color contributions

[grayhalladay]

Made my first all grain lager and it is currently fermenting nicely at 48F.
For a 3 gal. Batch @65% efficiency I used a pretty simple recipe of 7lb German Pils, 1lb vienna, and 1lb carapils (probably overkill). I overshot pre-boil volume by a bit and did a 120 min boil.
It turned out darker than expected. I didnt think vienna would contribute too much color. My actual efficiency could be greater and the increased gravity would impart more color. However I was just seeing if someone could help me out, I haven't be able to make anything BMC color and was wanting too, though only out of curiosity and for BMC friends.

What made my beer so dark?

 

[chickypad]

Have you checked the color in a hydrometer tube or glass? See the pics in this thread.

 

[Ridire]

I thought my blonde was going to be a bit dark when I put it in the fermenter. It turned out pretty close to BMC color when it was done.

 

[Yooper]

What made my beer so dark?

The 120 minute boil.

 

[gcdowd]

Agreed that it definitely looks darker when it's in a large volume. It will not be as dark as it looks in the carboy

 

[BigEd]

Made my first all grain lager and it is currently fermenting nicely at 48F.
For a 3 gal. Batch @65% efficiency I used a pretty simple recipe of 7lb German Pils, 1lb vienna, and 1lb carapils (probably overkill). I overshot pre-boil volume by a bit and did a 120 min boil.
It turned out darker than expected. I didnt think vienna would contribute too much color. My actual efficiency could be greater and the increased gravity would impart more color. However I was just seeing if someone could help me out, I haven't be able to make anything BMC color and was wanting too, though only out of curiosity and for BMC friends.

What made my beer so dark?

It's not dark. That beer will be a very light color in the glass once it is done, something like Pilsner Urquell.

 

[grayhalladay]

The 120 minute boil.

I figured that was more than likely the culprit. I jusy didnt know if there was a secondary reason. ill take a sample and make sure thanks.

 

[Yooper]

I figured that was more than likely the culprit. I jusy didnt know if there was a secondary reason. ill take a sample and make sure thanks.

It's not terribly dark anyway! It's just that a 120 minute boil may darken the beer more than a, say, 60 minute boil. It will still look much lighter in the glass, but perhaps a bit darker than a 60 minute boil would be.

 

[grayhalladay]

Thanks for the feed back everyone. I'll take a hydro sample and check it out. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[BigEd]

Thanks for the feed back everyone. I'll take a hydro sample and check it out. Can't wait to see it finished.

The beer is also still fermenting. There is quite of bit of yeast in suspension which also makes the beer appear darker by diffusing light. Let the beer finish fermenting then give it a good lagering period. After that the color of the beer you see in a transfer hose is pretty much the color of the beer as it will be in the glass. RDWHAHB.

 

[unionrdr]

I agree about the boil time. I did a 2nd batch of my Hopped & confused & passed out after the bittering addition. The boil lasted about 1hour,45 minutes to finish hop additions. It was still yellow gold,but had a bit of an amber blush. The grain bill was;
PM-
2lbs Rahr 2-row
2lbs marris otter (crisp)
1/2lb crystal 20L
1/2lb carapils
3lbs Munton's plain extra light DME
pacific gem 60 minutes
super alpha 20 minutes
Czech saaz 10 minutes
WL029 German ale/kolsh yeast

 

[freisste]

I agree about the boil time. I did a 2nd batch of my Hopped & confused & passed out after the bittering addition. The boil lasted about 1hour,45 minutes to finish hop additions. It was still yellow gold,but had a bit of an amber blush. The grain bill was;
PM-
2lbs Rahr 2-row
2lbs marris otter (crisp)
1/2lb crystal 20L
1/2lb carapils
3lbs Munton's plain extra light DME
pacific gem 60 minutes
super alpha 20 minutes
Czech saaz 10 minutes
WL029 German ale/kolsh yeast

Was the DME in there for the whole boil, or just the last few minutes? Because that would certainly account for some darkening.

I knew the DME would darken, but I guess I never realized that boiling wort from a mash would darken noticeably. Makes sense, though.

 

[unionrdr]

No. The plain extra light DME was a flame out addition. since the fresh mash was 50% of the fermentables,I use that for hop additions. And DME doesn't darken nearly as readilly as LME does.

 

[freisste]

Agreed.

 

[grayhalladay]

pacific gem 60 minutes

Off topic, where do you order your hops? I have been looking for some good Australian and NZ grown varieties.

 

[unionrdr]

I get them from midwest. They have even more NZ & AU varieties now.

 

[grayhalladay]

Ha after 2 weeks fermenting and at 1.022 I pulled it out to do a diacetyl rest and can see the back of my cabinet through the carboy. Ha, time is the answer. Saturday night or Sunday morning I'll transfer it over to a another carboy for lagering aaround 38-44, force carb it and keg it to be drank around the 24th of july. I think a month of lagering should be fine for 3gals of this light a lager.

 

[Yooper]

Ha after 2 weeks fermenting and at 1.022 I pulled it out to do a diacetyl rest and can see the back of my cabinet through the carboy. Ha, time is the answer. Saturday night or Sunday morning I'll transfer it over to a another carboy for lagering aaround 38-44, force carb it and keg it to be drank around the 24th of july. I think a month of lagering should be fine for 3gals of this light a lager.

If you're kegging it, why lager it in a carboy at all? Just keg it, and lager it while it's carbing.

 

[agcorry00]

A pic of the current color would be informative.

 

[grayhalladay]

Here is the finished product. I didn't end up buying a kegging system so I just bottled it. I lagered in secondary because I didnt own one. It looks and tastes great.

 

[unionrdr]

Nice color,like an Octoberfest lager to me.:rockin: Speaking of which,Giant Eagle has Great Lakes Octoberfest 12'rs for $15.99.