First LoDo Beer

[jdauria]

Recently started reading up on the LoDo method and before rebrewing a Helles using the method, I tried it on an American Blonde Ale.

I do BIAB no sparge. Instead of pre-boiling water (distilled) I used the baker’s yeast/corn sugar method. Waited an hour. Conditioned and milled grain and lowered bag with grain slowly into water. Used SMB at a 30 ppm rate, anf used BrewTan B due to copper chiller. Capped the grain with a smaller pot cover and saran wrap. Boiled on low, with kettle partially covered. Had a few issues here and there where my burner got the boil going harder than I wanted. Transferred to carboy without splashing, added yeast and oxygenated with O2.

After fermentation I did closed transfer to keg and then carbed with CO2. Have since bought a spundling valve.

Recipe is the Centennial Blonde found on this site. For my efficiency that wound up being:

7.62 lbs Two Row
0.82 lbs Carapils
0.37 lbs Crystal 10
0.37 lbs Vienna

1.5 oz Centennial spread over 60 min boil.

Once carbed, I think the beer tastes great. Deep malt flavor with a nice hop aroma and bite. With all the Centennial, I said to a friend it’s a “session” Two Hearted ale. Bring the beer to club meeting where everyone enjoyed, but national judge in club described it as “a little buttery and lots of corn”.

I get none of that. Granted he had it after it sat on table for two hours and was warm, but of course my first thought after reading the forums on LoxOxygenBrewing, was that here’s another judge who does not understand the depth of malt flavor in a LoDo beer. But if course being my first try, who knows. Would you get “corn” from that grain bill with LoDo?

 

[mongoose33]

It isn't just the recipe, though that contributes. If you didn't boil off enough DMS during the boil, then you'll have some in there.

I personally am doubtful that you would have had very much in there, and I would think that perhaps the judge mis-judged what was being perceived.

I have a pils on tap right now brewed with LODO techniques. I was at an off-flavor workshop this week where one of the beers they were dosing w/ off-flavors was a pils from a local brewery. That pils was pretty good, nice and crisp and drinkable.

Mine, next to that one, had a huge punch of malt flavor. It has had tremendous reactions from people--including the brewer whose pils we were using. His comment was spot on, knowing it's harder to do this: is the difference in perceived flavor enough to make it worth all the extra effort?

People are shocked by this--it just doesn't taste like any pils they've ever had (me either). So I can see your judge being thrown by the maltiness of your beer.

 

[Paulaner]

One thing to be aware of with low boiling rates is your mash ph, if you're mashing within a lower ph range say 5.2 you'll need either a longer or a stronger boil-off since the "half reaction time in splitting the DMS-P into DMS is shortened" and the longer or stronger the wort is boiled the greater the splitting of the DMS-P and the more the free DMS is removed. Since moving to a low boil off rate, I've moved my mash ph from 5.2 to now 5.4 and haven't had a problem with DMS since. If for some reason my mash ph is low, I'll do a longer boil to eliminate any chance of DMS in the beer. Once you start brewing more beer LO you'll be able to pick up immediately if a certain brewery is LO or not. Other than the tone of the original PDF as soon as I read it, I knew what they were talking about and I had to move my brewing practices to match. I guess living in Germany for so long and drinking so much beer here I've come to recognize and appreciate these fresh malt flavors immediately.

 

[jdauria]

One thing to be aware of with low boiling rates is your mash ph, if you're mashing within a lower ph range say 5.2 you'll need either a longer or a stronger boil-off since the "half reaction time in splitting the DMS-P into DMS is shortened" and the longer or stronger the wort is boiled the greater the splitting of the DMS-P and the more the free DMS is removed. Since moving to a low boil off rate, I've moved my mash ph from 5.2 to now 5.4 and haven't had a problem with DMS since.

Thanks! Reading the LoDo forums on another site I did see them mention mashing with a higher pH, so I shot for a 5.45 mash pH, then near end of boil took another pH reading and used a little lactic to lower it to 5.1.

 

[Paulaner]

Thanks! Reading the LoDo forums on another site I did see them mention mashing with a higher pH, so I shot for a 5.45 mash pH, then near end of boil took another pH reading and used a little lactic to lower it to 5.1.

Sounds perfect, most info on that other site and about the lower PH affecting DMS is derived from Kunz, if you ever feel like spending a large sum of money on a book, I highly recommend you get Technology Brewing and Malting and it's safe to say it's the only brewing book you'll need, at least till a more current version is printed. You'll also be able to poke holes in a lot of the widely accepted home brewing thoughts and practices.