American Lager

[itchygomey]

I'm wanting to tackle a beer in this category to see if I can do it. I'm concerned about my recipe, especially because it is intended to be a pretty light beer with nothing to mask mistakes, so here it is with as much detail as I can think of.

5Gallon batch:
Using RO water
4.875 Lbs Briess Pilsner LME
2 Lbs rice syrup solids
8oz Carapils
2 Packs of wyeast 2007
.75oz Saaz (5.3% Alpha, 4.9% Beta according to the package label)
Whirlfloc


Brewsteps:
Steep 8oz Cara-pils in 2.75 gallons water for 30 minutes at 155 degrees.
Add 1Lb Pilsner LME previously dissolved in 2 gallons water.
Start boil and start a 20 minute timer once boil is achieved:
Add .75oz Saaz hops with 19 minutes remaining.
Add whirlfloc tablet with 15 minutes remaining.
When timer is complete, remove from flame and add 2Lbs Rice Syrup Solids and 3Lb 14oz Pilsner LME previously dissolved in 1 gallon water.

I intend to ferment at 52degrees until gravity of 1.020 is reached, followed by diacetyl rest at 65 degrees. Then rack to secondary and drop to 40 degrees for 6 weeks, cold crash, and bottle.

I'm concerned about the recipe structure as I have never used rice syrup solids and had to add it into my beersmith so I don't know that I have the numbers right. Also, I don't know of a way around using carapils for this but I'm open to suggestions. The numbers I get (could be wrong) for this beer are:
1.047 SG
11.8 IBUS
2.6 SRM
Est ABV 4.5%
Est FG 1.013

Please leave the "BMC's suck, brew a real beer" if you would. I really want to see if I can brew something like this without a bunch of off flavors, and would really appreciate some help getting this recipe nailed down prior to brewing.

 

[chickypad]

Avoiding off flavors in this is going to be all about the fermentation. I really think you need to make a starter, even with brand new yeast you'd need over 3 packs for a proper pitch rate.

 

[itchygomey]

I agree on the starter. I was thinking a 1.5L, but wonder if it would be detrimental to over pitch and do a 2L

 

[chickypad]

If you figure 5.25 gal into the fermenter you need 348 billion cells. Have you plugged your numbers into a calculator with the date of your yeast?

 

[itchygomey]

I ordered the yeast, but haven't got it yet so I don't know the date. I have it put into beersmith, but it needs a date still. Putting in a date of a few months ago came up with that size starter but I can adjust when I know the actual date.

 

[itchygomey]

Well i just cracked the first one and it's a pretty typical american lager. No off flavors. Looks, smells, and tastes like it should. Mission succesful.


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[itchygomey]

Oh, i forgot - i pitched 30% over what the mr malty calc came up with. Erring on the side of overpitching seemed like a safer bet for this particular beer.


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