what can I add to a lager?

[Incongruent]

I have a lager thats been fermenting a couple of days. It's my second lager and I find these kind of plain. Any suggestions for what I can add for flavor?

Coffee? Vanilla? Mango puree?

 

[JordanKnudson]

So...what kind of lager is it? Lager's a pretty broad category. Can't just randomly tell you, "add chocolate and peaches and oak chips" when we don't know what your base beer is like, or what flavors you're looking for. Although, I guess if you knew what flavors you were after, this thread wouldn't be so open-ended.

 

[bkboiler]

i did a lager once where i added hibiscus tea leaves at the end of boil to turn it pink (brewed it to celebrate my daughters birth)...the flavor was pretty good given that the tea was subtle and floral, matched well with the noble hops. the fruitiness of the tea was the part that i was iffy on. it was good but not great. not estery, just a little winey.

 

[Incongruent]

It's a simple recipe. 6.8lb pale lme and 1lb corn sugar, hallertau hops, w34 yeast.

 

[schematix]

Just a thought... if the style is not to your liking, why not make something you would prefer more instead?

 

[JordanKnudson]

I would think that if it's a pretty neutral recipe, and you want to add some sort of flavoring to it, you ought to just think about what flavor you'd like. I mean, any answer you are going to get from us will still be subject to your own preferences (do I want a [insert flavor] beer), so why not just ask yourself what *you* would like... You listed a couple options in your original post. Did none of those appeal to you?

 

[Incongruent]

Just a thought... if the style is not to your liking, why not make something you would prefer more instead?

I made it for variety and economy. It's the first time I've repitched yeast... and it just so happens the first time I've washed yeast it was on my first lager. So I'm stuck with another lager.... It's not that I don't like lagers... but they're so simple I feel like I'm better off buying those retail and making my own ales. Unless I can make it interesting, hence this thread.

 

[Incongruent]

I would think that if it's a pretty neutral recipe, and you want to add some sort of flavoring to it, you ought to just think about what flavor you'd like. I mean, any answer you are going to get from us will still be subject to your own preferences (do I want a [insert flavor] beer), so why not just ask yourself what *you* would like... You listed a couple options in your original post. Did none of those appeal to you?

All of these appeal to me. And also I seek other suggestions. Also I seek instructions. How might I successfully infuse these ingredients into my lager? I plan to do only a 4 week primary and then bottle it and lager it. Maybe in the bottling bucket I can just add a Coffee / vodka infusion? Or if I want to do vanilla extract how much and when do I add to primary? I heard with fruit puree its done in a secondary... although I've never done a secondary before.

 

[McGarnigle]

I think darker lagers would hold extra flavors better, if you were able to get any specialty grains.

Saranac does a coffee lager, but its an amber base.
I've seen recipes for Habanero lagers, but again, amber base.
Smoked lager is pretty common. Again.... amber base.

Honey lager might make sense with a pale base. Maybe fruit would work.

Personally, I would not like coffee or vanilla in a pale lager.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Passion fruit and lactose? Some Brett to bring the funk? I think I would just dry hop with a variety you haven't tried yet.

Are you bottling or kegging?

 

[Incongruent]

Bottling. I have frozen mango cubes. How do I use those and brett?

 

[JonM]

Hops. More Hops. Maybe Cascade, maybe something like Hallertau Blanc, or Amarillo, or whatever your favorites are.

 

[catdaddy66]

A nice addition of honey would certainly liven up the flavor in a plain lager. Let it be 8-16ozs in the primary and then wait for the magic to happen!

Or dry hop like JonM suggested. Multiple flavors can be brought to bear...

I love honey in some beers.

 

[casualbrewer]

I say just dry hop with a hop you haven't used yet. A lager is a hard beer to make well. To me it is a waste to flavor a well made lager. Maybe just do a quick ale where off flavors won't be noticed after the other additions.

 

[Incongruent]

I say just dry hop with a hop you haven't used yet. A lager is a hard beer to make well. To me it is a waste to flavor a well made lager. Maybe just do a quick ale where off flavors won't be noticed after the other additions.

Why do you say it is hard to make well? Because of the cold temp required to ferment? Because the flavor imperfections due to brewing errors are easier to detect?

 

[bkboiler]

the latter is definitely the case with regard to brewing errors making it a difficult style. i'd consider what flavors are nuanced enough to complement a balanced pale lager.
the passionfruit idea jumps out to me as something that wouldnt stand in the way of enjoying the continental style, as long as you dont overdo it in terms of how strong of a passionfruit flavor you add.
fruit is tricky if you cant find an "extract", then you may either end up with a winey flavor if you add in primary or secondary...or gushers if you add it at bottling.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

I would add that the more "plain" styles of lager, especially the lighter ones (pils, helles, vienna) definitely benefit from the complexity (of flavor) you gain by going all-grain. An extract pils is going to be a mediocre beer, most likely, whereas it takes all-grain to bring out the nuances and subtler flavors that are characteristic of these styles.

If sticking with extract and grains, you are better off going with a more flavorful beer style that can benefit from the specialty grains like Munich Dunkel, Bock, even IPL (a misnomer to me, but it's a common term).

 

[Sailingeric]

I have had a couple lagers on tap as of late. I like mine a bit on the hoppy side. My next one I do will be an IPL. That is that great thing with brewing, just experiment and odds are it will turn out great!

 

[Sadu]

I find myself getting bored with helles since they are so light on flavour. But a dry hopped pilsner I find very nice. Likewise a schwarzbier, basically a helles but with a late addition of carafa special 2 I find really nice. Or try a bock or dopplebock if you like lagers with flavour

 

[casualbrewer]

Why do you say it is hard to make well? Because of the cold temp required to ferment? Because the flavor imperfections due to brewing errors are easier to detect?

All of the above. A good lager to me will have no off flavors and be super crisp/clear. I was just saying why go through the trouble of producing a good lager if it will be muddled up with fruit etc.? Anyone can brew what they want and call it what they want but if it were me, I would brew a quick blonde or cream ale and go from there with your flavor additions.

 

[BigEd]

I have a lager thats been fermenting a couple of days. It's my second lager and I find these kind of plain. Any suggestions for what I can add for flavor?

Coffee? Vanilla? Mango puree?

Why do you need to add anything? A well-made lager should showcase the simple base ingredients; a fine pilsner or Munich malt, or maybe some particularly nice noble hops. If this isn't the case then next time use better ingredients. If not, go nuts, add fruit, nuts, or spice.