Fast Lager

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MARCELO178

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I never have brewed a Lager beer. I was wondering if Start now is it possible drink a munich helles on christmas eve? How are the commercial Lager beers are made so quickly?
 
DanMyers - good link. I think that success would depend on just how much cleanup the yeast needs to do. If you have a good chamber and can control temps that well, then go for it. Worst case, taste it a few days before you want to serve it and if it tastes good keg and carb, if not, then you need to wait....no real loss.

Brew a backup ale to be safe, good excuse to brew more beer! As if any of us needed one.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
Fast and Lager are rarely ever 2 words that are put together. That said. What is the REAL GOAL? Drink by Christmas, right? Then brew today, Keep OG low, pitch 3 times the yeast needed ferment cool for 5-6 days start to raise the temp a few degrees for finish, crash cool 4 days before you want to drink it, stuff it in a keg 2 days before you want to drink it slam gas on it and drink. Will it be "READY" I doubt it but I am sure it will be a drinkable beer....

Just my thoughts

Cheers
Jay
 
If I had to have something ready in less than 4 weeks, I'd do something that I'm certain will be ready and GOOD fast, especially if I'm serving it to others. As noted above, a lager might be done by then, but it probably won't be at its best by Dec. 24.

On the other hand, there are some recipes that genuinely DO get ready fast. Last time I made Jamil's hefeweizen recipe, it was completely ready and very, very good in just under 3 weeks. I hear Orfy's Mild and EdWort's pale ale have similarly quick turnarounds too.
 
DanMyers said:
I've never tried it, but I was reading this today.
http://brulosophy.com/methods/lager-method/
Click to expand...

I did my first (and only, so far) lager this way. It was an Oktoberfest with an OG of 1.068. Came out really well, and has been enjoyed by most all who tasted. I bottle conditioned, which adds about 3 weeks to the schedule. But, if you can keg, you could just make it if you brew now. Make sure you have a big enough starter, or you will most likely be disappointed. I second the motion to brew a quick backup ale if you want to be sure you have something to serve to others that you feel good about.

Brew on :mug:
 
My 1.050-ish lagers are always ready in four weeks. They do however get better after extended lagering.

I pitch a lot of yeast, ferment at 50F for 7-10 days, ramp up to room temp for 5 days, and keg using the slow and low carbonation method.
 
Id recommend a beer around 1.040 and using Cali Lager yeast with a huge starter. That should give you plenty of time
 
Jaybird said:
Fast and Lager are rarely ever 2 words that are put together. ...
Click to expand...

+1. Just the title made me stop and look. One of the biggest lessons Ive learned brewing lagers is that time is critical to brewing an excellent lager.

But, like Jay said, can you brew something drinkable is less time...sure.
 
Curtis2010 said:
+1. Just the title made me stop and look. One of the biggest lessons Ive learned brewing lagers is that time is critical to brewing an excellent lager.

But, like Jay said, can you brew something drinkable is less time...sure.
Click to expand...

....though I admit that's an interesting article that was posted and it makes sense...may have to try that. ;-)
 
Based on the excellents posts and articles I will brew Today!
I have my Pale Ale ready as a back up, like was suggested!
:mug:

I will post the results!
 
Take a listen to Tasty Mcdole talk about the fast lager fermentation method and the tasting of wort split between the normal and fast method.

It's on the Sunday Session and begins at about 1 hour 35 minutes.
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/971

I've only been brewing lagers for a year and have used this method recently for 10 gallons of Vienna lager. I'm happy with the results and would absolutely use again.
 
I've used that quick lager method many times and I've yet to be disappointed :)
 
Your going to be fine, there's no voo doo to brewing lagers. Pitch plenty of healthy yeast and don't forget your diacetyl rest, after 2 weeks start lagering or move it to a keg and start lagering there.

AB lagers their beer for 18 days after 2 weeks of fermentation, if they can kick a good beer out in a month I'm convinced you can too.
 
I remember a speaker we ran into at the NHC this year (can't think of his name but apparently he was good enough at what he does to have held a seminar) that was talking about how they were pumping out their lagers in 30 days time. I was a few beers in so I don't recall much of the convo, but I remember him referencing 30 day lagers bc I too thought how is that feasible
 
So I learned this by accident, Freeze it in the secondary (so top half or so is ice) that will force the particulates out, then slowly thaw it back out (36-38degrees) then rack it off or run it through a .5 micron filter
 
Natdavis777 said:
By coincidence, here is an American lager I brewed 4 weeks ago with 2112View attachment 239330
Click to expand...

Glad to find I'm not the only person around here that enjoys brewing an American Lager from time to time. I too find that, 4 weeks is easily possible, not that a couple more weeks of lagering isn't better, it's just not THAT much better in my experience.
 
You said you are looking to brew a helles, the problem you're going to run into is that pilsner malt is intensely grainy and will take at least a month of lagering to smooth out and two months is more realistic. This is on top of the fermentation schedule. Switch out most or all of the pilsner malt with 2-row for a quicker turn around. That's how BMC is able to turn out a lager so quickly. No pilsner malt, all 2-row or 6-row, and adjuncts.
 
JayDubWill said:
You said you are looking to brew a helles, the problem you're going to run into is that pilsner malt is intensely grainy and will take at least a month of lagering to smooth out and two months is more realistic. This is on top of the fermentation schedule. Switch out most or all of the pilsner malt with 2-row for a quicker turn around. That's how BMC is able to turn out a lager so quickly. No pilsner malt, all 2-row or 6-row, and adjuncts.
Click to expand...


I'm going to respectfully disagree based on my experiences. I brewed a bo pils recently and went grain to glass in 4-5 weeks. That was 100% pils malt. I may be the exception to the rule but a good Helles in 4 weeks is doable.
 
I could deliver the beer on christmas eve.
The beer was very good, clean and bottled!
I Brewed the day after I posted my Thread. The first thing I did is to use yeast for 20 L in a 11 L Brew. Second, I used Fermentis S23 yeast, I pitched the beer at 12 C (53 F), after 2 days stopped bubble, I raised the temperatura to 14 C (57 F), after 2 days I raised to 18 C (64,5F), stayed there for 2 days more. Finally I lowered (slowly) the temperature for 0,5 C (33 F) and left for a week.
After that, I bottled, I left the bottles at 15 C (59 F) until december 23. It was fine, clean, carbonated and tasty!
A helles Beer were made in 2+2+2+1(day to lower the temperature)+7= 14 Days.
Thanks everybody! I could not do without the tips!


:mug:
 
MARCELO178 said:
I could deliver the beer on christmas eve.
The beer was very good, clean and bottled!
I Brewed the day after I posted my Thread. The first thing I did is to use yeast for 20 L in a 11 L Brew. Second, I used Fermentis S23 yeast, I pitched the beer at 12 C (53 F), after 2 days stopped bubble, I raised the temperatura to 14 C (57 F), after 2 days I raised to 18 C (64,5F), stayed there for 2 days more. Finally I lowered (slowly) the temperature for 0,5 C (33 F) and left for a week.
After that, I bottled, I left the bottles at 15 C (59 F) until december 23. It was fine, clean, carbonated and tasty!
A helles Beer were made in 2+2+2+1(day to lower the temperature)+7= 14 Days.
Thanks everybody! I could not do without the tips!


:mug:
Click to expand...

Great to hear the good report!!
 

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