Old Style Lager Recipies

[Robbo100]

Hi there,

Now that I have my fermenting fridge working perfectly (viewtopic.php?f=23&t=49311), I want to make my first lager.

I don't want to make any commercial rubbish (like Bud or Carling), since clearly this is pointless, but want to make a true old style lager with character, that I can really enjoy on a hot summer's day.

Can anyone suggest a good recipie that falls into this category. Also, since I have never made a lager before, can you give me any tips on the best way to follow the general process (e.g. yeast starter, secondary fermentation, and any special things that differ from ale).

Thanks

Robbo100

 

[Robbo100]

P.S.

By "old style", I mean something like this http://www.calvors.co.uk/lager/3point8-lager.php

 

[Robbo100]

Anyone?

 

[Dr Mike]

Lager is a whole family of styles really so 'old-style' doesn't really mean very much.

Based on the link, you could try looking for Munich Helles recipe, or for something a bit more 'British', I know a few on here have enjoyed a Schiehallion (sp?) clone.

 

[Robbo100]

Thanks Doc.

 

[czechneck]

IMO, lager is the most underrated beer of all. It seems to be the hardest of all beers to brew, and a great lager is every bit as good as any other great beer. I've been to Prague several times and believe me, proper beers like Budvar and Staropramen over there are mind blowing.

And yet most people who don't know much about brewing think lager is a cheap, nasty substandard drink - that there's nothing more to it than Foster's, Bud, Stella et al.

So, if you're looking for a decent lager recipe just search for a proper Bohemian Pilsner recipe, or a Munich Helles, or a clone of any other lager you really like.

I'm no expert, but I'd imagine you're looking at a large percentage of lager malt for the grain bill, some carapils and maybe some melanoidin malt if you can get it. Then for hops - Saaz or Hallertau. Yeast - loads of good varieties out there, depends how much you want to pay. But if you've got a lager fridge already then your hard work is done. Wish I could do the same...

 

[Robbo100]

Thanks Chezh for the response. I will do some searching along the lines you suggested.

 

[phettebs]

Well, here's a Yank perspective. I don't brew a lot of lagers but I agree with you. I like to do something out of the ordinary. So I tend to brew what's called a Classic American Pilsner. It's also known as a pre-prohibition lager. I like to have one on tap for the summer. It's a nice beer. I have a 19ltr recipe if you are interested.

Baz

 

[Robbo100]

Sounds great Baz. I would love to have a recipe like that!

I have never brewed a lager in my life, so any tips you have for this brew (e.g racking process, temperature cycle and yeast starter), would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Dave1970]

I've had some good advice on Lager brewing on here...it's a bit more complicated than your regular beer but hard to beat on a hot day

Water: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=30998&hilit=+lager

Recipe & Brewing: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=29331&hilit=lager

Yeast:http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=50207&hilit=lager and http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=50309&hilit=lager

 

[rpt]

I'm an ale drinker but I do brew lager a couple of times a year for SWMBO. I actually enjoy drinking it too - unlike 99% of the commercial lager I have ever tried. I use pale ale malt and have previously added wheat malt but for my last brew I used carapils (both to aid head retention) although I've not tasted that one yet. Flavour and aroma hops are Tettnang (bittering hops have varied) and yeast is Saflager S-23. I ferment at 20C for the first 24 hours and then at 12C for 5 days. Rack to secondary and leave at 12C until gravity is stable. Then leave for 2 weeks as cold as possible - last time the fridge got down to -1C.

So it's possible to make a lager that, in my opinion anyway, is very good with simple ingredients and technique. You do need good temperature control though.

 

[Aleman]

Can anyone suggest a good recipie that falls into this category

This has had some good reviews. and used as a single infusion mash at 65C with British lager malt will make a good lager . . .not quite the depth of flavour that you would get from the decocted/stepped mash version but damn tasty.

You need to pitch lots of yeast I like w34/70 as a dry yeast . . .for a 25L batch 3 or 4 packets is probably in the right range. . .pitch at around 12C, and then drop the temp down to 10C for the rest of fermentation.

 

[Good Ed]

I can recommend Aleman's Pilsner also Baz's Classic American Pilsner, both cracking beers

This is a Helles the recipe courtesy of Jamil Zainasheff, also really good

 

[phettebs]

Sounds great Baz. I would love to have a recipe like that!

I have never brewed a lager in my life, so any tips you have for this brew (e.g racking process, temperature cycle and yeast starter), would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

This is for 5US gallons or 19ltr.
OG:1052
IBU: 25

8lbs Pale Malt (I use US 6 row)
2lbs flaked maize
Mash for 90 min @66C

I boil for 60 min
1oz Cluster hops @ 60 min
.25oz Styrian Goldings @10 min left
.25oz Styrian Goldings @0 min left

I've used a variety of liquid lager yeasts on this beer. I can't remember what the last one was but it was nice. I have it in my brewing spreadsheet at home. I made a large starter for this. I chill the wort down to about 7C and pitch the yeast. I keep the temp controller at 9C and let it ferment at that temp. I did also do a diacetyl rest about a week into fermentation where I let it warm 18C for a few days. After that, if it's all feremented, I rack to secondary and lower it down to about 3C and hold for several months. I then carbonate and serve in a corny.

Baz

 

[Good Ed]

WLP833 Southern Bavarian Bock yeast is the jobby for CAP :thumb:

 

[Robbo100]

Thanks everyone. I shall give one a go, and report back

 

[rpt]

8lbs Pale Malt (I use US 6 row)
2lbs flaked maize

If you use 2 row pale malt (i.e. any British or European malt) then I take it you won't want the flaked maize as that's used to dilute the high nitrogen content of the 6 row malt?

 

[Aleman]

8lbs Pale Malt (I use US 6 row)
2lbs flaked maize

If you use 2 row pale malt (i.e. any British or European malt) then I take it you won't want the flaked maize as that's used to dilute the high nitrogen content of the 6 row malt?

No you'll still need the flaked maize or you won't have a CAP. . . You need it for the flavour

 

[rpt]

No you'll still need the flaked maize or you won't have a CAP. . . You need it for the flavour

OK, so I'll ask the question the opposite way round. Is there a risk the flaked maize will dilute the nitrogen too much when using 2 row barley? And if it is OK, will it still be a genuine CAP or do you really need 6 row?

 

[Aleman]

No you'll still need the flaked maize or you won't have a CAP. . . You need it for the flavour

OK, so I'll ask the question the opposite way round. Is there a risk the flaked maize will dilute the nitrogen too much when using 2 row barley?

No . . . most pale malts are capable of converting themselves and 100% of a non diastatic adjunct so the 20-30% of corn or rice that is present in a CAP is easily within the range.

And if it is OK, will it still be a genuine CAP or do you really need 6 row?

If you are using flaked maize then it's not a 'genuine' CAP anyway as a CAP would have been made with Corn Grits . . . or possibly corn meal . . . flaked grains were not an option in the 1920's AFAIK.

You are correct in that a genuine CAP would have used rice or corn to dilute the nitrogen content of the barley varieties available in the US . . . but again the varieties they were using to brew then are not the same as the varieties being used today . . . give the fact that 99% of the malt produced today is seriously over modified, then the requirement of using a cereal adjunct to lower the nitrogen content is pretty much close to zero. the only reason for doing so is for flavour

The Following Threads May Be Useful

Cereal Mashing
Different Sorts of Corn Adjunct
CAP Thread 1
CAP Thread 2 - The Big One :lol: