7 replies to this topic

[neddles]

I've always figured I would do a lager sooner or later. There seems to be some amount of interest on the board in brewing lagers and for some their first lager. A group brew would keep me from putting it off forever. So far I think Drez is interested and possibly DJ. I think Ken would be pretty much required to do this. Anyone else?

 

I'm pretty open on style. Some ideas I'll throw out based on my own interest. Helles, Maibock, Schwarzbier, IPL (if Ken's not on board)

[Humperdink]

I'm in for sure as long as it's no larger than 6%. Not a fan of overly boozy brews unfortunately. I could even scale back the base malt if we decided on a bock or something like that.

[djinkc]

I think a CAP would be cool

[Humperdink]

I think a CAP would be cool

color me interested.

[HVB]

I am interested.  A guy in the club that I go to just did a hellesbock that was great.  He used a non conventional lager schedule and the beer was ready to drink in 2 weeks and everyone agreed it tasted like it was lagered for several months.

 

The schedule he used was Mike McDole's and it is described here .  I am not sure I would go this way all the time but if I had an empty pipeline and wanted to get one on tap fast I would have no issues trying it.

 

 

"My Dortmunder Export (1.050) takes two weeks from flame to glass. I raise the temperature in response to the level of fermentation I see in the blow-off. A typical regimen would be 50F for about three days, 52F for another two days, 55F for two days, 60F for two days, 70F for 3 days. Then I rack and crash on day 12, filter and carbonate on day 14. I use WLP833."

[Big Nake]

I might suggest something along the lines of my Bordertown Lager which is dark (ish) and mildly-to-moderately hopped.  You could change the recipe, clearly to use more hops if everyone liked that idea.  I suggest this beer because it's forgiving and I have never had it come out less than stellar.  A helles and possibly even a CAP (although I like the idea of a CAP) might be tough for a first lager but that doesn't mean you couldn't attempt it.  I would think that your takeaway from a first lager would be observing its slow fermentation, its ability to throw off some aromas that you might not encounter with an ale, the experience of doing a d-rest and also tasting a beer made with a yeast you may have never used before.  Styles to attempt might include bock, marzen/festbier, dunkel, dark lager, amber lager kind of thing... think SA Boston Lager or similar, red lager, Jamil's Vienna or something along those lines.  Beers to potentially put off until you're more comfortable might be helles, pilsner, American lager, etc.  Just a thought.  I'm a stubborn, hard-headed, slow-learning simpleton and I whiffed on many, many gold lagers.  Just my 2¢.  Either way.... I'm in on whatever beer you guys choose.

 

EDIT:  The recipe on my site for Fest Marzenbier is nice too.  2206 is a very nice and distinctly different German style yeast.  I made that beer in the spring and had it over the summer and some buds of mine (she is of German ancestry and still has family in Germany and they have been to Oktoberfest many times) were over and drank this beer all day and I kept hearing WOW!s and GREAT BEER!s from both of them. 

Edited by KenLenard, 23 December 2013 - 08:08 AM.

[realbeerguy]

A bock would be nice.  Like Ken's idea that it should be simple and showing the basic lager steps, especially since this will be a first lager for some.

[BlKtRe]

Dopplebock?