems like I've had nothing but bad luck with lager yeast with two separate starters getting infected (seriously has this happened to anyone else?). When I finally did get a good starter going, I brewed a Premium American Lager. Unfortunately I rushed the fermentation and ended up with too much diacetyl (even after a d-rest). I also forgot to taste the sample after I took a gravity reading, woops. Very disappointing so I realized I needed to do more research before my next lager.
For this one I decided to leave it in the primary fermenter for twice as long to make sure there was no diacetyl. After a month I tasted it and didn't find any diacetyl, so I kegged it and moved it to the keggerator for a couple weeks of lagering. This fermentation schedule worked out well for me and I think I'll go this route again when brewing lagers.
Munich Helles (BJCP Description)
(6 Gallons, ~70% Eff, Tinseth)
OG: 1.045
FG: 1.010
IBU: 29
ABV: 4.6%
SRM: 4
90 Minute Boil
9.5 lbs - German Pilsner
1 lb - Light Munich
2 oz - German Hallertau (Pellets) 3.9% @ 60 Min
.5 oz German Hallertau (Pellets) 3.9% @ 20 Min
Yeast: WLP833 German Bock (4 Liter Starter with 2 Vials)
Mashed 75 min @ 150, 1.25 qt/lb
Pitched yeast at 52 and fermented for 1 month then 2 weeks of lagering at 42
Tasting Notes:
Look - Light yellow/golden, clear, 1 1/2 finger white head with nice lacing (no protein rest)
Aroma - Sweet pils malt, no hop aroma
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied
Taste - Sweet grainy malt, spicy/slightly earthy hop flavor, very clean with a lingering bitterness
Notes: I'm extremely happy with how this beer came out. It's much more flavorful than any light beer or even a Premium American Lager and very easy to drink. All I need now is a glass boot.
