Why does lager need to lager?

[Cockfighter]

I've just made my first pils. Because I lack a refrigerator that is large enough, I used the outside temperatures a month ago to try and give it a go by putting the fermentor on the balcony.

I used Saflager w34/70 and I kept checking the temperature in the fermentor to make sure it's in range. I did a diacetyl rest for a couple of days inside, cold crashed (somewhat) outside, and bottled with priming sugar.

I've now had my pils priming at room temperature for about two weeks. Yesterday, my curiosity got the better of me and I put a bottle in the fridge for a couple of hours and tried it... And it tastes... Great!

The beer is nice and clear, has an excellent head and tastes exactly how I would want it to taste.

So the question is, why do I even need to lager my lager???

 

[Likefully]

Keep all the beers in the fridge and drink them slowly (as in over a few months). You will notice the difference as time passes. Its gets even better.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Lager is a German word that means "to age (beer) usually by storing in tanks at just-below freezing temperatures for several weeks or months." Basically, if you don't lager your lager, it won't be a lager. The lower temperatures and the lager yeast go hand in hand in creating the distinctive lager style of beer.

*Fun fact: this is actually how the first California Common / Steam beers came about. The brewers in late 1800's San Francisco/West Coast had knowledge in lager brewing, but lacked the naturally cold water and ice to achieve the lagering. They were unfamiliar with brewing ales, so they just brewed the lager and used lager yeast, but let it ferment at higher ale temperatures. I could be wrong on this last point, but I believe they call it "Steam" because they used to let it ferment in big open fermenters like a cool ship and as it fermented it would steam and the steam could be seen rising from the buildings.

 

[Yooper]

Lagering does things to beer that can't be duplicated any other way. One of the things the storage at cold temperatures does is to help drop out excess polyphenols from the hops. Also, proteins and polyphenols from tannins will drop out. This makes a smoother and "crisper" lager.

 

[Cockfighter]

Alright, then I look forward to seeing how this beer develops! Temperatures are just above freezing here for the next few weeks, so I'll put the crates outside to lager.

 

[skw]

Long cold storage can do the same thing to light ales as well. Lagering is not something that the yeast requires, but something that the style requires. Kölsch for example, is a beer that is fermented with ale yeast, but lagered for flavor and clarity.

A Kölsch that is not lagered is called Wiess, a Helles or Märzen without layering is a Kellerbier or Zoigl.

[edit]Hello to Hamburg.