Can sweet beer be fixed while still in the fermenter?

[Motorbikeman]

Done a pilsner and finished it right on target gravity of 1.012 but its very sweet. 

Im guessing I mashed to high at 69.

Is there anyway to fix it?

     I was thinking of boiling up all the old hops I have in the freezer in 500ml water and adding them to bitter it a bit.  Would this work?

[irish_goat]

Since it's a lager could you stick it in a corny and blend it with another batch?

[Motorbikeman]

I don't keg unfortunately

I have about 70g of hallertau garden hops in a  boiling pot at the moment  . 

I might try an experiment ..

[Leann ull]

Close your eyes and pretend it's a Kolsch.

What are you using to measure mash temp?

[Motorbikeman]

stc 1000

After getting a few volunteers, and boiling up a liter  hop tea, 

I did some blind taste tests   adding 2.5ml  of tea to 50ml of fermented beer. 


I think I fixed it  or at least balanced it out a bit.     

[Qs]

If its hit the target gravity then its not the mash temp thats made it sweet. Whats you grain bill and how many IBUs is it? I'd try to just add more bitterness somehow to balance it.

EDIT: Oh I see you did exactly that, nevermind.   

[Motorbikeman]

You know,  I have had a few batches of sweet beer now.  Im not a fan.    Im at the stage where im trying to iron out crap like this and trying different things.   I always seem to be spot on with my gravity numbers the whole way through brew day.  Yet the sweetness it still there. 

Seems to happen more with lager.     



The hops I am getting from the homebrewcompany are always of last years crop or the year before.      They are well sealed as you know,  but maybe im not hitting the IBU because of the age of them..   Would there be any truth in this thought?   
   

[Ohnidog]

Are you sure its not diacetyl? The fact that its happening to you more with lagers would suggest that it might be. Is it sweet and reminiscent of butterscotch?

[Leann ull]

+1 how are you fermenting, please advise schedule and temps?

[Motorbikeman]

Im fermenting for 10c days at 12c
then ramped up to 20c for 4-5 days,
then lagered at -1c for 2+ weeks.

Bottle primed for 2 weeks and stored in the fridge.

Sweet coming out of the fermenter though. 

[Leann ull]

10 days primary is a bit short for lager which in always a slow ferment, what Gravity is it then or did you measure it?
Let's also look at your yeast?
2 packs of dry or min 2.5 or preferably a 3l liquid starter.
They are notoriously slow and can take 24-48hrs to get going.

[Motorbikeman]

Before I ramped it up ,  I was 1.018 which was nearly done. 

And the week at 20c finished it off.     


i think maybe a cooler mash and slower ferment the next time.  But im not quite sure whats going on as I do land on the correct gravity with beer smith.    With a hydrometer and refractometer.

WOuld 69 be on the high side for a lager.

[Leann ull]

You need to get it to finish fermenting at lager temps I would give the next one 3 weeks and measure at that stage, the diacetyl rest is only a precautionary rest and a lot don't bother, it's not there to finish fermentation.
You need to be mashing 64-65 max temp.
Talk more about your yeast?

[Dr Jacoby]

Talk more about your yeast?

It's good to talk.

[mr hoppy]

You need to get it to finish fermenting at lager temps I would give the next one 3 weeks and measure at that stage, the diacetyl rest is only a precautionary rest and a lot don't bother, it's not there to finish fermentation.

Trying to expand my knowledge here but I thought I'd seen it suggested that you should really start (slowly) ramping to a D-rest once you're at high krausen?

You need to be mashing 64-65 max temp.

If you're doing a single infusion, right? I thought a protein rest was supposed to be a good idea (promote clarity etc.) for pilsener malt?