Biere de Mars, Printemps

[Beergnomes]

Decided to add this to my repertoire since I drink it in Alsace and Dordogne and enjoy it. Problem, I get conflicting techniques depended on the resource of info. Traditionally, Bière de Mars or Printemps are brewed in March and meant to drink FRESH. Lager yeast is used. Also, it would have been fermented at Lager temps since it’s cold in March. Currently, 2 schools, one says ferment warm & lager condition, one says ferment cold. The ones I enjoy have a lively but not funky fruitiness, malt forward, amber and not heavy on the palet & are French. My dilemma is; will I get the fruit esters I want using a lager yeast at the upper end of lager temps? My current plan is to pitch 2 smack packs for 10 gal at 65° F and lower to 53° once fermentation is underway. Since my ss conical heats/cools the temp regulating is easy. Towards end of fermentation a 2 day diactyl rest. After carbing, keg conditioning at 38° or 40°
2 smack packs per 10 gal is underpitching for lager temps. I am using lager yeast. I‘m hoping letting it start at 65° and the underpitch might coax some fruit esters. My brain says it won’t be enough, the traditionalist in me wants to try anyway. Any expert thoughts out there?

 

[radwizard]

I'm no expert, but I have used 3470 warm (66f) in a BDG. I pitched it at Ale rates, thinking that with the warmer temps I could get away with a smaller pitch. It turned out well, but I like using Kolsch yeast a little more for the style.

 

[mongoose33]

I think you'll be ok.

I do an unusual approach to lagers (and frankly, all my beers). For a 5-gallon batch, I'll do a starter the normal way (though I oxygenate the starter wort and add a pinch of yeast nutrient).

I'll time the starter so I can pitch it about 15-18 hours after I begin it. I pitch the whole starter--no chilling, no decanting--directly into the wort. I'll have chilled the wort down to whatever the temp of the starter is (within a degree or two), so that starter yeast is going into growth medium with no temperature shock.

I'll keep the fermenter at that temp--typically it's around 70 degrees, maybe a bit lower--for about 6 hours, then gradually step it down to my lager ferm temp, typically about 50 degrees. I'll do that over 10-12 hours or so.

I think you'll be ok with your approach.

**********

I don't build oversized starters for my lagers (or anything else for that matter). My thinking is that I will get that doubling of the yeast during the 6-12 hours I keep that fermenter at the starter temp. Since I'm pitching that starter while the yeast is active, I'll get the yeast I need to do the lager.

I also do an accelerated lager fermentation--I'll do the first 50 percent of attenuation at that 50-degree level, then when I'm half done I'll ramp the fermenter up 4 degrees ever 12 hours until I get to 66, where it will finish. Then down 6 degrees every 12 hours until I am down to my lagering temp, typically around 40.

I know this is counter to what almost everyone else does, but it works. And it works well--I've had terrific feedback from my beers brewed this way. I do a pilsner this way, and a dark lager (a schwarzbier thing). Won a small local comp with the pilsner a couple months ago, and people will have multiple fills of both that and Darth Lager (yeah, cute name).

***********

The yeasts I use are WL940 (for the dark lager), and Wyeast 2124 for the Pilsner. I don't know what yeast you're using. I also do a California Common with WL810, which is fermented at 66 degrees.

 

[Beergnomes]

I think you'll be ok.

I do an unusual approach to lagers (and frankly, all my beers). For a 5-gallon batch, I'll do a starter the normal way (though I oxygenate the starter wort and add a pinch of yeast nutrient).

I'll time the starter so I can pitch it about 15-18 hours after I begin it. I pitch the whole starter--no chilling, no decanting--directly into the wort. I'll have chilled the wort down to whatever the temp of the starter is (within a degree or two), so that starter yeast is going into growth medium with no temperature shock.

I'll keep the fermenter at that temp--typically it's around 70 degrees, maybe a bit lower--for about 6 hours, then gradually step it down to my lager ferm temp, typically about 50 degrees. I'll do that over 10-12 hours or so.

I think you'll be ok with your approach.

**********

I don't build oversized starters for my lagers (or anything else for that matter). My thinking is that I will get that doubling of the yeast during the 6-12 hours I keep that fermenter at the starter temp. Since I'm pitching that starter while the yeast is active, I'll get the yeast I need to do the lager.

I also do an accelerated lager fermentation--I'll do the first 50 percent of attenuation at that 50-degree level, then when I'm half done I'll ramp the fermenter up 4 degrees ever 12 hours until I get to 66, where it will finish. Then down 6 degrees every 12 hours until I am down to my lagering temp, typically around 40.

I know this is counter to what almost everyone else does, but it works. And it works well--I've had terrific feedback from my beers brewed this way. I do a pilsner this way, and a dark lager (a schwarzbier thing). Won a small local comp with the pilsner a couple months ago, and people will have multiple fills of both that and Darth Lager (yeah, cute name).

***********

The yeasts I use are WL940 (for the dark lager), and Wyeast 2124 for the Pilsner. I don't know what yeast you're using. I also do a California Common with WL810, which is fermented at 66 degrees.

That’s close to my plan for pitching & fermenting. My fermenter steps down slowly by design. I’m just not sure if I’ll end up with any fruitiness that’s so typical in a French Bière de Mars. Even the more commercial brewers like Meteor put out a great Printemps when on tap. I’m not looking for an inoculated funky version but I do want some fruitiness. I guess only brewing will tell. It would help if I knew what the Alsations are fermenting it at NOW vrs 100 yrs ago.

 

[Beergnomes]

I'm no expert, but I have used 3470 warm (66f) in a BDG. I pitched it at Ale rates, thinking that with the warmer temps I could get away with a smaller pitch. It turned out well, but I like using Kolsch yeast a little more for the style.

I’m going to use the bohemian lager yeast since it fits the style profile well. Whether or not it delivers is to be seen. This style has a lot of conflicting information. Besides fermenting temps, some say it’s from newly harvested spring grains. Originally there is no way this would be the case since it’s brewed before they would have harvested. When I asked the French. They said brewers threw whatever they had leftover at end of winter before spring harvest. Now I’m sure it’s more sophisticated than that.

 

[radwizard]

I’m going to use the bohemian lager yeast since it fits the style profile well. Whether or not it delivers is to be seen. This style has a lot of conflicting information. Besides fermenting temps, some say it’s from newly harvested spring grains. Originally there is no way this would be the case since it’s brewed before they would have harvested. When I asked the French. They said brewers threw whatever they had leftover at end of winter before spring harvest. Now I’m sure it’s more sophisticated than that.

I think you have made a good choice on the beer. I have also spent some time researching the style, and agree about the conflicting information. To me these Farmhouse beers are not really as much a style as a theory or process. I love brewing these beers because there really isnt any hard rules and it is fun to create something based on my interpretation.

Good luck on the brew!