Flavor for a Pilsner

[imlne]

I just bottled my first Pilsner. I loved the aromas that came from my batch. I could smell the body, the sweetness of the grain in the beer. A great cream smell.
After I bottled all my beer, I took a sip of the remaining beer in the bucket and it has strong flavor either ethanol or easter (don't know off hand which is which).
Will this flavor dissipate over time?

[majorvices]

Can you describe you process? What yeast did you use? How big was your starter? What temp did you pitch at? what temp did you ferment at? What temp did you lager and how long? This sounds like a fermentation off flavor.

[imlne]

What yeast did you use?
WL German Lager yeast

How big was your starter?
4L with 400 grams of DME and yeast nutriants
On stir plate for 2.5 days
(while on the stir plate, the starter felt warm.)
Decanted most of the liquid off and pitched cake

What temp did you pitch at?
55F
Lag time was 6 hours

what temp did you ferment at?
55F for 19 days

What temp did you lager and how long?
35F for 14 days


OG: 1.05
FG: 1.015

[majorvices]

Good, you are on the ball! Like to hear that. It is possible that your fermentation temp was just a touch high. I don;t ferment any lager over 52 degrees and my pils I ferment at 48-50. I also would pitch in the mid 40s. But, still, you process doesn't sound bad. Lager it another 2 weeks or so after confirmed carbonation and see what you get.

[imlne]

Thanks

If you recommend another two weeks at lagering conditions, that would be around 6 weeks on the cake. Will the Pils be OK or do I need to transfer it onto a secondary?

[majorvices]

I'm confused. It sounds like it is already bottled per your description above...

What I would suggest is to carbonate the beer in the bottle (assuming you have it the bottle), then age it in the bottle at lagering temps for another couple of weeks and see what you have.

I'll be honest: from your description it sounds like you fermented the beer too warm. Though 55 is not a crazy warm temp I have had a similar characteristic when I used lager yeasts at 58-60 degrees. Hate to say it but IME it never did age fully out, but did improve some. Good luck - hope it turns out for you!

[imlne]

I'm confused. It sounds like it is already bottled per your description above...

Yes, the beer is bottled, but I am going to brew this batch again this weekend. I am going to redo it with the recommendations and see what happens.

[thetooth]

Thanks

If you recommend another two weeks at lagering conditions, that would be around 6 weeks on the cake. Will the Pils be OK or do I need to transfer it onto a secondary?

Getting ready to start my first lager attempt in a few weeks... so this is more of a question than an answer... sorry.

I thought you were supposed to rack off the cake into a secondary vessel to lager. Is he supposed to lager in the primary on the yeast cake?

[Billy Klubb]

Thanks

If you recommend another two weeks at lagering conditions, that would be around 6 weeks on the cake. Will the Pils be OK or do I need to transfer it onto a secondary?

Getting ready to start my first lager attempt in a few weeks... so this is more of a question than an answer... sorry.

I thought you were supposed to rack off the cake into a secondary vessel to lager. Is he supposed to lager in the primary on the yeast cake?

I have lagerereded in a secondary.

[happs01]

Thanks

If you recommend another two weeks at lagering conditions, that would be around 6 weeks on the cake. Will the Pils be OK or do I need to transfer it onto a secondary?

Getting ready to start my first lager attempt in a few weeks... so this is more of a question than an answer... sorry.

I thought you were supposed to rack off the cake into a secondary vessel to lager. Is he supposed to lager in the primary on the yeast cake?

Tooth - I ferment completely in primary, then rack to secondary for lagering at near freezing 33-34 degrees for a couple of weeks. Works for me. We just finished our Laborer Helles on Sunday. It was our best lager to date. It was in the primary for about 4+ weeks.