How Does This Recipe Look For A Lager?

[coryforsenate]

So, my first brew for a light, hoppy ale went well and it's fermenting happily in an enormous bucket of cool water (high specific heat of water dramatically slows temperature changes).

Now that I've gotten one brew (all-grain, no less) under my belt, I'm raring to make a lager.

Logically, it makes sense to see what the more experienced homebrewers can share in advice.


Vanguard leaf hops (2 oz), bittering
Summit pellet Hops (1 oz), flavor/aroma
8lb Belgian Pilsen Malt
.5lb carapils
1lb flaked rice
Wyeast California Lager 2112
1/6oz dried sweet orange peel

 

[Evan!]

Not sure about the orange amount...never used orange peel in a lager before...a whole pound of crystal along with the carapils might leave it a little sweet, but other than that...looks good.

 

[coryforsenate]

Even though it's only 10L crystal? Could always knock it down to half or a quarter pound.


And yeah, I'm not decided on the orange peel yet, but if I do, it's a small fraction of what would go in a witbier. I'm not sure if a distinct orange flavor would really even be noticeable. I was more thinking about the subtle complementing with the hops.

 

[Bob]

Evan! is right. Too much Crystal malt - don't forget CaraPils is also a Crystal malt - can take the body of the beer out of whack.

Plus you're defeating yourself. You're adding rice - presumably to lighten the body - and then adding body right back with Crystal and Carapils. You should choose one or the other.

If you're worried about foam retention, read up on protein rests and step mashing by infusion. You don't need specialty grains to brew excellent lager beer! But you do need to have a good idea of what you're doing. If you don't already have a copy, rush to your LHBS and pick up a copy of Noonan's Brewing Lager Beer.

You haven't mentioned except by implication the other crucial aspect of lager-beer brewing: Lagering itself. The bad news is you really need precise temperature control, like a second fridge with an external temperature controller. The good news is you can often get used fridges really cheaply (or free); haunt Craigslist. Temperature controllers are less than a hundred bucks, wired.

Good luck!

Bob

 

[coryforsenate]

Alrighty, it seems general consensus thus far is to reduce the crystal malt, thus I will toss out the pound of crystal malt and leave just the half pound of carapils.


And yes, I found a fridge on craigslist for 100 bucks. Might look a little odd having two fridges in the apartment, but eh. Gotta do what you gotta do.

Making a lager is usually 2 weeks in the primary and then 1-2 months lagering in the secondary, right?

 

[Yooper]

I usually have my lagers go in primary at 50 degrees for about 10 days, before I do a diacetyl rest (if needed). Then, after the diacetyl rest, I rack the beer and begin lowering the temperature gradually until I'm lagering at 34 degrees for about 8 weeks. I've read that a good "rule of thumb" is one week for every 8-10 points of OG points. So, for a 1.060 OG beer, 6-8 weeks is a good length of time.