akthor

Recipes 

I kinda get what lagering is, seems it takes a lot more equipment and time. Is it worth it? A lager is like Budweiser or Heineken right? Well I prefer the darker beers more anyways so should I just stick to Ales, Porters and Stouts?

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TEN GALLON ALES

borden

Recipes 

Pros of lagering:
- You can make lager.

Cons of lagering:
- You're not making ale.

Seriously though, the fundamental difference as I understand it is the temperature at which you are fermenting (and conditioning). In practical terms, yes, Heineken/Corona/Bud, etc. are lagers, while Guinness/Newcastle/Sierra Nevada are ales. There are a trillion subcategories and styles, but that's the bones of it.

Me? I'm an ale man. And not just because I can't ferment my beer at anything but ambient.

EDIT: Just noticed you're fermenting an Oktoberfest. Are you not lagering that?

david_42

Recipes 

Different breed of yeast, that tends to produce a cleaner beer than an ale yeast. I do occasional lagers in the winter and one of my favorites is Schwartzbier.

akthor

Recipes 

I guess it's an Octoberfest Ale

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TEN GALLON ALES

BigEd

Recipes 

No, you have the implied syllogism backwards. Yes, Budweiser and Heineken are lagers but not all lagers are Budweiser and Heineken.

That depends if you like lagers, at least certain ones, well enough to make them yourself. I love good pilsners, Festbiers, Dunkels, bocks and other great lager styles so for me the answer is a resounding yes. If you don't care about lager styles then no, it isn't worth it.

jason.mundy

Recipes 

I wouldn't lager if it weren't for the German beers. Oktoberfest, Munich Dunkel, Bock, Doppel Bock. All are fantastic beers.

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Jason

IrregularPulse

Recipes 

Agreed, please do not dismiss lagers as American Light Lagers. That is one small style that happens to be a lager.

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Tap Room Hobo

I should have stuck to four fingers in Vegas. :o - marubozo

borden

Recipes 

Sounds good to me. Prost!

akthor

Recipes 

I am not a fan of Hieneken or Becks either does this mean I wouldn't like the Lagers you listed? Don't get me wrong I drink it if it's free but I don't buy it. Hence I wouldn't make a lager if they are similiar to Heineken or becks.

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TEN GALLON ALES

JLem

Recipes 

Lagers are WAY more diverse than those beers on your "will not drink" list. THere is just as much diversity in lagers as there is in ales. Hoppy, malty, bitter, light-colored, dark, etc...they're all there. They all tend to be "cleaner" in ester profile (so not much in terms of fruity apple/pear flavors like a lot of English ales). As a general rule, since most lagers are of German origin, they use German hops.

Here's the BJCP style guide - http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php - categories 1-5 are lagers, and 6 and 7 are "lager-like". Take a look and you'll notice that lagers are more than Heineken and Becks and Budweiser.

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