Okay…here we go.
Kegged this beer a couple days a go. The grain was mostly German Pils, with some Vienna added. The yeast was W-34/70. Hops were Mt. Hood 6% AA.
We shot for 22-24 IBU’s. The OG was 1.056, FG 1.016.
The flavor profile (yes, still needs to age) is very malt forward, with a subtle yeast accent. The hops are subdued. Very smooth, well balanced. But does not quite have that “clean & crisp” character that I like. The nose is very malty.
Added gelatin 26 hours ago, to help clear it out. Right now, it is bright and clear. Nearly as good as any commercial example. But the photo shows a wet moisture laden glass, so it looks a bit hazy (it is not).
To refresh your memory, this is the double batch brew that we split, Kolsch / Helles. Same grains and hops, different yeast.
To my surprise, this beer has just a slight hint of sweetness. But in the fermenter, I never detected any sweetness at all towards the end.
It will improve with time. Overall, a very drinkable beer. But not a grand champion winner.
The beer looks great. It looks like your FG is a little high with about 70% attenuation. That might be why it doesn’t seem too crisp and a bit sweet, but a Helles is more tilted towards the malty side than a German Pils. My current Helles on tap had a strong sulfur aroma (another thread) and just cleared up in the last couple of days. So, maybe some time is all that is needed.
The finish in this beer is very smooth, with no lingering bitterness. I think the OG and FG are pretty close, as the numbers can range from 1.045-1.051 for OG, and 1.008-1.014 for FG. We were just a tad on the high end for both.
The ABV is 5.1%
Tomorrow a bottle of Premium Helles (Munich) will be opened up for a side-by-side comparison.
Aside from the 70% AA which I agree is a little low, a lot of people subscribe to the idea that it’s best to start these beers off “warm” and then lower them to fermentation temps. If you want "crispness, start your fermentation off at (or very near, or even a little below) your targeted fermentation temp. I don’t recall from your original post but for dry yeast I would have pitched 2 packets for a 1.050ish lager at around 48 degrees after 2 minutes of pure o2.
We double pitched, 2 packets and followed the instructions published by Fermentis.
Filled the FV about halfway full, pitched the 34/70, then continued filling. The temp was around 68 degrees. Then the FV was placed in the freezer, at 57 F. It stayed at 57 until it was crashed at 32 for 7 days.
I think my definition of crispness would be the dryness of the beer, or lack of lingering sweetness.
This Helles is very close in the overall profile…just not as dry as I would have liked. But later today we will compare the Weihenstephaner Premium Pils in a sibe-by-side taste test. And we have some fresh Spaten too for further testing.
That’s one of the beautiful aspects of this hobby: brewing, tweaking, rebrewing, tweaking, etc. …until you get it just like you like it.
Most of the time I try to pitch at fermentation temp but I must admit I have been guilty of pitching ~5*F higher and continue lowering the temp in the ferm chamber.
Attenuation ratings for yeast are simply a way of comparing one yeast to another. They do not necessarily reflect the attenution you’ll get. That depends a lot on the wort.
Yes, and that is why this is a Helles. The info online listed Weihenstephaner Original as a perfect Munich Helles. Also listed, Spaten, Paulaner, Ayinger, etc.
I don’t estimate FG…i measure it. At least the first few times I make a recipe. After that, I have a few data points that let me make an educated guess .
yeah, you probably don’t “need” o2 with dry yeast but I use it anyway just as insurance. The yeast will take up all the o2 so I don’t feel it hurts any and may help.
Just did a side-by-side comparison of Bel Air Brewing Munich Helles & Weihenstephaner Original Premium.
They are nearly identical! But here are the differences…
Ours has a bit more “nose” character, both malt and yeast.
And, ours has a slightly more noticeable alcohol presence…very slight.
Color - ours is a half shade darker, barely noticeable.
Maybe these differences are from filtration, and pasteurization of the commercial example.
Here is where they are the same:
Head retention.
Lacing on the glass.
Mouth feel.
Basic flavor profile, being malt forward.
Hops very subdued.
Overall balance.
Clarity…you can read a newspaper thru it.
While ours has a hint of sweetness, it is balanced by a hint of hops, a very subdued hint.
Upon further review…we would not be embarrassed to enter this in any competition. And it will only improve with age!
