Black Rock Dry Lager Review
A crisp, clean lager with a dry finish
Black Rock Dry Lager Review – A finely balanced beer with delicate malt attributes and a clean finish.
This beer boasts a mild malt character that complements its crispness, bringing forth a brew that provides a delicate interplay of malt and hops with an exceptionally clean finish, making it a great choice for those who appreciate a traditional lager.
For the Black Rock Dry Lager Review we brewed two brews:
1. The Basics Brew: The basics brew was made with the primary goal of simplicity and affordability.
2. The Recipe Brew: The recipe brew incorporated additional ingredients as suggested by Black Rock’s own recipe, bringing forth an enriched flavour profile.
And of course, we brought both the brews back together to complete the Black Rock Dry Lager Review.
The Basics Brew
For the Basics Brew The fundamental objective here was to craft this beer with affordability and minimal fuss. Sticking to this ethos, we used the Black Rock Dry Lager Kit, 1kg packet of dextrose, and reliable tap water. We had this brew ready to ferment in under 40 minutes, making the entire process incredibly streamlined.
What We Used:
1 x Black Rock Dry Lager 1.7KG Beer Kit
The basics was notably satisfying. We achieved an ABV of approximately 4.46% and the feedback from my friends was that it was exceptionally easy drinking.
We didn’t use finings or cold crash the brew and the finish, while still very good reflected this.
The beer exhibited a pale golden hue, and as anticipated, its body was on the lighter side, which is a characteristic outcome when utilizing dextrose. As we’ve commented on other reviews, the dextrose can sometimes give the beer a somewhat thin texture and a slight sweetness on at the tail end of the flavour profile, which may not be to everyone’s liking.
That said, one of my friends also made the point that they didn’t feel the sweetness on the flavour was any stronger than some of the beer he drinks. And, as the beer matured over time, the sweet note on the flavour profile seemed to mellow out.
Considering its cost and simplicity, this brew was rather impressive. Using a liquid brewing sugar or brew enhancer instead of dextrose might be a worthwhile experiment for future brews. Another approach that would be worth considering, especially for those who are looking for a dry finish would be to incorporate the Mangrove Jacks Dry Enzyme, which we have also found to support a cleaner finish when dextrose or liquid brewing sugar are used.
On the Home Brew Republic Brew Scale, this budget-friendly brew lands between “Beauty is in the eye of the brew holder.” and “Today’s good mood will be sponsored by this brew.”, with a score of 6.5-7.5.
The Recipe Brew
The Recipe Brew For our Black Rock Dry Lager review was based on the Dry Lager recipe posted on the Black Rock website.
What We Used:
1 x Black Rock Dry Lager 1.7KG Beer Kit
The outcome of the recipe brew was a beer with a pronounced malt depth, thanks to the Blonde Liquid Malt Extract. Black Rock’s own description of the Blonde Liquid Malt Extract advises that it will support a drier finish. And with a smoother mouth feel it surely it added an extra dimension to the beer. While it didn’t overpower the lager’s character, it was more pronounced than we had anticipated. For those contemplating alternatives, Black Rock’s Ultra Light might be a fitting substitute to consider.
The Mangrove Jacks M54 Californian Lager Yeast was a great choice. Its fermentation temperature range is closer to ale temperatures making it a versatile yeast, and it offers an impeccably clean finish. This was an area we deviated from the Black Rock recipe which recommended the SafAle US-05 yeast. Based on previous experience we think would have altered the flavour profile, potentially introducing a hint of citrus.
Firmly holding its ground, the Recipe Brew scored a commendable 7-8 on our Brew Scale, dancing between “Today’s good mood will be sponsored by this brew.” and “My home brew is so good my friends have another pint.”
To sum the Black Rock Dry Lager Review up, while the basics brew provided simplicity and value, the recipe brew came up trumps for us in this review. Overall it had a cleaner flavour profile and the slightly drier finish was on point for the brew – a crisp, clean, dry lager.
Definitely a kit we’ll be keeping on our brew again list and as mentioned above we’re very likely to try this in some different combinations potentially using the Black Rock Ultra Light Liquid Malt Extract.
