Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:06 am
Sometimes lagering doesn't do much but sometimes it is just FM. It depends on the beer, how you managed the brew and a lot on the yeast strain. Many things go on during lagering including precipitation of yeast, protein globules, protein phenol complexes, calcium oxalate (and if you are in the stone club you really want that stuff gone), flavor maturation, reabsorbtion of diacetyl and scrubbing of "Jung Buket" (beer stench). It is this last which can be most dramatic. The beer is stinky week after week and then overnight (it seems) turns wonderful.
I just kegged a lager after a 7 weeks in the fermenter. It tasted so good I was taking from the fermenter while filling the kegs and put one of them on tap immediately. The family all loves the stuff. It is still quite hazy (about 120 NTU when initially poured, dropping to about half that after the bubbling dies down and some of the protein dissolves). A check under the microscope shows a fair number of yeast cells still in suspension. Interestingly enough these are all single or double cells i.e. ones that did not floculate.
Two days later turbidity is 94 at pour and half that about an hour later. Thus is all due to redissolved protein (chill haze) as agitating the sample at an hour doesn't increase the turbidity. Yeast haven't had time to settle. The protein, of course, will stay in suspension in the lagering cooler until it eventually (the particles are much smaller than yeast cells) settles out.
Bottom line is that while the beer is very good now it is likely to be much better after a couple of weeks of lagering. Aroma has turned in a day or two. Haze and protein are going to take a while to settle and flavor is going to get even better. There is a tiny rough edge to this beer that will go.
You can expect the same. While it is good now it will very probably be even better in a couple of weeks and even potentiallu keep improving for months. The trick, of course, is to have enough lager in the queue that you are never drinking young beer.
