I’d like to try WLP830 with a CAP. I can only imagine a really clean malt profile with a healthy hop schedule to CAPtify it. 8)
I’ll be making my first ever CAP this weekend, with the yeast from a WL800 Bohem Pilsner. So this summer I’ll have a parade of lagers from light to black to kick back with, including a couple “open” fermentation experiments that so far (in secondary) are pretty yummy.
On the Megra Modela discussion, I’ve had at least two bad ones in bottle in years past actually! Total fizzy water. Maybe a wild yeast infection, as there wasn’t a prominent odor with it. I think the last time I tried it was four years ago because of that.
The one I made had 830, as I had it from a German Pils.
Will see how it turns out.
Like I said up in the What’s Brewing thread I just bottled a split batch of CAP fermented with 2035 and 2124. I think the 2124 will win this battle and then I’ll need to have a run-off with other german lager yeasts for the winner of the house lager yeast competition.
I’ve been planning on using that combo in that configuration in a few weeks when I brew my Ballpark Pils (CAP). I’ll be using Wyeast 2278 Czech Pils for the yeast.
I’ll have to keep this in mind when I brew a CAP.
Did you see the recipe of the week. They used all German Nobles. I have Hallertau on hand. :-\
I am not a big fan of 2278 yeast.
But that is just my opinion.
Can you elaborate? I’ve only used it once – for my CAP last year.
I got banana in my Pilsner from this yeast.
It could have been combination of this yeast and Melenoiden malt.
I posted about it here:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=2989.0
Also if you use this yeast start at 48F and after a few days you can go to 50-52F.
I think I was trying to ferment my beers too cold.
Thirsty,
Looks like I replied to you in the thread you posted. :D As my post indicated, I didn’t experience any sort of banana-like ester from 2278. It was nice and clean for me. According to my notes from last spring, I fermented both CAPs at 52.
Re: melanoidin malt – I’ve recently determined that I don’t like it. I’ve always added it to my German beers (usually only between 1-2%) to emulate any flavors that might result from decoction mashing. I guess I really hadn’t been able to pick out the melanoidin malt flavor contribution until I brewed a N. German Pils with it about a month ago. My pils was fantastic except for this malty sweet note that just didnt’ belong. You might even say it had sort of a banana-like essence to it (I don’t think I would describe it as estery though). Anyway, I’m probably not going to use melanoidin malt anymore.
Oh man now that I have a second fridge it’s going to be the summer of George! er, lagers!
Sounds like a plan
Now I use Munich II and it is working nicely for me.
Here’s my tap for my version of a CAP:
1/167 is for Alabama’s own First Battalion, 167th Mechanized Infantry. They’re the group that spent the night in the Chateau across the street from me - you can still see the graffiti they scratched into some of the walls, which is super neat. Here’s a bit of their story:
82 ALABAMA’S OWN IN FRANCE
Billets for the men, for the most part, were provided, though in each town some of the soldiers were quartered in wooden barracks. The conditions were bad, but by this time the regiment was becoming inured to hardships. The weather was very cold, but the small trench stoves were utilized. They afforded some degree of comfort.
Christmas came in sight and plenty of advance preparations were made to have the day what it should be. A liberal supply of good rations had been received. The arrival of the glad event found lots of well roasted turkey, cranberries, figs, dates and other
good things on hand. The cooks had been up all the night before and had done their work well. The “eats” were all temptingly prepared and thoroughly enjoyed. It was the regiment’s first and last Christmas in France, for on that day the next year the men
were on the Rhine in Germany.
A real American Christmas tree that evening drew a large number of French children, and the latter, for whom the Alabamians had planned it, were running wildly about in joyful anticipation. Later they were showing their home folks what “les bons Americains” had given them. A collection had been made among the officers with which to provide this pleasure for the
tots, and the town crier had gone his rounds in announcing the event.
Now came the most memorable, and indeed the most wonderful, hike made by the 167th, an accomplishment equal to that of Washington’s men at Valley Forge for endurance of cold and fatigue. In connection with this march it should be noted that the Aiabamians, hundreds of whom in their Southern homes had never seen a snowfall, traveled the entire distance afoot, carrying their heavy packs, and that not a man fell out.
Of this period the regimental diary reads as follows :
[quote]On the day after Christmas the regiment left on foot carrying everything on their backs. It was cold and snowing. On the first day it marched 16 kilometers to Cirey les Mareilles, the second day it marched 21.5 kilometers to Chamarande, and on the third day 22.5 kilometers to Marac. It was an extreme test of endurance and the ability of the men to withstand physical hardship. The last three days of December were spent cleaning equipment and setting up camp in the French training area at Marac. Colonel Screws’ headquarters was set up at Faverolles with line companies scattered throughout nearby villages. The snow and cold continued as they settled in for more training (Amerine 1919, p. 93).
Between November 20 and December 12 the British had broken the Hindenburg Line with an advance of five miles at one point. The Germans counterattacked and then held the key town of Cambrai, straightening out and holding the Hindenburg Line. These movements ended in stalemate. It also meant that the 167th was coming closer to the time when it would be called on. With the regiment set up around Faverolles, three-fourths of its original officers and many noncommissioned officers (NCOs) were sent to the French First Corp’s School at Gondrecourt. This was a newly organized five-week course that included work with the Browning automatic rifle (BAR), hand grenades, Stokes mortars, one pounders, machine guns, signaling, trench construction, and bayonet. It was a miserable time for all involved with cold weather at first and then mud.
[/quote]
And here’s the pour. What a fantastic beer. Already ordered 5kg of corn to make a bunch more in the future.
Phil,
Great story. Glad you like the CAP, if you went with more bitterness it is the type of beer the Doughboys would drink before the war.
You can decide if you want to tell your French friends that is what the German born and trained brewers had to do with local ingredients in the US.
I haven’t told anybody so much about the history just yet, but I have given out about 3 pints to neighbors and the like, and it’s certainly my most popular beer made to date.
I have a Marzen (single infusion) lagering made with Wyeast 2487-PC Hella-Bock. I used the slurry for a 5.5 gallons schwarzbier and 2.5 gallons of dopplebock (both double decoctions.)
I have a double decocted German pills lagering that I used saflager 34/70 in.
I also have 11 gallons of CAP made with 20% polenta from a cereal mash. Half is using wyeast 2272-pc and the other half is with wyeast 2035. I really like 2035 in a CAP I just wanted to try 2272 while I could. It stronger than YFM and more of a pre-prohibition pils than a post-prohibition version.
ANd then there is the 5.5 gallons of a white rice cereal mash cream ale cold conditioning. After than I’m going to make my American rye.
Thats just the summer stuff, I have my Red and a Porter fermenting too.
I’ve beem thinking about trying a helles…but I’ll probably just make a few more Pilsners this summer.
I just made a 5L starter for my Czech Pilsner that I’m brewing this coming weekend. I am entered in the Pilsner Urquell Competition in NYC on August 8. I am planning to do a triple decoction…ughhh it’s going to be a long brewday, but it’s all for brewing in the Czech tradition as they have been making that beer the same way for at least 150 years now.
I’ll reap the rewards in about 2-3 months after lagering. 8)
I’m entering the same competition in Chicago on August 12th. I’m getting my starters going later this week. I’m going to brew a 10 gallon batch and split it between two yeasts. And yes, I’m going the traditional decoction route as well. Good luck! Hopefully we can compare notes in Prague.
Amen to that!
Good Luck. 8)