Panorama Heights California Lager

My attempt to fashion a California Lager local style a la San Francisco Anchor Steam. The thing about California Lagers is that fermentation is done using lager yeasts at elevated temperatures, somewhere around 50-60F. Compared to that, old world style lagers usually ferment much colder, around 40-50F. The result is a beer that has some more floral notes and added complexity compared to a crisp old fashioned lager. The danger is really letting the temperature run up too high, which can result in off flavors. Wyeast has a new California Lager yeast which should be a little bit more forgiving. Since I don't have a temperature controlled fermenter I kind of depend on the 4 weeks weather forecast. This time of the year it tends to get colder, but who knows. Let's see how it comes out!

BREW DATE: 10/25/2014

BOTTLING DATE: 11/16/2014

GRAIN BILL: 12lbs total

-6lbs Pilsener Malt

-3lbs Munich Malt

-3lbs Vienna Malt

Panorama Heights California Lager grain bill & hops

MASH-IN: 1 hr at 160F, no Mash-out. The purpose of a higher temp mash-out is to shut off the enzymes and precipitate the protein, but I found out that it could be a problem releasing tannins from the grain hulls. So for delicate lagers and other lighter beers I decided against it. Fly sparged with 170F water.

HOP SCHEDULE:

-60min 1oz German Spalt

-30min 1oz German Tettnang

-10min 1oz Cascade

OG: 16.2 brix for 12.5l wort filled up to 22l => alcohol content should come out at 4.9% abv.

YEAST: Wyeast 2112 California Lager

TASTE NOTES: Very fruity, combined with a nice hop bitterness. Overall very drinkable but not something I would really start totally raving about. Somewhere between a Koelsch and an Anchor Steam I would say. Unfortunately, this beer pours very cloudy, definitely not as advertised. As a result it did get some yeasty undertones, only very subtle though, but still enough to spoil the character a bit. Supposedly, the Wyeast California Lager should produce a crisp and clear beer, but looks like flocculation didn't work as expected. Worth a try anyways, but I'll stay with the Bohemian Pilsener strain instead for my next California Lager.