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Post by Ken on Nov 10, 2023 15:27:42 GMT -6
Okay, here's my take on Novalager: I don't like it. I am drinking this Oktoberfest Lager that I made with it, it tastes okay, it's clear, it's balanced, etc. but it's just kind of boring to me. Maybe it's the absence of sulfur or something, not sure. It's either got "no character" or a character I don't like. I made four beers with it. Oktoberfest lager, two gold lagers with pilsner + Munich 1 (in one case) and Munich 2 in the other case and then a Vienna Lager. I'll base the rest of my opinion off of those beers but personally I don't think I would use it again. I feel pretty much the same. Nothing bad about it, but nothing outstanding to me, either. Like you say, kinda bland. It tells me that the recipes I make with a certain strain of lager yeast are working for me because of what the yeast is bringing to the beer. I have mentioned a number of times the strains I tend to use .. Omega Bayern, White Labs 940 or Omega Mexican (same strain) and 2124. If I made one of the Mexican recipes with 2124 it would still be good, if I made one of the more German recipes with 2124 instead of Bayern it would still be good .. just not the same. I also used 2112 in four beers (Anchor steam homage, a gold lager, an "American Amber Lager" and something else that escapes me at the moment) .. those beers are okay but 2112 is also out of my normal rotation so right now NONE of my beers taste like my beers except for a bock where I used 2124.
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Post by Ken on Dec 14, 2023 11:05:04 GMT -6
I posted this on AHA too... Okay, another WTF moment with Nova. My second and third batches with it (both brewed in September) were "gold lagers" .. 80/20 Pils/Munich 1 and then 80/20 Pils/Munich 2 with different hops. I put the first one in the draft fridge this week and then ran some beer to clear the line of yeast. The color was darker than expected and there was quite a bit of sludge. I ran a bit more and then stopped. Last night I tapped a glass of it and I have no idea what's going on. It's MUCH darker than it should be and the flavor seems off. It's like I messed up the pH or something. I drank about half the glass and poured the rest out. I thought I had a dumper so I pulled that keg out of the fridge and put the other one on tap. SAME THING! Way darker than it should be and super-sludgy. I don't get this at all. One bad batch is understandable but TWO? No way. Has anyone experienced this with Nova? Does it drop like a rock and leave a dark sludgy mess on the bottom of the keg? I'm quite certain I will never use this yeast again! Cheers Beerheads. EDIT: As an aside, the first beer I made with this yeast (Festbier) did end up being a very nice beer .. clear, balanced, maybe slightly lacking in the yeast character department but a good beer that friends, family and neighbors have all remarked favorably about.
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Post by tommymorris on Dec 14, 2023 14:52:35 GMT -6
I brewed three batches with my pack of Novalager (two Pilsners and a Brooklyn lager clone). All were great.
Regarding yeast character, I find all lager yeasts to be subtly different. Novalager is pretty clean, but I really didn’t miss anything character wise. I will definitely use it again, but I also like Diamond and 34/70.
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Post by Ken on Dec 16, 2023 9:56:56 GMT -6
I'm at a loss. Yesterday I brewed (with 1056) and decided to just roll the dice on this lager that's on tap and see what happens. I tapped a glass and took a sip. Not great. I did drink a couple glasses of it while brewing hoping it would improve but it really didn't. It's pretty clear, it's darker than it should be and it's on the "harsh" side but it's not contaminated. I feel like I somehow messed up the pH of the mash or something but that would mean that I messed up the next batch too because I put that one on tap earlier this week and it's got the same thing going on. Really strange and out of my experience. Eventually my mind will get into a spot where I don't mind dumping it because it's taking up valuable real estate in my kegs.
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Post by Megary on Dec 20, 2023 13:29:48 GMT -6
By the way...
I believe this was discussed somewhere...did you ever pick up on any "red apple" character from this yeast?
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Post by Ken on Dec 22, 2023 9:59:30 GMT -6
By the way... I believe this was discussed somewhere...did you ever pick up on any "red apple" character from this yeast? I never did, thankfully. The first beer was a Festbier that came out really nicely and I have had quite a bit of it and so have some buds. I keep trying to taste red apple but it's not there and I'm very happy. I have this one on tap right now that I've kind of ignored for a bit and then there is a Vienna Lager that was the last batch made with it. Denny said he picked it up when the beer was warm .. I did not.
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Post by denny on Dec 22, 2023 14:01:51 GMT -6
By the way... I believe this was discussed somewhere...did you ever pick up on any "red apple" character from this yeast? I never did, thankfully. The first beer was a Festbier that came out really nicely and I have had quite a bit of it and so have some buds. I keep trying to taste red apple but it's not there and I'm very happy. I have this one on tap right now that I've kind of ignored for a bit and then there is a Vienna Lager that was the last batch made with it. Denny said he picked it up when the beer was warm .. I did not. at very low levels
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