AG#18 - Builders Lager

[kfm]

Nice lager work there pdtnc, posting mine up shortly. Seems like everyone's on a lager mission with the free ride on temps!

[GARYSMIFF]

"get the conditioning right"

I like to test a bottle or 2 as time passes that way I can kick myself when its all gone just as it reaches its best

[WishboneBrewery]

Some stuff can reach its best 2 weeks after bottling, others take months and turn into lovely beers especially the dark ones
Mt lager has a good yeasty head on it now, smells a bit like it does at work so I'll take that as a good thing

[WishboneBrewery]

Just a little update, I took a Hydro sample, its about 1012/14 now so I've put it in the conditioning cupboard to let the yeast finish off and clean up, there is still a sweetness to it and I can taste the Flaked Maize (maybe that is the sweetness?) the Hersbrucker Hops are going their intended job with good flavour

[kfm]

Yes, I got the hops coming through nicely too in my hydro samples but Delboy's got me worried now as mine is due to stay out of reach for 6 months at least and I wonder how the hops will fare by then

[WishboneBrewery]

well mine is supposed to be drunk within 2 months, I Just hope it clears, I think this might be my first beer that I'll rack off the yeast to secondary to help it clear.
I've got the temp up to 20c now to let the yeast finish.
Not sure how long to leave it in secondary though, I assume that should be back down at 10 or 12C ?

[WishboneBrewery]

Update, its been at 20C for a couple of days now, and its down to 1006, the thick yeast head has sunk and the beer has visibly cleared a lot, though the hydro sample pulled through a fair bit of settled yeast.
Still tastes sweet, and the sample was actively fizzing so it might drop even further, though at present its 5.2% ABV which is stronger than expected.
I might be tempted to make this my first Cornie full of beer, though I should really stick to the bottling idea, I'll give it a few more days of warm then take it back down to 10-12C... though how long before bottling I'm not sure???? anyone?

[WishboneBrewery]

Filled a Cornie today and gassed up to 15psi and 5x large swingtop bottles primed with 1 level teaspoon of sugar.

Taste-wise, I taste Corn though its subdued a bit since my last taste... not a flavour I want to be tasting really.