Lager Recipe

[stubrewworx]

I'm going to attempt a lager for my 3rd AG.

I wanted to do a Brooklyn lager clone, I did find some recipes but I don't think I'll source some of the ingredients (e.g. Vanguard hops). So here's what I've created, I'm not expecting it to be like Brooklyn. But it's straight forward and I haven't yet used more than one grain, so it's going to be a good learning curve.

Also, my plan is to split that batch after primary and dry hop with different hops. One of them being Cascade, as in the recipe. Any recommendations for the other?

Cheers, Stu.


Unamed Lager (Specialty Beer)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.049 (°P): 12.1
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.81 %
Colour (SRM): 6.2 (EBC): 12.3
Bitterness (IBU): 30.0 (Average)

81.63% Pale Ale Malt
10.2% Munich I
8.16% Caramalt

0.9 g/L Hallertau Mittlefrueh (6.3% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.9 g/L Hallertau Mittlefrueh (6.3% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil)
0.9 g/L Hallertau Mittlefrueh (6.3% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 12°C with Saflager W-34/70


Recipe Generated with BrewMate

 

[dennisking]

Not a lager brewer myself but bumping this hoping someone can help.

 

[Runwell-Steve]

I don't brew much lager and without access to my recipe books my memory is vague, but I think 30 IBU is a bit on the high side for a lager.

 

[Diggerg]

Not tried brooklyn but the clone recipes I have for lagers have an average of around 18 ibu.

 

[Aleman]

Decent Czech Pilsners have a bitterness of 40IBU or more with an IBU to Gravity ratio of around 0.9

Even Jever Pils has 30 IBU

Yeah I do brew a few Pilsners

 

[TheMumbler]

Recipe below taken from the Brooklyn site

I make that around 35 ibu when I plug it into BrewR assuming pellet hops and using the default aa values in the software. Obviously there is quite a lot of potential variance around aa and pellet vs whole hops. Their site gives it as 33 ibu. So your recipe should be in the area that you want it.

I can't see brewlength and efficiency but the vast majority of US homebrew recipes are for either 5 or 6 US gallons and 70% efficiency. I am assuming 5 US gallons as it puts the abv closer and is the norm for BYO magazine recipes.

As per Mr. Oliver’s recipe in the recent December issue of Brew Your Own Magazine:

Grain

- 9.6 lbs American 2 row malt
- 14 ozs Munich malt
- 11 ozs 60 L Caramel malt

Hops

- 1 oz Willamette (75 min.)
- 0.33 oz Cascade and 0.45 oz Vanguard (35 min.)
- 0.5 oz each, Hallertau Mittlefruh, Cascade, and Saphir (2 min.)
- 0.75 oz Cascade and 1.5 oz Hallertau Mittlefruh are used post fermentation as a dry hop

We reccomend mashing in the grain to a starch conversion temperature of 156 or higher; This strategy will help to achieve the body and mouthfeel we aim for. Another important element is our 75-minute boil, which may lead to excess color and flavor development if you are working over a very strong, direct flame. After your wort has cooled to 55 degrees, you’re ready to pitch your favorite lager yeast! About 10 days prior to bottling or kegging, add the dry hops.

Hope this helps, and if you need any more advice, just ask!

 

[stubrewworx]

The above has been fermenting for a week. My plan was to split it now into 2 5l water bottles and dry hop 1 with cascade and the other summit.

The gravity is currently 1020, with target of 1013. Should I wait?

Also, has anyone bottled out of the 5l water bottles. I dont really want to transfer again to my bottling bucket.

Stuart.

 

[benkbenkbenk]

Excellent. I love Brooklyn lager, and now I have a fermentation chamber I have been wanting to try the cooling side on things with a lager.

I did a bit of googling and found that although Brooklyn use their own yeast strain the brewer recommended a WLP 800 Pilsner yeast. I have all the ingredients on order now, although I couldn't get hold of Saphir or Vanguard so just using Mittelfruh and Saaz instead.

What temp should I ferment at, and how long should it be conditioned?

 

[benkbenkbenk]

So I finally got round to brewing this last weekend. I made a 2l starter the day before and pitched at around 26C. This immediately went in the fridge to cool down to 10C where it has been fermenting for the past week.

I measured the Gravity today it's dropped down from OG of 1.042 to 1.018 already! No taste of diacetyl so pretty pleased so far.

Now I'm wondering when to dry hop? What did you do in the end Stuworx?

Should I raise the temp as a matter of course and dry hop during a diacetyl rest? I'm not fussed about the clarity of the beer so I could just dump these in when I transfer to a secondary for lagering?

Any advice on the next steps would be appreciated as this is my first lager, and there is a lot of conflicting info out there on dry hopping them!

Thanks

 

[stubrewworx]

In the end I didnt dry hop, at all. My GF thought it tasted ok as is and I also dry-hopped an ale with cascade pellets, so I decided to leave this one. Off top of my head I cannot remember the FG but I think around 1016. So a little away from what I was going for.

It's been conditioning for a few weeks now, a few samples have been tested but they were after a session, so I cant really comment!

The real test will be this weekend when I 'showcase' all my brews at our house party. I'll post comments.

I'm hoping to have a fermenting fridge soon, so I think I'll try again, with dry hops.

The only comment I can make about dry hopping (with pellets thrown in) is the clarity is greatly effected. Some people do not mind this I suppose. I think I'll dry hop in a muslin bag next time.

Stuart.

 

[benkbenkbenk]

Finally bottled this at the weekend, after dry hopping for 10 days. I'm a bit worried that I may have used too much priming sugar though!

I calculated the sugar quantity for a beer temp of 12C as that is the temp of my cellar where it will be stored to prime. However the beer itself was still down at around 3-4C when it was bottled after being in the fridge for lagering.

Not sure how much of a difference this will make.

I can't wait to try it, but I think I'm going to leave it at least 3 weeks, 2 in the cellar then 1 back in the fridge before doing so.

It feels like its been so long in the making compared to the ales I turn around quite quickly. I hope its worth the wait!



How did your's go down then Stuworx??

 

[Charles1968]

Bump. Did it turn out OK?

 

[benkbenkbenk]

Yes, this one turned out very well thanks. All long gone now though.

 

[Charles1968]

That's good to know. I'm using the recipe from the Brooklyn site with W-34/70. Can you remember how long you needed to lager it for and how close it was to the real thing?

 

[benkbenkbenk]

If I remember rightly it's had about 14days primary fermenting, then I had 10days dry hopping. This was done in the fermentation fridge. I think I bottled then. Left in the cellar for about 3 weeks, te cellar isn't really good for lagering as it was summer and probably about 12-14 degrees down there! Finally I would put batches of bottles in the fridge usually for a few days before drinking.

Turned out great, a lovely beer. The malt profile was slightly off when compared side by side with brooklyn but a lovely drinkable beer in the same vein.

I don't generally strive for a perfect clone, I usually take a beer a like and go for something similar, if I ever brew it again, I usually try to make an experimental change rather than home it to the clone beer.

Good luck with your brew. Be sure to post how it goes!

 

[Charles1968]

Thanks. I think you'd need American 2-row and the right mash temp to get close to the malt flavour of the real thing. The published recipe doesn't actually add up when you run it through software and compare to the true ABV and IBU, but that formula of base malt + about 10% munich + 5% crystal/caramel seems to be the base of lots of great beers, so likely to turn out well however you do it.

I had some fairly dark caramunich to hand when I brewed so I know I'll be off on colour. Also not quite the right hops. I don't mind failing to clone the beer - I'm more interested in seeing how what's essentially an ale or hybrid recipe turns out when brewed as a lager.