Style: Altbier
Grains: ? - can't find my recipe
Malt: ?
Hops: ?
Fermentation: 5.0 gal. total liquid, Wyeast European Ale, 8 days primary
Yield: 42 12 oz. bottles, 3/4 cups corn sugar as primer
Appearance: Brown, cloudy, minimal head, minimal lacings
Aroma: Minimal, slightly yeasty when first opened
Mouthfeel: Moderately full
Taste: Very mild, touches of sweet and bitter
Verdict: A drinkable but unexciting beer.
Comments: My least pleasing batch so far, this altbier is either mild or bland - I haven't decided. However, that may be par for the course as few of the altbiers on RateBeer or BeerAdvocate scored all that highly overall. There are relatively few of them as well, meaning the style may be obscure for a reason. Compared to the two other altbiers I found it holds its own, though it would have benefited from a secondary fermentation in a carboy to get rid of the yeasty smell. Like my previous batches it should improve over the next month or two.
Notes: Altbier translates to 'old beer' - as this style predates the lager revolution that happened in and near Germany in the mid 1800s. As an ale it uses top-fermenting yeast, but is usually cold-conditioned for an extended period once fermentation is done. Between under-filling the fermenting bucket slightly and a huge amount of trub, I got very poor yield on this batch, which was frustrating.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Batch Three
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2 comments:
If the carbonation is correct on this, store these in your fridge in the coldest spot to faux-lager these. Wait about 3-6 weeks and that yeast should dissapear and you will be left with some clarity in the beer.
Altbiers are generally cold conditioned for a long time before consuming.
Thanks, Chris. I didn't do enough reading on this style before making it. The carbonation seems OK so I will haul the batch down to the basement to condition - there is not enough room in the fridge for more than a few six packs.
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