My First Lager

[permo]

I have brewed over 100 batches of ale, and now my equipment has finally graduated to the point where I beleive I will be able to brew lagers. i have literally no experience with them at all. I think for my first recipe I am going to try a maibock or something along those lines.

My question is what is a good lager yeast strain for beginners? Maybe a lager strain that isn't so touchy. Also, a nice maibock or other strong lager recipe would be very, very helpful.

 

[Bob]

I recommend choosing one yeast and sticking with it until you learn its characteristics and tendencies and behaviors in your brewery. Yes, there are different lager strains, just like ale strains, but when you're learning you want to remove as many variables as possible.

Stick with dry yeast to begin. I've been brewing lager for ages and find I prefer the ease of use with S-23.

If you do choose a liquid strain, get used to pitching starter/slurry. You need to pitch a lot of active yeast for good lager beer. Build up a large starter and decant the spent starter wort so you can pitch fresh slurry at the recommended rate.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[brettwasbtd]

If you do choose a liquid strain, get used to pitching starter/slurry. You need to pitch a lot of active yeast for good lager beer. Build up a large starter and decant the spent starter wort so you can pitch fresh slurry at the recommended rate.

Ya, To build up a liquid strain you are better off making a lower gravity lager and using the yeast from that for a higher gravity. So maybe make a Munich Helles and then use the yeast from that for your maibock or something along those lines. To pitch the correct amount of yeast in a maibock you will need a VERY large starter, probably close to a full 5 gallons of beer

You will also need to make a starter for the Helles

 

[permo]

Holy piss, you need that much yeast for a bock strength lager? so I should start by brewing something that is the 1.040 or even less range and reuse that yeast cake for the bock strength lager.

I am very seasoned at making and stepping up starters so i will use liquid for sure and I am thinking the czech pils strain in particular.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=34


I wonder if I could mike a nice little lager out of pils malt, liberty hops and WY2278 alone?

18 pounds pilsen
2 oz liberty at 60
2 oz liberty at 10
2 oz liberty at FO
WY2278 fermented at 55-58 degrees
Diacytel rest?

 

[redstrat]

sounds like a great recipe

 

[Bob]

That works.

Keep in mind you don't need to pitch the entire starter. That's what I was driving at. Pitching an active starter is excessive dilution of the target wort. Crank up the starter, chill the starter when it's done, discard the starter wort, and pitch the darn-near-pure slurry from that according to proper yeast-pitching calculations for the target wort.

Aerate the target wort, too.

Edited to add: I don't like Czech Pils yeast for Bock or Helles. Go with Bavarian Lager for that. It's a good all-round yeast that'll make good Pils, too.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[permo]

Bavarian Lager Yeast it is!

You have described my standard yeast starter pitching protocol. Start it, step it up, crash it, discard starter wort, pitch cold slurry.

I aerate with a power drill attached to a mortor mixer attachement, outside of pure oxygen there isn't much better than that.

For my starter pilsener is a decoction mash advisable for the best malt profile?

 

[permo]

I went with WY2663 Octoberfest. I made a 1 gallon starter and pitched cold into a 1.045 wort made of %100 vienna mashed at 154 and hopped with liberty hops. I pitched the yeast at 50 degrees and am fermenting at 55 degrees. Things are rolling along very well after 36 hours and I suspect this lager will be successfull. I will move to 65 ambient after a week or two to clean up diacytel and I will then begin lagering this brew.

I hope it works out!

 

[bh10]

Only thing Id do personally, is ferment lower, if you can. Personally 50* is a great temp for lager strains, and if you can try you hand at decoction mashing, really adds a great complexity to the beer.

 

[permo]

Only thing Id do personally, is ferment lower, if you can. Personally 50* is a great temp for lager strains, and if you can try you hand at decoction mashing, really adds a great complexity to the beer.

I will surely try decoction mashing on the beer that is going on the yeast cake from this lager, doppelbock or an extra strong maibock....

I wish I could go lower, but but mother nature is limiting my lower temperature limit at this point. My garage sits at about 55 degrees right now........in a month or two when I use this yeast cake for a larger lager I will be in the upper fourty's so that should make for a nice malty/clean lager.

I am hoping with my cold pitch that i still end up with a nice lager....cross your fingers

 

[permo]

If I am fermenting this lager at near 55 degrees do I still need to do a diacytel rest? I am assuming that I probably don't need to.

 

[cabal09]

Permo, stay away from the Wyeast 2278 for your first lager. It is a slow fickle yeast that does not behave like any other yeast I know. I am having problems with it even now. You will have to let it sit in your starter for longer then the normal 18 hours before you see any activity, more like 24 to 48hrs (I use a stir plate low spin). I would go with the Bavarian Lager as stated by Bob.

 

[permo]

Permo, stay away from the Wyeast 2278 for your first lager. It is a slow fickle yeast that does not behave like any other yeast I know. I am having problems with it even now. You will have to let it sit in your starter for longer then the normal 18 hours before you see any activity, more like 24 to 48hrs (I use a stir plate low spin). I would go with the Bavarian Lager as stated by Bob.

I used wyeast 2633 Octoberfest. So far so good, no problems. I am rolling along at 55 degrees but may try and drop that even lower. we will see what I can do