I just sampled my flat beer out of the primary fermenter. Crystal clear… Flavor is quite good, no DMS, no diacetyl, no farty sulfur… yet I do pick up the slightest hint of meaty flavor from the yeast. Not to worry… I planned to bottle in the next couple of days anyway, and anything off will most likely disappear with a little age. Looking forward to a true tasting of this beer in another couple months.
Oh yeah… and here’s that picture of my fermenter. When poured into a glass, it looks much like harpdog’s… nice pale gold color.
Right now mine is farting up my office with a strong sulfur smell. Good God man! It has started to taper off due to the fermentation slowing down, but holy crap man it was pretty bad. I usually make ales, so I am foreign to that particular odor coming from my fermentor. Like match heads mixed with rotten eggs. WHEW!
Munich Helles just racked to secondary after a three day d-rest at 62 degrees. Looks to be exactly the right color, all of the butter bomb and rhino fart sulfur smell is gone, and it tasted great flat. No DMS, butter or sulfur taste either. She’s slightly cloudy, but that should all clear up after lagering for 6 weeks at 32F. Thanks for all of your input everyone. I’m really looking forward to tossing a few of these back at 95 degrees with 95% humidity outside when the sauna that is a Florida Summer arrives in a few weeks.
:cheers:
What are you waiting for? Summer??? Turn on the heat and bottle that thing! LOL I’m a Florida native, born and raised, but lived in Kentucky for five years…You’d think I’d have thin skin and not be fond of cold weather, but truth be told, I love it! I’ll take snow over sweltering Florida summers any day of the week. Sitting on my patio in August with sweat dripping down my face when it’s still 92 degrees at 2am in the morning just sucks.I guess the grass is always greener on the other side!
Bottled mine up tonight. Total time in primary: 40 days. Everything floating in that last photograph, sunk and gone. Clear as crystal. Zero off-flavors. The yeasty flavor is totally gone. Crisp, clean, will be ready to drink for late spring & summer. I wish I’d made more of this. I used Grolsch bottles so I only got 18 bottles. That’s okay. I’ve got like 5 other recipes on deck to brew. I’ll be making 1) saison, 2) Russian imperial stout, 3) barleywine, 4) Sam Adams Boston Ale, in approximately that order. The two biggies, the RIS and BW, will need to age for a good 9-12 months, so this helles and everything else I have laying around (roughly 5 cases of like 20+ random kinds of beer and cider) will tie me over for a while. But anyway…
In conclusion, Saflager 34/70 will make a DAMN FINE German lager, fermented at the right temperature of low 50s. So easy to use. Get a pack or two and throw it in. FWIW, I never rehydrate dry yeast, and I always get great results.
Glad yours is looking good Dave! If mine turns out the way I want it, I think I’ll definitely make 10 gallons of it next time. I really love this style of beer, which is strange because I’m somewhat of a hop head as well.
Funny, I have planned on bottling all of my Helles in the Moosbacher flip top Grolsch type bottles I have laying around. Just seemed appropriate for a Helles, and I’m goofy like that. A Russian Imperial is also on my list for the next 2 brews, as well as a Dusseldorf Altbier. Apparently my patience is growing, but I’m still going to brew some nice “simple” ales in between so I have some of my own to drink in the meantime. Funny how your own beer provides a comfort level and it’s almost impossible to drink store bought beer anymore, save a few really good ones.
Still really can’t wait to try my Helles with the 34/70 yeast. With all of the great input I received to brew it properly, I am very confident it will be well worth the wait.
[quote=“dmtaylo2”]
In conclusion, Saflager 34/70 will make a DAMN FINE German lager, fermented at the right temperature of low 50s. So easy to use. Get a pack or two and throw it in. FWIW, I never rehydrate dry yeast, and I always get great results.[/quote]
A lot of other fine lagers also. I brewed my house blonde ale as a lager with 34/70 last year and it turned out great. I didn’t rehydrate either.
Other than trying S-189 some day 34/70 will be my dry lager yeast from now on.
Tonight I’m going to pop my first bottle of my helles/pilsner/whatever it is. Still a little early, not even 2 weeks in the bottle yet if memory serves, but I’m wondering whether it might possibly be ready to share at my homebrew club meeting this Thursday. I cannot wait any longer to taste this beer. Probably flat as heck, but we’ll just have to see! I’ll report back if I remember. I should at least be able to report on flavor profile, even if it’s flat.
You’re killing me Dave… After two weeks, it’s probably carbed if it’s warm enough in your house there. If not, I’d do the same thing you are and taste it anyway. Not sure why this Helles has me so excited, but I’m glad I’m not the only one who is dying to give theirs a sip! Let me know how yours is so I can live vicariously.
Popped the first bottle. It is already fully carbonated. Wow. Dang near flawless. I think mine does pass better as a Munich helles than it would as an American pilsner lager. It has more body, more bitterness, and much more flavor than an American lager. Huge chunky head (just look at that head on 'er!), slight haze that disappears as it warms. Clean, refreshing, huge pilsner malt flavor. Balanced. If there is any flaw, I do detect a slight tang/tartness, which could be a pH thing or maybe from the carbonation, I’m not sure. Also get just a very tiny bit of sulfur, which is not unexpected in this very young beer and I know it will go away with age, but in the meantime it is not distracting at all whatsoever anyway, so no big deal. Can’t wait to kick back in summer and have a couple of these. And yes, I will be able to show off – er, I mean – share some with friends this week – yay.
WOW, that looks absolutely divine… It has “drink me immediately” written all over it. Glad she turned out great for you! Again, I am jealous, and I hope when I take my first sip in three weeks it will be equally good! Thanks for the pics!
Brewed early March, drinking early May. Pretty nice and clear for a lager. How long did you have it lagering?
I have a Red Lager, a MaiBock and a Dunkel all lagering right now. About two weeks in and of course, I had to sample each. First lagers paying attention to water chemistry to style and I have to say I am REALLY happy. Not crystal clear yet, but not bad. A few weeks and they should be stellar.
I have a Helles in secondary, an IPL (India Pale Lager) kegged and ready to carb up and lager and a Czech Pilsner and Octoberfest just finishing up primaries. I kind of went lager crazy for a couple months. The Helles and Octoberfest are for a community Octoberfest Party this fall.
Very slightly darker than I wanted, but very smooth… A GREAT tasting lager. A bit more malty up front than I had planned on, with just barely enough Hallertau hops bitterness to balance out the malt, but it’s there. A slight biscuit aroma going on, but not that punch you in the face, I’m in a bakery kind of biscuity Weihenstephaner Helles aroma I was shooting for. Poured an awesome pure white head that hung there, with good lacing.
The carbonation was perfect, it’s crystal clear, and this is a very tasty lager that makes me want to drink another glass immediately. It just wasn’t exactly what I was shooting for aroma wise if that makes any sense.
I’m going to tweak it a little on the next batch. I think it’s worth chasing around to get exactly right.
I’ll post some pics of the beautiful glass full when I get a chance. I’m too busy drinking it.
