Beginning Lagers!

[jtupper]

So I admit it this post may be in the wrong place but here is the deal:

I have upto this point been doing a lot of ales. From extract to PM, to All grain I have done them all...Dark, Light, Fruit, etc. But know I would like to know start lagering (thanks to a recent 50$ fridge purchase!)

What I am looking for is a simple fool-proof recipe to start with while getting the process down. I would ten to like to make a American pilsen style or possibly a german style light lager similar to a warstiener or paulie girl.

If anyone has a good basic lager recipe I would love to hear about it. Thanks in advance.

 

[rjwhite41]

The only real difference between lagers and ales is yeast and ferment temps. If you've done ales there really is nothing new when it comes to mashing and creating your wort. The only things you need to know are: make a starter (required with lagers), ferment around 50F (usually about 3 weeks) and then lager (usually about 6-8 weeks). As long as you chill the wort to 45-50 before pitching the yeast you won't even need to worry about a d-rest. Search for a basic lager recipe or Warsteiner clone, I'm sure you could find a bunch of them. Point is recipes are recipes, fermentations are different.

 

[krebs119]

My first lager was AHS's American Bock. It worked out well, so long as you have the patience for it. Very nice tasting Bock... I did not make a starter, but probably should've. It tasted great though! I think I fermented in the high 40s.

 

[Pappers_]

Assuming I wanted to do a diaceytl rest, I want to time it so that I raise the temps before final gravity is reached, yes? Any rules of thumb?

 

[rjwhite41]

Yes. When it's 2/3rds of the way done. I approximate when doing one (airlock activity 2-3 times per minute) but you could measure also.

 

[jtupper]

can i hit 50-55 with a IC

 

[jigidyjim]

As long as you chill the wort to 45-50 before pitching the yeast you won't even need to worry about a d-rest.

I'm about to try my first lager too, and don't understand this part - I thought it was warm yeast that was better at cleaning up diacetyl, which is why a diacetyl rest works. Therefore, wouldn't waiting until wort was 50 mean you would have to do a diacetyl rest, not the other way around?

Thanks.

 

[PT Ray]

I'm about to try my first lager too, and don't understand this part - I thought it was warm yeast that was better at cleaning up diacetyl, which is why a diacetyl rest works. Therefore, wouldn't waiting until wort was 50 mean you would have to do a diacetyl rest, not the other way around?

Thanks.

The logic behind pitching just under 50 degrees is to minimize diacetyl from ever being produced in the first place. You pitch the yeast in warm wort and then drop the temp you're more likely to get diacetyl that will need to get reabsorbed by the yeast.

 

[PT Ray]

What I am looking for is a simple fool-proof recipe to start with while getting the process down. I would ten to like to make a American pilsen style or possibly a german style light lager similar to a warstiener or paulie girl.

For an American Pils look at using domestic 2-row, maybe about 10-15% flaked corn and something like Cluster for bittering. For the green bottle type lager use imported Pils malt and noble hops for bittering and some for a little hop flavor.

 

[rjwhite41]

can i hit 50-55 with a IC

I can't but maybe with a pre-chiller and cold enough tap water you could.

Diacetyl is produced, like most yeast off flavors, at higher temps and during the reproduction phase. If you prevent it from being created then you don't have to get rid of it.

 

[ChandlerBang]

......make a starter (required with lagers) ........

I have a Maibock from Brewer's Best that says to pitch the dry yeast and close the lid. can I make a starter out of dry yeast? should I rehydrate?

 

[rjwhite41]

No you don't need a starter with dry yeast. Just make sure you pitch the proper amount of yeast. Yes you should rehydrate (or so I am told, I don't use dry yeast).

 

[ajf]

can i hit 50-55 with a IC

Not unless your tap water is a lot colder than mine.
I cool with the tap water to get it as cool as it will go, then put it in the fridge (in my case freezer) to complete the cooling.

-a.

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

Style: German Pilsner (Pils)
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 3.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 35.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 76.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

8.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) German (2.0 SRM) 94.12 %
0.50 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) 5.88 %
2.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) 35.9 IBU
1 Pkgs German Lager (White Labs #WLP830) [6 liter starter stepped up over a 1 week period, chilled and decanted before pitching]

This was my first lager, which I just started drinking this week. It was also my first decoction mash, which I messed up a little bit and didn't hit my sacc. rest temp after adding the decoction back to the mash, so I had boil some of my sparge water and add that to get the temp up and consequently sparge with less water.

I was only able to get the temp down to 60°F before pitching, which while not ideal, I think I pitched enough yeast to keep diacetyl production down during the first few hours that it took to get down to 50°. Either way I did give it a 24-hour diacetyl rest. I detected a bit of diacetyl at bottling but after 4 weeks of cold conditioning, that has all but disappeared. I'm definitely happy with the end result, although next time I might hop it a bit more, some flavor additions in particular. The 60 minute hop addition didn't come through as well as Jamil claimed in the German Pilsner episode of Brew Strong.

 

[jtupper]

So should I cool to 70-80 With an ic, then close it up and stick it in the lagering vessel controlled at 45 pitch at 50 and set the fridge at 50 for primary? Is this a safe way of doing? or will the wort set too long?

 

[rjwhite41]

That's how I do it except I pitch at 45-48. I can usually get it down to 60 with the IC.