Lager Bug

[schematix]

My last 6 brews have all been lagers and I'm starting to cross over recipes that I used to do with ale yeasts to lagers yeasts (e.g. IPAs). Honestly can't see myself using ale yeast again. There is something irresistible about drinking clean crisp lager brews.

Has anyone else here caught the lager bug before? What are your favorite recipes to make with lager yeast over ale yeast?

 

[NTexBrewer]

I currently have a Russian Imperial Stout fermenting with 34/70. I had brewed a light lager and bottled the light lager the same day I brewed the RIS so I could direct pitch yeast slurry.

It is still fermenting so I can't comment on how it has turned out. I did the same thing this winter with a Baltic Porter and it turned out fantastic.

I have had problems controlling the temperature of a big beer with Ale yeast. I have a fermentation control chamber but sometimes when fermentation goes crazy it is a little hard to control. I figure it is a little easier to control the temperature with a lager yeast. A vigorous lager fermentation is still very subdued compared to ale yeast.

May try it with my Barleywine recipe.

 

[schematix]

One reason I prefer lager fermentations is that a raging kraussen is like 2". My 6G better bottles can handle it easily without every blowing out. I often times travel M-F so it's nice to not worry about an explosion while i'm gone all week.

I'm not a huge black beer fan, but I'm really curious how your RIS turns out!

 

[Singletrack]

I've been thinking of trying an IPL or APL. Do you cold lager these hoppy beers, or do you just use the lager yeast?

 

[Kent88]

After I discovered how much I like brewing (about the same time I started learning about all the different types of beer) I knew I wanted to lager. It has been a bit difficult, living in a small apartment with no basement, but I found a small fridge that is large enough for a couple 1-gallon carboys and I've done a few lagers since (with 34/70). In the summer I like to start ales in that fridge so I can't make as many lagers as I'd like, but I'm going to start using Wyeast 1007 and 2124 soon, which should be able to cohabitate nicely at certain stages.

 

[schematix]

I've been thinking of trying an IPL or APL. Do you cold lager these hoppy beers, or do you just use the lager yeast?

I've made 1 IPL since I caught the lager bug. I fermented it at 50F with 2042 (danish lager). Turned out REALLY good but it wasn't quite hoppy enough (10G batch ~1.065: 2oz 16.5% AA, 2oz 30min hop stand, 2oz dry hop). Going to double that for next batch with a more complex grain bill. Water was pretty soft too.

EDIT:
IPL I made (and am drinking right now) was:
22lb 2-row
1lb Munich 10L
1lb C10
2oz Topaz 16.5% AA @ 60
2oz Helson Sauvin 11.4% AA @ 30 min hop stand
2oz Pacifica 5.1% AA @ 5 days dry hop

 

[wobdee]

I've had the Lager bug for the last year or so. Pretty much all I brew now is Pils, Dunkel and Oktoberfest but I'm starting to explore some Czech lagers and a Red lager.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I just put an India Black Lager (used WLP838) on tap about a week ago and have been repeatedly blown away by how good it is. It's probably one of my better brews thus far.

 

[beersk]

I'm in this camp too...no desire to brew with ale yeast anymore. I have a hoppy pale lager on tap now that I would call amazing. Lager yeast can be nice and crisp or accentuate the malt character more, which is what I like. It's definitely good in a black hoppy beer. I just like drinking lagers more than ales. They're smoother, rounder, easier to drink. Unless, of course, they're pilsner style.
Plus, I can ferment 4.75 gallons in a cornie keg and never have blow off. I still brew hefes in a bucket though.

 

[schematix]

I still brew hefes in a bucket though.

Hefe w/ Lager yeast?

 

[beersk]

Hefe w/ Lager yeast?

No, I meant that that is pretty much the only ale yeast I use anymore.

 

[masaba]

I've been thinking of trying an IPL or APL. Do you cold lager these hoppy beers, or do you just use the lager yeast?

I brewed a 7.5% hoppy pale lager using a mix of pilsener and vienna malts with a little crystal 20 and Chinook and Cascade hops. I think it turned out really well.

I didn't cold lager the beer. I let it spend about 2 weeks at 50 degrees, raised it to 60 for a few days, then cold-crashed for about 5 days. I then raised it back up to room temp and added a few ounces of dry hops for another 4 days or so. After that I bottled it.

 

[schematix]

Sounds like everyone has had success with the IPL style.

Anyone ever tried a stout with lager yeast?

 

[giraffe]

While I still plan to make plenty of ales, my last 25-30 batches have been lagers, pretty much after I built a new/improved fermentation chamber for primary fermentation. I imagine the infatuation will pass eventually, but I do enjoy having a 4-5% czech pale lager on tap at all times, I pretty much always want a half liter of it.