Budweiser "Budvar" - Decoction Mash I - 11.9.07

[BigEd]

As I say next is a Schwarzbier but I'm not sure whether I'd boil the dark grains in this or just add them at the end. Surely boiling them could result in removing a lot of bitterness even from the dehusked Carafa malts?

Frothy

I say boil 'em all. I've done dunkels, schwarzbier and even porters with decoction boils. As long as you pull a thick portion of the mash and you are good on the pH # there is no problem in doing that.

Oh and enjoy Spamalot.

[SteveD]

Cheers Steve I'm off to see Spamalot next weekend I love monty python and you can even buy a pair of Spamalot official coconut halves for the occasion!

Frothy

Ahh have a good time

"They said I were mad to attempt a decoction mash, but I did it anyway. It sank into the swamp. So I did another one. That sank into the swamp. I did another, that caught fire, fell over and then sank into the swamp, but the fourth one stood up!"

[Frothy]

Finally pulled this out of the lagering fridge yesterday (6weeks lagering) & bottled it in over 50 x330ml lager bottles. Initial taste is very pleasant and decidedly malty... the only thing I can compare the flavour to is the grainy smell of the decoction mash. I'll give it a couple of weeks in the bottles to condition and then see how it really turns out

Frothy

[SteveD]

Finally pulled this out of the lagering fridge yesterday (6weeks lagering) & bottled it in over 50 x330ml lager bottles. Initial taste is very pleasant and decidedly malty... the only thing I can compare the flavour to is the grainy smell of the decoction mash. I'll give it a couple of weeks in the bottles to condition and then see how it really turns out

Frothy

Excellent. I brewed a lager which has now had about 10 weeks of fridge lagering. There's something on the aroma and in the flavour which isn't quite right. Cheesiness. The Saaz hops didn't smell right when I opened the foil pack on the brewday. I hoped it wouldn't carry through in the beer, or would dissipate, but I don't think it's going to. It's not horrible, just not as it should be. Initially I thought it was sulphur, but that goes over time. This isn't.

[Barley Water]

That is really to bad, it sounds like you got some old ruined hops. The cheesy smell is some nasty stuff and it sounds like it messed up your brew. You really hate to go to all the trouble to produce a lager just to have it sabatoged by some lousy ingredients. Oh well, if this hobby was easy, it would not be as much fun as it is.

[Dan]

decoctions hmm.. you guys are giving me ideas
Ive recently using melanoidin malt to emulate decoction beers. unfortuenately they are still in primary and secondary so i cant tell you my findings but just for comparison i think i might do a decoction mash this sunday

[Frothy]

It was certainly a good experience Dan. What a bummer Steve, nothing worse than waiting all that time for it to turn out mediocre, I tend to forget I've got lager in the fridge it's so long.

Frothy

[SteveD]

It was certainly a good experience Dan. What a bummer Steve, nothing worse than waiting all that time for it to turn out mediocre, I tend to forget I've got lager in the fridge it's so long.

Frothy

Thanks for the 'condolences' chaps. It's not undrinkable, it's not even bad as such, it just has this suggestion of cheese that means I'll happily drink it myself, but wouldn't really want to serve it to others....except Seveneer. He liked it! In other respects it's fine, colour, condition, clarity, and the other flavours in it are as you'd expect...just those blasted hops!

[Seveneer]

Well I liked it. I don't think it's the best lager I've ever had but it's certainly drinkable

[Frothy]

Hell - this is a blast from the past. Was searching for lager tips and it came up on google!
I'd completely forgotten about it. Good times in the brew shed!

Frothy