The Big Chill
For the vast majority of consumers, “lager” is synonymous with “beer” — after all, all the mass-market favorites are lagers. Advanced consumers might recognize that most beer can be categorized as either an ale or a lager, but not really understand the distinction beyond their favorite brands. Beginning brewers might know the difference has to do with the yeast, and even mention “top-fermenting” ales and “bottom-fermenting” lagers. But probe further, and they can’t define the difference.
Scientists might tell you that the difference between ale yeast and lager yeast is that lager yeast can fully ferment melibiose, an obscure sugar not found in any significant concentration in wort. But, they can’t even agree on the name or the history of the type of yeast — it’s changed at least three or four times since I’ve been brewing. Governments often confuse the issue by adding their own definitions, most notably (or notoriously?) Texas who defines “Ale” as a malt beverage containing 5% alcohol or higher (“Beer” is defined as between 0.5% and 5% ABV). If you’ve ever seen Paulaner Salvator labeled “Ale,” now you know why.
For the practical homebrewer, none of these points really matter except to note that they can generate confusion when discussing lagers. To me, lagers are a class of beer that involve a specific cold-side treatment — they ferment cool with a specific type of yeast, and they are cold-conditioned (or “lagered,” which comes from the German word for storage).
Lagers can be of any strength, color or flavor, and can use any type or amount of malt or hops, as long as they are fermented using lager yeast, and then lagered after fermentation is complete. It is the use of lager yeast, not the temperature the beer is fermented at, that makes a beer a lager. Lagers tend to have a smoother, cleaner flavor profile when compared to ales, and may have more sulfur and less fruity esters when fermented at traditional temperatures.
Lagers cover a broad range within the world of beer styles. Most lager styles historically come from central Europe, particularly Germany and the Czech Republic, but the mass-market pale versions are made in nearly every country in the world. Many popular American lager styles are simply adaptations of German and Czech beer styles, made with indigenous ingredients and designed for broader appeal to a wider range of consumers.
Brewing Lager Beer
Since lager beer is such a wide category, I’m going to approach lager brewing by examining brewing practices for specific lager styles and then attempt to generalize from the common elements of each. To get a more diverse set of opinions, I queried the Beer Judge Certification program (BJCP) database for people who won Best of Show (BOS) with lagers at large competitions in 2011, and I’ve supplemented those with two outstanding lager beers I’ve had the privilege to personally judge in competition.
My thanks go to BOS winners Paul Sangster of Carlsbad, California; Randy Scorby of Baker City, Oregon; Matt Welz of Middlebury, Vermont; and Dave Helt of Germantown, Wisconsin. I tried both Paul and Randy’s beers at the AHA NHC, and both are indeed worthy. To round out the panel, I selected beers from Michael Pearson of Indianapolis, Indiana and Bill Ballinger of Shelbyville, Indiana. In one of the more memorable panels of my judging career, I gave them scores of 47 and 46 (out of 50, on the BJCP scoresheet) in the Light Lager BJCP category. Two of the best beers I’ve ever tasted, and both in the same flight.
Each of these brewers not only gave me their award-winning recipes, but also discussed their favorite tips for brewing winning lager beers. I’ll talk about the common tips first, then discuss style-specific recommendations, followed by their recipes.
Common Tips
The brewers gave me tips that tended to fall into three major categories: ingredients, brewing procedures (hot-side process) and fermentation (cold-side process).
Ingredients: The Basis for Great Lagers
All the brewers emphasized the need for fresh, authentic ingredients in their lagers, especially in German beers where the malty richness needs to shine. German malts and noble hops provide the most authentic and best-tasting German-style lagers. Randy said, “Use ingredients indigenous to the style being brewed as much as possible; this helps create and enhance the nuances intended of the style.” Bill said, “Use the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on; it really makes a difference.” Matt prefers to keep the malt bill simple, even to the point of just using Pilsner or Munich malt. Bill agrees, warning that you should avoid “kitchen sink recipes.”
Paul emphasizes the correct type of malty sweetness produced from German base and specialty malts, and not candy-like sugary crystal malts. He says that it is “Important that even if the terminal gravity is high, that the sweetness isn’t candy-like.” I will add that all brewers should understand the difference between maltiness (the flavor of malted grain) and sweetness (the residual sugar in the beer). Many German lagers are malty but dry; your brain might tell you that it’s sweet, but it’s not.
All of the brewers recommended using soft water to make superior lagers. Michael said that some calcium chloride and baking soda will “keep the beer soft, but add enough salt, chloride, and calcium to round out the flavor and mouthfeel.” (Adding baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is usually reserved for dark beers, to counteract the acidity of dark grains.)
Paul limits sulfate levels to less than 65 ppm and calcium and magnesium to less than 100 ppm total. He builds his water using soft water (reverse osmosis (RO) and local water) with mineral additions, especially sodium and chloride to accentuate sweetness in malty-rich styles. He increases the bicarbonate levels only when using darker malts to keep the mash pH from dropping too low.
The brewers were divided on their yeast recommendations, although all basically agree with Matt who prefers to keep the yeast impact minimal to “showcase the malt and spicy, flowery noble hops.” Randy suggested experimenting with yeast, including splitting batches into two or three fermenters to determine which “yeast strains produce the most stylistic character.”
Bill and Michael prefer to stick with one lager yeast, learning how to use it and how it responds to different fermentation conditions. Bill puts it best when he said, “switching lager yeast is not like switching ale yeast. Ale yeast add much more character to the final beer, but all lager yeast are inherently very clean fermenters by nature. Learn your chosen yeast inside and out. Find out what temperatures it likes best for each of your recipes and how long it takes in primary and if you need to do a diacetyl rest.”
Bill recommends White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) for lagers, but Michael makes the unusual choice of Wyeast 2112 (California Lager) at a cooler (52 °F/11 °C) temperature. Michael says that “2112 will produce a maltier flavored beer than most other lager yeasts, so bump the IBUs up 5–10% in styles where that is not desirable.”
Hot Side Process: The Same as Most Beers
The brewers had a few recommendations for brewing processes, but most would be applicable to all beers.
Several of them stressed the need to bring your “A-game” when brewing lagers – take extra care with cleaning and sanitation, follow your normal hot side brewing processes carefully and avoid typical mistakes. Matt says he “is probably even more anal when it comes to keeping trub and ‘schmutz’ out of the fermenter via whirlpooling, hopsacks, etc.”
Bill and Matt both recommend a longer boil (90 minutes, typically) when using Pilsner malts to reduce DMS in the end product; that’s something I normally do as well.
Randy mentions the use of a decoction mash schedule to “develop and emphasize malt character and richness” and to keep bittering hop additions to 60 minutes or less to “create a more rounded hop bitterness.” None of the other brewers mentioned these steps, but they are ones that I typically follow, however.
Fermentation: The Key to Lager Character
What most people recognize as a great lager character is a result of a clean fermentation with proper attenuation and reduction of fermentation by-products. All brewers advocated pitching sufficient yeast. Pitching rate calculators can help, but Bill’s rule of thumb is to use at least twice as much yeast as used when making ales (more if making a strong lager). Making a starter is recommended unless you have access to sufficient yeast. Creating a proper fermentation environment with oxygen and nutrients makes a difference; if making a starter, introduce nutrients at that time.
Most of the brewers advocated chilling the wort below the fermentation temperature to account for the heat of fermentation to raise the temperature to the desired range. Randy recommends “chilling the wort to below 50 °F (10 °C) prior to pitching yeast. Although yeast reproduction will be faster at higher temps, it is critical to reduce undesired flavors and aromas. Use a high pitch rate of healthy yeast due to low temperature.”
Bill agrees with this and further states that he builds his starters “at the same temperature that the beer will ferment.” I agree, and will often chill my starters to slightly below the pitching temperature to ensure the yeast isn’t shocked by entering a cooler fermentation environment. Matt isn’t worried about the slower pace of a cooler fermentation, noting that he is “not trying to rush fermentation at all — it’s done when it’s done.” Michael uses Wyeast 2112 at 52 °F (11 °C), which he finds, “Produces a more refined and almost German-like sulfur profile. It adds days to the overall fermentation, but the lack of diacetyl production makes 2112 a great yeast choice for newer lager brewers.”
The need for a diacetyl rest is strain-dependent. Some brewers recommend it, but others don’t. My advice is to taste your beer and use it if you think you detect diacetyl. Raising the temperature towards the end of fermentation will often help ensure full attenuation and encourage yeast to clean up fermentation by-products. With cooler temperatures, primary fermentation can take awhile. Bill says, “Patience Grasshopper! Let the beer ferment for two to three weeks in the primary fermenter. Yeast move a little slower at the colder temperatures.”
After fermentation is complete, brewers recommend racking the beer into a keg or other container for cold storage. The actual lagering phase is where the beer will mature and sulfur flavors produced during fermentation are cleaned up. Bill says, “The cold storage step could take 4 to 12 weeks depending on your original gravity (OG). A good rule of thumb is 1 week per degree Plato from the day you brew your beer, it will be ready.” As always, let your palate be the final judge as to when your beer is ready to be served. Immature (green) flavors are the sign of a rush job.
Specific Recommendations
Aside from the tips that apply to all lagers, I thought the brewers gave me good advice that applies to four special cases: brewing strong lagers, making lager-like ales, using specialty flavors in lagers and making multiple styles from the same beer. I agree with all their recommendations, and have applied them to my beers as well.
Paul Sangster: Brewing Strong Lagers
Some of my highest scoring beers have been doppelbocks and eisbocks; I find Paul Sangster’s experiences and recipes are very similar to my own. I think his recommendations apply to all lagers, but are especially important for higher-gravity beers. Brewing successfully is often a series of calculated risks, and big beers give you less margin of error; it’s best to focus on those aspects that can easily go wrong when dealing with extreme beers.
Paul begins by emphasizing the basics: sanitation. Big lagers need to have a soft, malty complexity without a distracting acidic character. The need to age big beers longer gives bugs more of a chance to ruin your beer. Don’t let them do it! Be sure to brew and handle the beer cleanly so that your big beer will be stable over the long haul. I would add packaging and handling so that your transfers and storage don’t let oxygen into the beer, since this can also spoil a great beer by dulling its character or making it go vinegary.
Selecting the proper strain of lager yeast is critical for high gravity fermentation. Paul recommends choosing a yeast with the desired flavor profile (he likes to accentuate the malt flavor), higher attenuation so that the beer dries out even with a high-gravity wort, and the ability to handle fermentation in a high-alcohol environment without flocculating or stalling. He recommends White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) yeast for malty high-gravity beers; I concur, it’s one of my favorite strains — the Ayinger yeast. (The Wyeast equivalent of this strain is their seasonal release, Wyeast 2487 (Hella Bock).)
High gravity lagers need a lot of yeast. Starters are critical, and it’s better to over-pitch than under-pitch. Paul recommends using on-line pitching rate calculators to make sure that you don’t under-pitch. In big, flavorful lagers, Paul pitches at high kräusen to make sure the yeast gets busy in the wort as fast as possible. The increased mass of yeast cells mean that more oxygen and nutrients are needed in the wort — consider oxygenation rather than aeration, and add yeast nutrients for insurance. The goal is to reduce stress on the yeast so that they don’t produce off-flavors or become restricted in their growth.
Paul recommends adding a second dose of oxygen 24 hours after the initial pitch to help with the growth phase of the yeast, and he often repitches his big (over SG 1.085) lagers to ensure they finish fermenting. Planning ahead with a second starter (one vial or smack pack at high kräusen is sufficient); repitch after the most active portion of fermentation has finished. Paul recommends patience, as it often takes 3-5 weeks for a big lager to finish. He raises the temperature into the low 60s at the end to help it finish and as insurance against diacetyl.
To avoid brothy autolysed flavors, Paul recommends racking to a secondary vessel if fermentation takes longer than 4 weeks, and when lagering. Big lagers may have more haze-producing proteins in solution, so lagering as close to 32 °F (0 °C) is recommended to help them settle out. Using finings can help, but lagering is a slow process, so give it time. Big malty lagers with complex flavors frequently improve over 6–18 months, so be patient and sample occasionally.
Randy Scorby: Specialty Flavors in Lagers
Randy Scorby has won multiple medals in lager categories at the National Homebrew Competition (NHC) over the years. His most recent success is winning Best of Show with a rauchbier. He says that before trying to make a beer that has a special flavor (like smoke), that the brewer first get the base recipe down cold. (OK, that pun was mine.) In the case of rauchbier, first dial in your Oktoberfest recipe. Randy used his basic Oktoberfest recipe as a base, replacing a majority of the base malts with rauchmalz, and then tweaked the color by adding a small amount of dehusked Carafa® II.
Randy was attempting to approximate the color of Schlenkerla Rauchbier, but judged that earlier versions had too much specialty grain flavor. The color was right, but the Carafa® and smoked malt masked the underlying Oktoberfest maltiness. His winning recipe reflects his adjustment based on his opinion as a BJCP National judge; the color is on the low end for the style, but the malty richness shines through. Based on his medal, I’d say he made the right call.
Michael Pearson: Multiple Styles from the Same Beer
I judged Michael Pearson’s standard American lager twice in one competition, first in the initial judging and then again in a mini-BOS round. I initially scored the beer lower, feeling it was more like a premium American lager (a bigger beer), but the second bottle was spot-on for the style. Michael suggested that the second bottle probably had a higher CO2 level, which made it seem like a lighter beer.
Michael believes that the carbonation level is a critical part of American lagers, and can easily affect the overall impression of the beer. He also points out that different regions of the country have different preferences, and he’ll adjust the carbonation accordingly for the audience.
He does tweak his recipe slightly when entering as a premium American lager, boosting the OG to 1.055 by adding more 2-row and raising the IBUs to 22. This beer has medaled in the NHC. My personal opinion is that his standard American lager is a fine premium when presented with lower carbonation. Michael suggests that an even lower carbonation level (to the point where there is no carbonic bite in the finish) would make the beer a fine American blonde ale.
Dave Helt: Making Lager-Like Ales
When I contacted Dave Helt about his winning recipe, he sheepishly confessed that it wasn’t a real lager, but that it used California Ale yeast. He doesn’t have a temperature-controlled fermentation fridge (yet) but adapted to his conditions by using a clean-fermenting ale yeast and keeping it cold in his basement over the winter. He suggests pitching plenty of yeast (even for an ale), fermenting cool and tasting it while lagering until you notice a change in character.
After the beer was fermented, Dave tasted it and felt that it was clean, but not really crisp enough to pass for a lager. After he kept it cold for an extended period of time, he noticed that the ale qualities had diminished enough to make it indistinguishable from a genuine lager. He feels that about four months of lagering in a fridge are about right to get this character. On a personal note, I think this is very similar to the process used in Kölsch and Altbier, the German ales that are cold-conditioned to get their smooth character.
He has entered this beer several times in competition and has repeatedly gotten back scoresheets that praised its “clean lager character” and noting that the “fermentation was clean.” He did say that versions that hadn’t been kept lagered in a fridge were called out by judges for negative yeast issues, so the extended lagering does appear to be critical to the character even when using a neutral yeast.
Three-time Ninkasi Award winner Gordon Strong is the President of the BJCP and the author of “Brewing Better Beer: Master Lessons for Advanced Homebrewers.”
Award-Winning Lager Recipes
We have adjusted the original recipes to meet Brew Your Own’s standard extract efficiency and hop utilization. Details of these adjustments are given at end of each all-grain recipe. Extract conversions by BYO.
Paul Sangster’s Doppelbock/Eisbock
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.100 FG = 1.026
IBU = 28 SRM = 33 ABV = 10%
Best of Show, America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition (502 entries)
Ingredients
15 lbs. (6.8 kg) light Munich malt (10 °L)
5.0 lbs. (2.3 kg) German Pilsner malt
3.0 lbs. (1.4 kg) CaraMunich® malt (50 °L)
6 AAU Hallertauer hops (60 mins)
(1.5 oz./42 g of 4% alpha acids)
4 AAU Hallertauer hops (30 mins)
(1.0 oz./28 g of 4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) yeast
Step by Step
Water profile: half RO water, half filtered San Diego tap water, with 2 grams of calcium carbonate added. Dough in with 7.0 gallons (26 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water to hit a mash temp of 154 °F (68 °C). Mash for 60 min, then mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Collect 8.0 gallons (30 L) sweet wort. Boil 90 minutes. Chill rapidly. Oxygenate. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C) for 3–4 weeks, raising to 55 °F (13 °C) during last 3 days. Lager for a year.
To turn into an eisbock, reduce slightly (remove a quart or two of ice), then lager another year. This is a strong doppelbock, but is not overly intense on the malts; reduction increases the intensity. Eis by freezing until slushy, then transferring it to another keg via a surescreen to filter out the larger chunks. Concentrate to taste, but watch over-concentrating. Additional lagering greatly helps the flavors smooth out. [Original extract efficiency = 55%. Two base malts adjusted proportionally. 10 AAU bittering hops (60-min addition).]
Paul Sangster’s Doppelbock/Eisbock
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.100 FG = 1.026
IBU = 28 SRM = 33 ABV = 10%
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) liquid Munich malt extract
5.0 lbs. (2.3 kg) dried German Pilsner malt extract
0.75 lbs. (0.34 kg) German Pilsner malt
0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
3.0 lbs. (1.4 kg) CaraMunich® malt (50 °L)
6 AAU Hallertauer hops (60 mins)
(1.5 oz./42 g of 4% alpha acids)
4 AAU Hallertauer hops (30 mins)
(1.0 oz./28 g of 4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) yeast
Step by Step
Place crushed grains in a large steeping bag and place in a 2.0-gallon (7.6-L) beverage cooler. Mix 5.5 qts. (5.2 L) of hot (~168 °F/76 °C) water into the grains and let rest, insulated, for 45 minutes. (The temperature should end up around 154 °F/68 °C.) Draw off a couple cups of wort and pour them back into cooler. Repeat 3 or 4 times to complete recirculation. Draw off between 0.5-1.0 qt. (~0.5–1.0 L) of wort and pour in brewpot. Add the same amount of hot (~185 °F/85 °C) water to top of cooler. You’ll need about 6 qts. (~6 L) of hot water (sparge water) total. If grain bed temperature approaches 170 °F (77 °C), cool sparge water to 170 °F (77 °C). Keep collecting wort (and adding sparge water) until you have collected 11 qts. (10 L) of wort. Add water to make 4 gallons (15 L) of wort, stir in dried malt extract and bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Stir in liquid malt extract during final 15 minutes of boil. Cool wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cold water. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C) for 3–4 weeks, raising the temperature to 55 °F (13 °C) during last 3 days. Lager for a year. See all-grain recipe for eisbock option.
Randy Scorby’s Classic Rauchbier
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.053 FG = 1.014
IBU = 28 SRM = 13 ABV = 5.0%
Best of Show, AHA NHC (840 entries)
Ingredients
7 lb. 13 oz. (3.5 kg) Weyermann rauchmalz (smoked malt)
1 lb. 5 oz. (0.59 kg) Weyermann Pilsner malt
1 lb. 3 oz. (0.53 kg) Weyermann Munich Type II malt
12 oz. (0.34 kg) Weyermann Caravienne® malt
1.6 oz. (45 g) Weyermann dehusked Carafa® II malt
8 AAU Tettnanger hops (60 mins)
(2.0 oz./57 g of 4% alpha acids)
1.2 AAU Tettnanger hops (5 mins)
(0.3 oz./8.5 g of 4% alpha acids) Wyeast yeast nutrient (15 mins)
Wyeast 2633 (Oktoberfest Blend) yeast
(2 qt./2L yeast starter)
Step by Step
Single decoction mash schedule: Mash in at 132 °F (56 °C) and hold for ten minutes. Pull a thick decoction and boil it for 10 minutes. Return to main mash and hold at 154 °F (68 °C) for 40 minutes or until conversion is achieved. Recirculate until clear, fly sparge with 168 °F (76 °C) water and boil for 90 minutes. Chill wort and pitch yeast starter. Wort temperature should be no higher than 50 °F (10 °C) when pitched. A higher pitch rate is needed to compensate for low wort temperature. Ferment at 48 °F (8.9 °C) for 14 days or until desired FG is achieved. [Original extract efficiency = 70%. Three base malts adjusted proportionally.]
Bill Ballinger’s Munich Helles
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.015
IBU = 14 SRM = 5.4 ABV = 5.2%
Scored a 46 at the Indiana Brewers Cup (1,071 entries)
Ingredients
8 lb. 12 oz. (4.0 kg) Weyermann Pilsner malt
2 lb. 7 oz. (1.1 kg) Munich malt
1.8 oz. (51 g) melanoidin malt
4.1 AAU Hallertauer Hersbrucker hops (75 mins)
(1.2 oz./34 g of 3.4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) yeast
Step by Step
Used 3.5 gallons (13 L) RO water treated with 3.0 g gypsum, 9.0 g calcium chloride, and 9.0 g chalk in the mash. Sparge water is RO water with no salts, but treated with phosphoric acid to be pH 5.3. Mash at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 168 °F (76 °C) water for 45 minutes, collecting 6.7 gallons (25 L) wort. Boil for 75 minutes, yielding 5.0 gallons (19 L). Ferment at 54 °F (12 °C) for 2–3 weeks, rack to keg. Lager for 14 weeks. [Original recipe for 6 gallons (23 L) at 80% efficiency. All ingredients scaled down then two base malts adjusted proportionally.]
Bill Ballinger’s Munich Helles
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.015
IBU = 14 SRM = 5.4 ABV = 5.2%
Ingredients
4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) Munich liquid malt extract
1 lb. 14 oz. (0.85 kg) Munich malt
2.0 oz. (57 g) melanoidin malt
4.1 AAU Hallertauer Hersbrucker hops (75 mins)
(1.2 oz./34 g of 3.4% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) yeast
Step by Step
Steep crushed grains in 2.7 qts. (2.6 L) of water at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Add water to make at least 3.5 gallons (13 L), stir in dried malt extract and bring to a boil. Boil for 75 minutes, adding hops at start of boil and liquid malt extract with 15 minutes left in boil. Ferment at 54 °F (12 °C) for 2–3 weeks. Lager for 14 weeks.
Dave Helt’s Schwarzbier
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.019
IBU = 30 SRM = 32 ABV = 4.1%
Best of Show, Drunk Monk Challenge (735 entries)
Ingredients
4.5 lbs. (2.0 kg) Maris Otter malt
2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Vienna malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich malt
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked barley
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) dehusked Carafa® II malt
0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) CaraPils® malt
0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) pale chocolate malt
8 AAU US Goldings hops (30 mins)
(1.7 oz./48 g of 4.5% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) yeast
Step by Step
Mash at 154 °F (68 °C). Pitch 2⁄3 cup yeast slurry of 1056 from a previous batch. Boil for 90 minutes. Ferment at about 66–68 °F (19–20 °C), bottle, then lager at 38 °F (3.3 °C) for 4 months. [11 AAU hops in original recipe.]
Matt Welz’s German Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.009
IBU = 30 SRM = 2.2 ABV = 5.4%
Best of Show, Greg Noonan Memorial Homebrew Competition (281 entries)
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) Bestmalz German Pilsner malt
6.4 oz. (0.18 kg) Weyermann Carafoam® malt
6 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops (60 mins)
(1.4 oz./40 g of 4.2% alpha acids)
4.2 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops (15 mins)
(1.0 oz./28 g of 4.2% alpha acids)
2.1 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops (0 mins)
(0.5 oz./14 g of 4.2% alpha acids)
Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast (1 gallon/4 L starter)
Step by Step
Use soft water with “just a little gypsum and calcium chloride added.” Mash at 149 °F (65 °C) for 90 minutes. Boil 90 minutes. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C), ramping up to 60 °F (16 °C) towards the end of fermentation for a diacetyl rest. Lager for about 6 weeks. [Original recipe contained 7.4 AAU bittering hops and 0.75 lbs. (0.34 kg) less Pilsner malt.]
Extract with grains option:
Decrease amount of Pilsner malt to 1 lb. 10 oz. (0.74 kg). Add 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) of Pilsner dried malt extract and 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract. Steep grains at 149 °F (65 °C) for 60 minutes. Boil 60 minutes. Ferment at 50 °F
(10 °C), ramping up to 60 °F (16 °C) towards the end of fermentation for a diacetyl rest. Lager for about 6 weeks.
Michael Pearson’s Standard American Lager
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010
IBU = 18 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.3%
Scored a 47 at the Indiana Brewers Cup (1,071 entries)
Ingredients
4.5 lbs. (2.0 kg) Rahr 6-row pale malt
4.5 lbs. (2.0 kg) Rahr 2-row pale malt
12 oz. (0.34 kg) flaked maize
12 oz. (0.34 kg) flaked rice
5 AAU Magnum hops (60 mins)
(0.42 oz./12 g of 12% alpha acids)
Wyeast 2112 (California Lager) yeast (2 qt./2 L starter)
Step by Step
Single Infusion mash at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Boil for 90 minutes. Cool. Oxygenate wort for 90 seconds. Pitch at 52 °F (11 °C) and let free rise to 55 °F (13 °C). Maintain at 55 °F (13 °C) for 14 days. Raise temperature to 62 °F (17 °C) for 7 day maturation rest. Wyeast 2112 doesn’t throw much diacetyl, so this step is to knock the subtle acetaldehyde down and expedite sulfur scrubbing by CO2. If filtering, transfer to Corny keg and crash cool for 2–4 days and filter using your normal method. If not, crash cool and lager for 10–14 days until desired clarity is reached and sulfur aroma/flavor from yeast in suspension is not detectable. [Original recipe was 7 gallons at 70% extract efficiency.]
