41 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I realize that winter and more robust beers are right around the corner but I'm posting about a helles I made in July and just put on tap last night. This is a style I have been trying to make (well) for awhile and the kicker here is that I made it with 100% filtered tap water. First, a BYO ARTICLE on the history and character of helles. An interesting read for sure. A snip...

Quote

I maintain that Helles is arguably the evolutionary epitome of Germany's more than three-thousand-year-old brewing tradition. In terms of sheer brewing artistry, it caps everything that has gone before it. And nothing that has followed it has ever equaled it. The raw materials for Helles could not be simpler, yet the brewing process could not be more demanding.

That article suggests that the grain bill should be all pilsner. But it also says that the beer should have body and a malty mouthfeel and a dry finish. A tricky combination especially when just using pilsner malt. I'm not one to decoct so I cheated a little by adding Vienna.

Edel-Helles

7 lbs Best Malz Pilsner Malt
2 lbs Best Malz Vienna
4 ounces CaraHell
1 ounce Melanoidin
¼ oz Hallertau pellets 4.3% as a FWH
1.1 oz Hallertau pellets 4.3% for 60 minutes
Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager Yeast

OG: 1.053, FG: 1.013, IBU: 26, SRM: 4, ABV; 5.2%

I used 100% filtered tap water. I added 3g of CaCl and about 2ml of lactic acid to the mash water as it heated. I mashed for 60 minutes at 149.9°. The CaCl and acid brought the mash pH to 5.3 which I left right there. I acidified the sparge water as well and the sparge pH was 5.4 which should have brought my kettle pH to 5.3 or 5.4. Final water numbers were: Ca 61, Mg 12, Na 13, Cl 69, SO4 27, bicarb 138. The acid should have neutralized the bicarb so that number can be thrown out. I made this beer on 7/2 and it lagered for about 2 months. The resulting beer is smooth and clear. The mouthfeel is very nice and the finish is dry as the article suggests. The hops are probably a bit aggressive for the style but they help with the crisp finish. They could be dialed down for sure. The malty character is brought about by the Vienna and maybe the melanoidin which I just threw in as a way to get some depth. The head formation and stability is excellent too. I will try to snap a pic when I have the chance. This is the result of a lot of experimentation and failure, mainly due to water missteps and a lack of good pH control. When the time comes to make a style like this, come back to this recipe and give it a try. Cheers Beerheads.

[positiveContact]

sounds great ken!

[SchwanzBrewer]

Really wish I could taste your beers Ken.

[neddles]

SchwanzBrewer, on 15 Oct 2014 - 2:17 PM, said:

Really wish I could taste your beers Ken.

I have had the privledge. They are real and they are fantastic.

[Big Nake]

Aw, shucks.    This is when I say that I have also sampled nettles' beer (also a helles) and it was outstanding as well.  I nice interpretation of the style and nettles' is a "new" lager brewer... and a helles is a VERY tough style to make so a tip o' the hat on that one.  I have been banging my head against the wall for 15 years on some of these issues and nettles' nailed the style in a very short time so I consider him to be way ahead of me.  I must be stubborn or a slow learner... or both.

 

Rich, if you PM me your address, I could tap a bottle of this and send it down to you.  I mentioned to nettles that I dislike doing this mainly because I never know how the beer will survive the shipping and whether it will be flat, oxidized, etc. or even if the bottle will arrive intact.  I got lucky on the bottle I sent to nettles.  But I will absolutely send you some of this if you're interested.  Let me know.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I don't want to put you out, Ken. I know how much of a PITA it is.

 

One of these days I need to get off my butt and tour the US to drink some great beers. 

 

I'll hopefully be brewing my second lager soon and by the end of the year hopefully I'll have a hand full under my belt. 

[Big Nake]

SchwanzBrewer, on 15 Oct 2014 - 4:40 PM, said:

I don't want to put you out, Ken. I know how much of a PITA it is.   One of these days I need to get off my butt and tour the US to drink some great beers.    I'll hopefully be brewing my second lager soon and by the end of the year hopefully I'll have a hand full under my belt.

Let me know if you change your mind. Every time I get a box from someplace or packing materials, I save the stuff for these occasions. I wouldn't offer if I had a problem doing it. My guess is that you will make good lagers. So many nice styles and lager yeasts to play with. I know a lot of people don't want the extra hassle or equipment but I love me some good lager beer. Cheers.

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

I have a Helles brew coming up shortly. It'll be nontraditional with Hallertau Blanc instead of noble. Sort of a Helles meets AEPA.

[Big Nake]

This is terrible basement bar lighting but here's a shot of this helles. It's got such a great German flavor and the rich maltiness paired with the dryness in the finish is really working.

[Genesee Ted]

That looks awesome as always Ken!

[mabrungard]

I've got to believe that the modest amount of sulfate in that water helps dry the finish just a bit. Looks great Ken.

[Big Nake]

Today I made this beer again. I used the Avangard pilsner malt, the Vienna, CaraHell & Melanoidin and then a mix of Spalt and Hallertau (I was calling it Spallertau) and just slightly lowered the IBUs from the last batch (that one was 26 and this one is 24, IIRC). 2124 on the yeast again. I got such a great German profile from the batch that I currently have on tap and I think it's got to have something to do with the FWHing. There is an aroma I get when I FWH that I don't seem to get anywhere else. Also, the beer had a nice color to it and I remember some other Avangard users saying that the beer had a very nice & pale gold color to it. It's in the fridge and it's already cruising along & smells very nice. I happen to have 2124, 2206, 1056 and WLP001 all up & running at the moment! Whoo! Cheers Beerheads.

[HVB]

Looks nice.  Ironically I pulled a smack pack of 2124 from the fridge yesterday to start propagating it for a yet unknown beer.  The beer may now be known!

[Big Nake]

As I type this, it's 11° outside and this recipe seems like it should be months away. But I'm a little charged up about this style and how well it has been coming out so I wanted to make it again. I also have NO other lighter styles at the moment and thought I should get one into the pipeline. I usually try to have something pale & light on hand at all times like a blonde, pils, helles, American wheat, kolsch, etc. but I have none of that except maybe a quarter of a keg of this helles from the last time I brewed it. When I smell a beer being fermented with 2124, that's the definition of beer to me. There is something about it's flavor and aroma that is awesome, regardless of the style. Cheers!

[Big Nake]

I laid off of this beer for awhile because we had people here for my son's confirmation and then Thanksgiving and it was the only beer that would be in line with the BMC crowd's tastebuds. I assume that there is fewer than 6 beers left in the keg so now I'm on a mission to drain it and get something else on tap. This ended up being a phenomenal beer for this style (my opinion obviously) and I already have another batch of it which is now at the end of primary. One more pic of the glass I'm drinking while I make dinner...

[neddles]

She's a beaut!! That's the one I had right?

[Big Nake]

nettles, on 04 Dec 2014 - 12:03 AM, said:

She's a beaut!! That's the one I had right?

A slightly different recipe and another keg but close enough to the one you had... same grains, mildly different hops, same yeast, pretty much the same numbers.

Edited by Village Taphouse, 03 December 2014 - 06:23 PM.

[positiveContact]

ken finally changed his name!  holy shit!

[Big Nake]

Evil_Morty, on 04 Dec 2014 - 01:28 AM, said:

holy shit!

REPORTED!

[neddles]

Evil_Morty, on 04 Dec 2014 - 01:28 AM, said:

ken finally changed his name!  holy shit!

He will always be Len Kenard to me.