Ale Vs Lager

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/oktoberfest-lager.html

This is the next batch I want to make. Hopefully have it ready for October.

Im currently getting ready to bottle my first brew of Amber ale and that concept seemed simple. (http://www.monsterbrew.com/Prod_AmberKit.cfm)

I just want to know if there is anything different I will have to do because its a lager opposed to the Ale.

Im still learning the basics..

Thanks ahead of time.

1. acquire extra refrigerator
2. acquire temperature controller
3. ????
4. profit

MisterTipsy said:

1. acquire extra refrigerator
2. acquire temperature controller
3. ????
4. profit

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Yeah, if you don't have the means of refrigerating during fermentation you won't be able to do a lager. Per the directions from Midwest you will need to ferment between 48-60°F for a couple weeks and then lager at temperatures between 36-45°F for 3-12 weeks.

yep... doesnt look like I have the capablitiy to do that. Possibly in the winter when I can control my heat my garage to a specific temp..

You can brew the same kit and buy a pack of ale yeast.

gt_andy said:

yep... doesnt look like I have the capablitiy to do that. Possibly in the winter when I can control my heat my garage to a specific temp..

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Yeah I'm sure Ohio winters will facilitate that pretty easily. Most ale yeast will work well in the 62-72° range. If your temps in the house are higher than that you might consider some Belgian styles that like higher temps.

Lagers are pretty much the same as ales, they just require cooler temperatures, more time, and more yeast.

Yep,,, wait until Winter,,, just do it when the AVERAGE TEMP is in the range you want... It will not hurt it to much if it goes up and down in Temp as long as it stays in the correct range... SOME folks may disagree but Yeast is not a wimpy organism... About the only thing you need fear during the lagering phase is it gets too cold and all the yeast goes dormant, Unlikely but possible, more likely what will happen is that it take longer to finish out...

DPBISME said:

It will not hurt it to much if it goes up and down in Temp as long as it stays in the correct range... SOME folks may disagree but Yeast is not a wimpy organism...

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Not wimpy, true. Yeast thrives in the 90's. But what you don't mention is that they will produce different flavor and aroma profiles at different temperatures and that a swing of 5 degrees from day to night can be enough to produce the change. If you are trying to produce a specific beer, steady temperature during the first few days of active fermentation is critical (longer for lagers.) If you're happy with random luck then "it will not hurt it to much if it goes up and down." Esters and fusels will not be AVERAGED out. Once they are there, they are not leaving.

gt_andy said:

yep... doesnt look like I have the capablitiy to do that. Possibly in the winter when I can control my heat my garage to a specific temp..

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This winter if you want to do it in your garage I offer some Ghetto Lagering ideas in this thread. Ugly junk 2012, Ghetto Lagering Chamber

Revvy said:

. . . I offer some Ghetto Lagering ideas in this thread.

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Funny Revvy. I never saw that thread, but it looks remarkably similar to the system I've been using. For insulation I wrapped the bin in bubble wrap and used foam only on the top and bottom. I went with a Johnson 419 instead of your DIY controller. Could have saved some money if I'd seen your thread.

Edit to say:
Mine looks pretty Ghetto also, but works great. :cross:

AnOldUR said:

Funny Revvy. I never saw that thread, but it looks remarkably similar to the system I've been using. For insulation I wrapped the bin in bubble wrap and used foam only on the top and bottom. I went with a Johnson 419 instead of your DIY controller. Could have saved some money if I'd seen your thread.

Edit to say:
Mine looks pretty Ghetto also, but works great. :cross:

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And I wish I had thought about bubble wrap.

944play said:

Lagers are pretty much the same as ales, they just require cooler temperatures, more time, and more yeast.

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I found a very interesting article about the differences:

http://www.denveroffthewagon.com/20...a-bottom-mr-science-explores-ales-and-lagers/

Thought it was interesting that the lager yeast is actually able to break down certain sugars that ale yeast was not, and that they've identified the specific yeast that formed a hybrid with S. cerevisiae to form lager yeast.

The answer is a bit overkill for the OP, but thought some of you on the forum might derive some benefit from the information...

gt_andy said:

Im currently getting ready to bottle my first brew

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Any true lager you are going to do is an advanced style and I agree with everyone else that I think you are going to be a bit in over your head. I think if you haven't understood what it takes to control the temperatures on an ale, than you shouldn't be considering using lager yeast. Also, since you just did an Amber ale, using ale yeast on an Oktoberfest recipe like others said is just going to give you... an AMBER ALE. I would experiment with some ale styles a little more and mix it up. Try to understand how one yeast works and how to control it with different styles.

MisterTipsy said:

1. acquire extra refrigerator
2. acquire temperature controller
3. ????
4. profit

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This reminds me of the Underpants Gnomes business plan lol

KeyWestBrewing said:

This reminds me of the Underpants Gnomes business plan lol

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That's where it came from, yes.

You can brew a lager with a fridge and a tub if you have the space. I did one last year using a large Rubbermaid tub filled with water and rotated 1 gal frozen water jugs out to keep temps around 50-55*F. Wasn't all that difficult. I did that for 2 weeks and then let it warm up to mid 60's for a d-rest for 2-3 days and then racked into a 5 gal glass carboy to let sit in the fridge for 2 months "lagering." It was an Octoberfest as well and turned out great. I didn't consider any of that to be advanced by any means. I think anyone can do it. If you want to brew a lager then brew one!

beerloaf

theDeutscher said:

Any true lager you are going to do is an advanced style and I agree with everyone else that I think you are going to be a bit in over your head. I think if you haven't understood what it takes to control the temperatures on an ale, than you shouldn't be considering using lager yeast. Also, since you just did an Amber ale, using ale yeast on an Oktoberfest recipe like others said is just going to give you... an AMBER ALE. I would experiment with some ale styles a little more and mix it up. Try to understand how one yeast works and how to control it with different styles.

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I agree with this guy.. I didn't know a lager required so much work and attention. That is more then im willing to put forth toward it right now as im a beginner.

Sounds like im going to stick to Ales.

Whats a good ale. I want something close to Yuengling or budweiser.. Or even a Bock..

I think you are looking for the so called light ales

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-ingredients/recipe-kits/light-ales.html

beerloaf said:

racked into a 5 gal glass carboy to let sit in the fridge for 2 months "lagering." It was an Octoberfest as well and turned out great. I didn't consider any of that to be advanced by any means. I think anyone can do it. If you want to brew a lager then brew one!

beerloaf

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It's not so much that the actual technique is advanced as the equipment required is. I don't know many people who have room for a carboy in their main fridge. I'm fortunate to have a spare fridge in the garage that wasn't being used for anything else.

gt_andy said:

Whats a good ale. I want something close to Yuengling or budweiser.. Or even a Bock..

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All three of those are lagers. The kits MisterTipsy linked to are a good place to start. BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde recipe is something that I think might be right up your alley. Here's the link to the extract recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/#post426430

gt_andy said:

I agree with this guy.. I didn't know a lager required so much work and attention. That is more then im willing to put forth toward it right now as im a beginner.

Sounds like im going to stick to Ales.

Whats a good ale. I want something close to Yuengling or budweiser.. Or even a Bock..

Click to expand...

Yuengling, Budweiser, and bocks are lagers.

Ales include nut browns, stouts, porters, cream ale, American ambers, etc.

If you can maintain fermentation temperatures in the low 60s, a cream ale would be a great choice. A good commercial example is Genessee Cream Ale.

Yooper said:

If you can maintain fermentation temperatures in the low 60s, a cream ale would be a great choice.

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+1 to any of those hybrid styles. Somewhere inbetween a Cream Ale and an Altbier would get you close to a Yuengling. Blonde Ale like mentioned earlier is also a lager-like ale.