Lager-like beer in a month

[geranimo]

Hi, anybody got ideas for an extract recipe with lager-like taste ready in a month? Fermentation and secondary needs to be the same temperature since it will be in the same temp. controlled freezer.

Also I don't have access to pure 02 equipment so I guess it has to be an ale.

 

[Norselord]

Can you cite an example of a beer that you are trying to emulate?

 

[Murphys_Law]

Will this beer be the only one in the temp controlled freezer? So you can ferment at 50ish, raise to 60's, and then drop to lager temp?

If that's the case then google "quick lager method". This should meet your time frame.

From there, look on the recipe page here and see if they have some good extract recipes or see if you can convert one.

There are also some Mexican lager recipes (dark and light) in the recent Zymurgy and they include extract.

 

[madscientist451]

Also I don't have access to pure 02 equipment so I guess it has to be an ale.

Why do you need 02 equipment?

 

[schematix]

I turn my lagers around in about 4 weeks using a traditional cold (48F and less) fermentation, but my process is pretty good.

The most important thing to do is to pitch the correct amount of yeast. 5G of 1.048 wort is going to take 400 billion+ cells (5 smack packs or vials). Do not skimp.

 

[geranimo]

I myself prefer IPAs to lagers, but I'm brewing for all the people in my apartment and the lager guys like Grolsh, Sleeman silver creek, Sapporo, etc. but dislike Budweiser and the other peepee tasting beers. I need the beer to be at the same ferm. and secondary temp. because I need to produce 15G/month of lager-like in a single freezer. I already found the quick lager method... but not quick enough . For the 02 equipment, I read somwhere that you need 02 for lagers?

 

[schematix]

If Sapporo is OK but Bud is "pee pee" i think you're in over your head. Not only are those two beers nearly identical, but both of those beers take an excruciating amount of time, effort and knowledge of brew science to even approximate.

Yah you need to oxygenate. This isn't just for lagers, but for all beers. Lots and lots of beginner issues are solved by oxygenation. You'll need an o2 stone, a tank, and preferably a flow control regulator. All together less than $200.

 

[Sadu]

I'm going to assume you are bottle conditioning, since this would be be pretty easy to do with kegs. I say this drinking a 3 week old schwarzbier which is delicious.

A bottle conditioned lager is a challenge, but can be done. A bottle conditioned lager-like beer is probably a bit easier.

I got a pilsner into the final round of a comp with 5 weeks, and it was good drinking at 4 weeks.

Stick with around 1.050 gravity - go too big and it might need some more time.
Give it a really good pitch of healthy yeast, aerate like mad with a drill and beater attachment if you don't have O2.
Ferment at 50f for 3 days then start raising the temperature, up to low 60s over the next few days, dryhopping about here if you need to. Once that krauesen drops and you hit FG, slam the freeser down to just above freezing (34f or so), hit it with gelatin and give it a few more days to clear. This is all happening in primary.
After about 10 days in primary, bottle it. Setup a temp controlled environment for your bottles - I use a cooler bin with an aquarium heater at 80ish. The bottles will carb up nicely within 10-12 days and you still have at least a week to get them in the fridge to clear up some more.

Good luck.

 

[geranimo]

I will be kegging. Also I can taste significant difference between bud and sapporo.

For ales I see everybody shaking their carboys for a few minutes without issue.

I really need to have a constant temperature for both primary and secondary because I'll have the primary carboy and the kegs in the same freezer. Also I want to be time efficient and I don't have the energy to change the temperature often.

I know I won't ever brew a Grolsh, just looking for an easy-drink ale.

 

[Jim311]

There's a bangin recipe for a Mexican Lager in the recipes section. I just brewed it and from grain to glass it was less than a month. I didn't even build a starter I just used one of the white labs yeast tubes you cut open and direct pitch. It was stupid easy and I'm betting the beer is almost gone because we've been pounding that keg lately, it's a delicious hot weather beer that tastes like summer. I fermented it at 52 degrees. I took it out for a diacetyl rest at room temp for a few days then put it back in at 52 for a while longer. Worked awesome, tastes great.

 

[Jim311]

Yah you need to oxygenate. This isn't just for lagers, but for all beers. Lots and lots of beginner issues are solved by oxygenation.

Gonna go ahead and disagree with you here, I do not oxygenate beyond shaking the carboy around to mix in my yeast.

 

[ericbw]

I don't think you want to ferment at the same temp as serving. It's either too warm to serve or too cold to ferment.

Maybe you can get away without raising the temp during fermentation, but lager and crisp ales at 50+ degrees serving seems too warm.

Also, you're exceeding the home brew limit for one person in the household. Brew what you like and tell them to guy grolsch.

 

[seabrew8]

I will be kegging. Also I can taste significant difference between bud and sapporo.

For ales I see everybody shaking their carboys for a few minutes without issue.

I really need to have a constant temperature for both primary and secondary because I'll have the primary carboy and the kegs in the same freezer. Also I want to be time efficient and I don't have the energy to change the temperature often.

I know I won't ever brew a Grolsh, just looking for an easy-drink ale.

Any decent ale is easy drinking ime Too easy, most good ales are way more tasty then the generic lager.

If you want a lager like beer try rice, sugar and/or corn with the barley.

 

[brewcat]

Wyeast 1007. It is an ale yeast, but fermented on the low end will get you close. Then you don't necessarily deal with a long lagering period (but it helps).

 

[FloppyKnockers]

You can get a good lager a month from now if you started a couple months ago.

There's just no way. Lagers only taste like lagers because they were lagered. May I suggest an Altbier? This is the most similar ale style I can think of to a lager.

 

[NSMikeD]

^^ I was thinking a german ale that is cool fermented, but the altbier may be too dark in color for his pals.

Look into Kolsch recipes. It's an ale that is fermented slightly cooler than an ale but tolerant of the higher temp (55°-70°) for two weeks and them dropped to lager temps for another 2 week. The second phase can be achieved by wrapping two ice blankets (looks like a flat plastic flexible sheet of ice cubes) around the keg using a bungee and changing twice a day.


Kolsch is a mild beer - light in color (straw) , slight maltiness and low hops. While it's an ale, it is very similar to pilsners. Since it's an ale, it's more tolerant of warmer temps than a lager.


Use a pilsner extract. You can steep some Vienna grains, but keep it under 5%. I used nottingham yeast and hallitaurer hops at 60. I broke style and added a little pearle hops at 15 and flameout to add a hint of flavor and aroma .

Ferment for 2 weeks 55° - 62° and then drop down as cold as you can (preferably just above freezing) for clarity. Ideally you want 4 weeks lagerring but 2 weeks should do. Don't keep this beer around long, it's meant to drink right away.

 

[Sadu]

You can get a good lager a month from now if you started a couple months ago.

There's just no way. Lagers only taste like lagers because they were lagered. May I suggest an Altbier? This is the most similar ale style I can think of to a lager.

I disagree here. You can definitely get a great tasting lager inside a month if you keg, and it can be done with some skill and luck bottle conditioning as well.

I just did a side by side on a schwarzbier - the first batch got 1 month bulk lagering in secondary, then bottle conditioned 4 weeks, then another month lagering in the bottle. The second batch had 2 weeks primary and 1 week in the keg. They are real similar - the newer keg version has better carbonation so I prefer it.

That said, sometimes lagers do just need a decent amount of time to come into their own.

 

[schematix]

Gonna go ahead and disagree with you here, I do not oxygenate beyond shaking the carboy around to mix in my yeast.

Most of the time there's no harm from playing Russian roulette.

Skipping oxygenation is bad practice for overall yeast health.