Pilsner ales

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Jack

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I know that Papazian says that you can brew lager recipes using ale yeasts and vice versa, but I've been afraid to try this. I'd really like to brew a pilsner, but I'm only set up to brew ales using malt extract.

What would, say, a recipe for a pilsner be like if I used ale yeast instead of lager yeast? It would obviously have to be fermented at ale temperatures, which might bring out more ester flavors... But... give it a try?
 
Yes, you can do it and it will be a good beer. It will not, however, be a lager nor quite taste like one. Lager yeasts eat some sugars that ale yeasts do not. This combined with the low temps and long ageing process contributes to the taste differences between the two types of beer. So ferment with a clean ale yeast and keep the temps at the low end of the scale for the strain to minimize ester production. Then give the beer some psuedo lagering for a while at whatever low temps you can manage. Then drink and enjoy. :mug:
 
Do a steam beer. This style was invented as a crossover between lagers and ales. You get to ferment at ale temps, but you get some qualities/characteristics of a lager. Thing - Anchor Steam.

I belive the steam beer yeast is the San Francisco Ale strain, but someone on here wil correct me if I am wrong.
 
WLP810 San Francisco Lager or

Wyeast 2112 California Lager Yeast Particularly suited for producing 19th century-style West Coast beers. Retains lager characteristics at temperatures up to 65° F, (18° C) and produces malty, brilliantly clear beers. Flocculation - high; apparent attenuation 67-71%. (58-68° F, 14-20° C)
 
Walker-san said:
Is that really true? I've never heard this before.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's really true although it is also affected by the length of the fermentation. Big sugars like maltotriose are digested by yeast very slowly. Because lagers have a longer ferment than ales and the lager yeasts are also active at a reduced rate during the lagering phase more of these products will be fermented in a lager.
 
Recently, I brewed a light ale recipe to mimic an American Light lager. I posted the recipe here.
 
I brewed nearly 100 gallons of "steam pils/lagers" this Summer and could not be happier.

Although not a true lager, it does give you 95% of the lager qualities without the low temps.

I will say however that keeping them at a low temp for an extended period definatly helps flavor.

Cheers,

knewshound
 
Walker-san said:
Is that really true? I've never heard this before.
Click to expand...

From Noonans New Brewing Lager Beer..."Top fermenting yeast ....in general..ferment glucose, fructose,mannose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, xylulose, and maltotriose, and partially ferment the trisaccharide raffinose.

Bottom fermenting yeasts ferment..glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, melibiose, xylulose, and maltotriose and fully ferment raffinose"

And like Big Ed said, because the lager yeast ferments so slow it ferments it more fully. I guess that is why most lager yeasts are more attenuative than ale yeasts in general.
 
boo boo said:
From Noonans New Brewing Lager Beer..."Top fermenting yeast ....in general..ferment glucose, fructose,mannose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, xylulose, and maltotriose, and partially ferment the trisaccharide raffinose.

Bottom fermenting yeasts ferment..glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, melibiose, xylulose, and maltotriose and fully ferment raffinose"

And like Big Ed said, because the lager yeast ferments so slow it ferments it more fully. I guess that is why most lager yeasts are more attenuative than ale yeasts in general.
Click to expand...

Well, I'll be damned. Thanks for the info!
 

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