Topic: Lagering
Brewing Continental-Style Lagers: Tips From the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYContinental-styled lagers are often malt-forward beers. We sat down with two award-winning brewers to talk malts for your next bottom-fermented recipe.
Brewing Lagers for a Beginner
MEMBERS ONLYOne of the keys to brewing great lager beers, really, is keeping the fermentation temperature cool. There is no way to sugar-coat the importance of this fact. Lager beers that are fermented warmer than about 58 °F (14.5 °C) often have fruity aromas and sometimes have strong solvent and sulfur notes depending on the yeast
Diacetyl Rest
MEMBERS ONLYOne of the most common flaws in the beers brewed by homebrewers who are new to the hobby, particularly in lagers, is diacetyl. Diacetyl, which has a taste and aroma of butter or butterscotch, is naturally present in all beer during fermentation. Also known as 2,3 butanedione, diacetyl is produced through a chemical reaction out-
Lagering for Beginners
MEMBERS ONLYBrewing lagers can be very intimidating for new homebrewers — which is one of the reasons most begin with brewing ales. But, if your favorite beer styles to drink are Pilsners, märzens, bocks, etc…, then you can’t run from lagering! Once you understand the differences between brewing lager and ale, the extra steps really aren’t
Fast Lager Experiment: Traditional vs. Quick Fermentation
MEMBERS ONLYMany homebrewers avoid making lager styles due to how convoluted and time consuming the process is. In addition to recommendations calling for yeast pitch rates nearly double that needed for ales, step mashing, and extended boil lengths, many believe genuine lager character can only be produced by following an already lengthened cool fermentation stage with an
The Big Chill
MEMBERS ONLYFor 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
Bottle Conditioning Lagers
MEMBERS ONLYSince you are new to brewing lagers, I would focus 100% of my attention to primary fermentation and how the yeast behaves when fermented at cooler temperatures. Ale brewers are accustomed to having aggressive behavior during primary fermentation and the aroma coming from the fermenter is usually quite nice. Lagers are a different creature all
Low-Dissolved Oxygen Lagers
MEMBERS ONLY“I don’t know if it is a general problem to comprehend or follow instructions properly but hopefully others can break out of these habits and actually give [low dissolved oxygen brewing] a proper go!” Such was one response (following an enumeration of my seven errors) to a blogpost detailing my first lackluster batch of low
Fast Lagers: Ferment Your Favorite Lagers in Less Time
MEMBERS ONLYWhen I was a new homebrewer, I think I was like pretty much every other new homebrewer. The thrill of making beer for yourself overwhelmed me and I wanted to brew pretty much every style of beer I saw or read about. Like a lot of you, I started with dark beers. Porters and stouts
Pinning Down Pilsner
MEMBERS ONLYThe word “Pilsner” conjures images of beautiful German women in Dirndls delivering multiple liters of fresh-brewed paradise to groups of anxiously awaiting patrons. No doubt, German brewers were integral in crafting this masterpiece of a beverage and they continue to make some of the world’s best examples today. Despite the perception of the words “German”
India Pale Lager Clone Recipes
MEMBERS ONLYIndia Pale Lager (IPL) is a modern hybridization of the India Pale Ale (IPA) style and a (insert your own interpretation of the) “lager component” that has taken a craft beer industry foothold in recent years. Some argue that its lack of official definition is what appeals to many brewers, giving them full artistic freedom
Brewing High-Gravity Lagers: Tips from Pros
MEMBERS ONLYBrewing a high gravity lager (with an original gravity above 1.070) takes a lot of patience and a lot of yeast. These pros have brewed award-winning examples, and with their advice you can too. Brewer: Brian Destree, Capital Brewery in Middleton, WI All of our high-gravity lagers undergo a long, slow fermentation for about 10-12