SEYMOUR RED LAGER

[seymour]

Brewed October 10, 2015: Not a clone per se, but this is my (bigger & better) homage to Leinenkugel Red: a crisp, clean, refreshing everyday-drinker. Leinie's is nostalgic for me, having grown up in Wisconsin. It's one of the first flavourful craft brews I fell in love with, but sadly it's no longer widely distributed.

This is my first time using CaraRed malt and Kazbek hops (thanks Timbo41!) It's also my first time using Briess Goldpils Vienna Malt; so far I am very impressed with its efficiency and flavour, and I have a feeling this would be a fantastic base malt for many recipes. Some aspects of my recipe came from Weyermann's Einkehrschwung (beer refreshment break after skiing) on their German website. Anyway, here's what I brewed:

SEYMOUR RED LAGER

5 US gallons = 4.2 Imperial gallons = 18.9 Liters

GRAINBILL
84% = 7.14 lb = 3239 g, 2 Briess Vienna Malts (actually a blend of: 72% US 2-row, 12% US 6-row)
13% = 1.1 lb = 500 g, Weyermann CaraRed Malt (Germany)
2% = .17 lb = 77 g, Weyermann Aciduated Malt (Germany)
1% = .09 lb = 41 g, Crisp Roasted Barley (UK)
TOTAL: 8.5 lbs = 3.86 kg

MULTI-STEP MASH (tedious but worthwhile in this kinda beer)
120°F/49°C for 20 min,
144°F/62°C for 20 min,
162°F/72°C for 20 min,
raise to 172°F/78°C, then VORLAUF and LAUTER.

SPARGE to collect 6.5 US gal/5.4 Imp gal/24.6 L pre-boil volume.

BOIL hard for 60 minutes, reduce to 5 US gal/4.2 Imp gal/18.9 L

HOPS
.67 oz = 19 g, Kazbek, first wort addition
.67 oz = 19 g, Kazbek, at 15 min remaining (also add Irish Moss tablet)
.67 oz = 19 g, Kazbek, at flame-out then steep

YEAST
Feldschlösschen-Hürlimann Samichlaus lager strain from Zurich, Switzerland, sold as White Labs WLP885 and Saflager 189.

AERATED & PITCHED around 60°F/15.6°C. I gave it a couple days for a good strong fermentation, lots of krausen. Then on October 12, I changed the temperature controller to 52°F/11°C for 3 weeks. I will then lager around 40°F/4.4°C for 4-6 weeks.

STATS (87% mash efficiency! and 82% apparent attenuation)
OG: 1055
FG: 1009
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 25
COLOUR: clear reddish amber

Fellow Jimsbeerkit member Timbo41 generously mailed me some Kazbek hops, Phoenix hops, and fresh Wibblers Brewery yeast, none of which I've yet used. I am very excited to put the first item to the test immediately.


Prepping the hops, campden tablets (to dechlorinate the hot liquor), Irish Moss, and yeast.


The grist. In this recipe, red colour is obtained by Vienna as a base malt, plus a decent percentage of CaraRed (basically just a form of pale crystal malt), and 1% Roasted Barley (similarly to an Irish Red ale). As you can see, even such a small quantity of roast is highly visible in the mix.


A German-style lager recipe like this benefits from a multi-step mash (yes, even with today's highly-modified malts, this will lead to increased mash efficiency and fermentability.) This is tricky in a picnic cooler mashtun, since there is no direct heat source. The solution is to add boiling water to reach each higher temperature step (see this handy calculator for assistance), or draw-off a "decoction" as I am here, which is then brought to a boil on the stovetop, then poured back into the main mash.


Bringing the decoction to a boil in a smaller kettle.


Lautering from the mash tun into the boil kettle, simultaneously onto the first wort hop addition.


During the boil you can see the red colour beginning to emerge.


Measuring the Original Gravity. Around 1055, which means with this highly attenuative lager yeast, the finished beer should land just shy of 6% alcohol by volume.


Tucked away in the fermentor carboy. Although the yeast has been pitched, this white foam is due to initial aeration. The colour always looks so much darker in a bulk container like this.

[seymour]

My first impressions of Kazbek hops:

I haven't yet tasted the finished beer, but based on the smell of the dried hops, the boiling wort, and sneaky tastes from the hydrometer sample, they strike me as predominantly traditional, like maybe the midpoint between Hallertau Mittelfruh and good ol' Fuggles. Floral, earthy and herbal like that, with subtle spice. But then--beneath the surface--there are some unique notes I'm not used to: black tea with lemon, clover, anise, dandelions, root veggies, some more vague garden fragrances...tomato vines, acorn squash or overripe pumpkin maybe? Weird, I know, but I'm digging it. Seems like a keeper for a Bohemian style with a twist, which is what I'm going for.

[timbo41]

Nice to get a mention, but just spreading the love Brother S! I'm always interestd in your recipes, I like to try and work out why you use what you use! Fairly obvious here except the acidulated, which I've asked about before. As you said then, it just adds something! Good looking czech type here, and I also found the kazbek to have lots of layers, bit hard to describe really, definitely noble in the main.

[seymour]

...I'm always interestd in your recipes, I like to try and work out why you use what you use! Fairly obvious here except the acidulated, which I've asked about before...

Yeah, in this case the 2% German acid malt comes straight from the Weyermann recommendation. I assume it's to adjust the wort pH for maximum mash efficiency. Especially here: we're talking about a uniquely German malt from a German producer for a German style beer. Who am I to say otherwise? I stuck with their yeast recommendation too, in case it's somehow synergistic with the acidic wort.

Word to the wise: in my experience, recipes on maltsters' own websites tend to be extremely reliable. It figures the people producing the malt would know best how to use it, but I think a lot of brewers overlook these treasure troves. Muntons and Castle offer some good ones too.

[seymour]

Last night, I took a work-in-progress gravity reading, racked the beer from the fermentor carboy to a sanitized keg, then returned it to the lagering fridge.

I tasted the hydrometer sample and was very pleased: still fairly sweet which will be reduced via lengthier conditioning time, clean fermentation, no esters nor diacetyl nor hot alcoholic vapors whatsoever. Nice rich caramelly, nutty, toasty malt flavour complexity, much more so than pale lagers, more so even than most Vienna Lagers and Oktoberfests. I'm impressed with these new Czech hops (Kazbek): earthy and woodsy and perfumey with some interesting liquorice root, star anise, nutmeg, herbal tea notes stronger than other hop varieties, like maybe a Styrian Goldings on steroids. That spice cake stuff increased as it warmed. The beer does indeed have a nice reddish amber colour.

I think this is gonna be a very cool beer. Once it's carbonated, it'll definitely be ready to drink as-is, but I'll give it time to ferment down further. Brewing lagers is a pain if you're impatient, but for me it's worth the extra effort every once in awhile. Luckily, a few ale batches have come and gone in the meantime.

My lager fermentation In review:
I pitched the yeast and let it start strong at ambient 65°F/18.3°C for around a day
Moved to temperature controlled fridge 54°F/12.2°C for around 3 weeks
Removed from fridge, back to ambient 65°F/18.3°C for a couple days (diacetyl rest)
Moved back into fridge, reduced temp to 40°F/4.4°C for around 6 weeks

Intermediate stats (remember, lager yeast takes a long time to reach final gravity):
Original gravity: 1055
Current gravity: 1016
Alcohol by volume: 5.12%
Yeast apparent attenuation: 70%



Before scrubbing-out my carboy, I poured the lager yeast dregs into 3 sanitized mason jars for future brews. I told some brewing buddies to start planning their high-grav lager recipes, Oktoberfest, Doppelbock, Weizenbock, Baltic Porter, etc. I hope they take me up on it, it would be fun to keep this special-release lager yeast going for awhile.

[Rhodesy]

This is on my to do list once I build up stocks to last a few months to enable me to do a couple of lagers back to back. Rather than do a decoction mash do you think I could substitute some Vienna for say 5% Melanoidin malt?

[seymour]

This is on my to do list once I build up stocks to last a few months to enable me to do a couple of lagers back to back.

Sounds good, I think you'll like it. I can't wait to "get amongst" mine as Ditch says.

...Rather than do a decoction mash do you think I could substitute some Vienna for say 5% Melanoidin malt?

You could, but no need. You could leave the grainbill as is with a single-step mash. I can tell you it's already highly aromatic with immediatey noticeable rich melanoidins. If "lager" means neutral or boring to you, this one is nothing like. Even the base malt (Vienna) contributes more than you typically get from pale malt. If you were to dial that up even more, I'd fear overpowering these subtly complex hops.

Honestly, my decoction mash was mainly out of necessity since I mash in a picnic cooler and cannot apply direct heat. If you mash in a kettle on the stove top, you can heat it to multiple steps much easier.

[Rhodesy]

This is on my to do list once I build up stocks to last a few months to enable me to do a couple of lagers back to back.

Sounds good, I think you'll like it. I can't wait to "get amongst" mine as Ditch says.

...Rather than do a decoction mash do you think I could substitute some Vienna for say 5% Melanoidin malt?

You could, but no need. You could leave the grainbill as is with a single-step mash. I can tell you it's already highly aromatic with immediatey noticeable rich melanoidins. If "lager" means neutral or boring to you, this one is nothing like. Even the base malt (Vienna) contributes more than you typically get from pale malt. If you were to dial that up even more, I'd fear overpowering these subtly complex hops.

Honestly, my decoction mash was mainly out of necessity since I mash in a picnic cooler and cannot apply direct heat. If you mash in a kettle on the stove top, you can heat it to multiple steps much easier.

Good stuff, I am now the proud owner of a Braumeister so step mashing is par of the course. I really like Vienna also, I have used it with great success in some pales recently.

[seymour]

Good stuff, I am now the proud owner of a Braumeister so step mashing is par of the course. I really like Vienna also, I have used it with great success in some pales recently.

Ooooh, cool. I haven't used one, but they sure look like a convenient bit of kit. Well, knock yourself out!

[seymour]

Bump.



I tapped the keg of Seymour Red Lager at our big Boxing Day Party. It was the approachable crowd pleaser I was hoping for, albeit a bit bigger and bolder and hoppier than casual lager drinkers were used to. I got lots of compliments and the keg was nearly drained. Isn't that the way? A proper lager takes forever to be ready, and then it's gone in an instant.

After pouring myself a pint tonight, I thought I'd better take a picture before it's drained. It's not crazy strong, right at 6% abv, but after donating two pints of red blood cells at the Red Cross drive today, I'm definitely feeling it!

I like these Kazbek hops a lot and will definitely use them again. Overall, the grassy, peppery, perfumey notes strike me as very similar to noble German and Czech types, Saaz especially. But it has an extra black liquorice/anise kinda spice and some extra resiny flair heading in a New World Super-Alpha direction. I highly recommend you try them in a traditional European beer recipe with a twist.

[oakerspocus]

Seymour, a question about your fermentation. Did you rack to a secondary when you left it to chill for 6 weeks? Or did you leave it on the yeast cake?

[seymour]

Seymour, a question about your fermentation. Did you rack to a secondary when you left it to chill for 6 weeks? Or did you leave it on the yeast cake?

Good question. Primary fermentation was complete, so I did rack it off the main trub, but there was still a lot in suspension, and I allowed the siphon to suck some extra along, just to keep dropping the gravity low and slow. That's when that picture was taken with the jars of yeast, from the trub in the primary carboy.

[oakerspocus]

Thanks Seymour... I am brewing a more traditional lager tomorrow and will follow your technique.