Making a lager like beer

[ax89]

I am new to brewing but i have been doing some reading so i know a few things so far.

So for me lagering is a no go as i couldn't get the temps done to 2-3 deg.

I am not sure what temps i could consistently get probably not even under 20deg unless i had some kind of cooling system.

So i like a cold refreshing lager, chilled with a decent head. What are my options for an all grain beer that will ferment at 20deg min.

Which yeast can i use, which grains should i use?

TIA

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

First - welcome! Lot of good people and information here.

You're probably looking for something along the lines of a simple blond ale or lite pale ale. Check out the recipe section - there are some great recipes. The recipe itself will detail what grains and such to use. As far as yeast are concerned what I do is go to the different yeast supplier websites and read up about a strain I'm interested in using. For example: http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm If I want something with a clean, low ester profile I just read up until I find one. The key is to pick one that is happy in the range you're fermentor will spend its time in. 20 isn't to bad. I have the benefit of having an area I can manage the temperature fairly closely. So far I've tried to keep the temperature at the low end of the range - that's been 18-20 C for me. So far I've turned out some very nice ales.

Hope that helps...

 

[hal2814]

When I want a lager-like beer and don't have time to lager it properly, I take the lager recipe I'm interested in and ferment with Wyeast 2112 (California Lager). IMHO, it ferments well up to 70F. It also ferments quickly and is highly flocculant. These days, I rarely bother with true lager yeasts.

 

[pjewell]

I personally like klosch style yeast. they ferment very clean and are very versatile at 70F. They cold condition beer very well because of their lower fermentation temperatures 55F.

 

[storunner13]

You might be able to get it even cooler, with a large bucket (larger than your fermentor). Put the fermentor into the bucket with some water and ice.

If you want the clean lager flavor, you're going to want to keep it as cold as you can. The suggestions above are definitely good ones with regards to the yeast. But in general, you should go with an American yeast strain, as they produce fewer fruity esters than english strains.

As for grains, the sky is the limit. But I'd stick to a lot of pale or pilsner malt as a base, maybe some vienna in there for some malt character. BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde is a good starter. Sift around the recipes section for some recipe ideas.

 

[demonrichie]

nottingham yeast is pretty clean fermenting for ale yeast. ive heard of people using it with a lager style recipe and apparently its not too far off.

 

[billc68]

The Cooper's Euro Lager and Brewmaster Pilsner kits come with a dry lager yeast that is best suited at temps between 14-21C. Not sure what strain of yeast it is ( I am told it is re-branded Saflager yeast) but could be a start.

I see you are on the UK, not as cold as Canada, but my plan this winter is to brew 3 or 4 lagers at once in a small insulated room in my garage. My garage is not heated but the room is, I just need to find a thermostat that will allow me to set the temp low, right now I can go as low as 10C, I would like to go as low as 0 for Lagering.

 

[ChrisS68]

Actually, from what I've heard, the yeast in certain Coopers lager kits is Mauribrew 497. This was formerly sold as Superior lager yeast in North America. Still trying to find a supplier for 497 in the Wetsern hemisphere.

Anyway, I've used this yeast up to 70F (@ 21C) with very good results, though I'd say its better around 60F (@ 15C) or so.

 

[Malticulous]

The Big Brew Wheat has to be close.
http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/BigBrew2010

If you look at what Wyeast recommends that yeast for all you will see are lager-like styles.
http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=126
IMO K-97 is close to the same yeast.