How to Make Lager
- By Steven Hooch
- Published 11/18/2011
- Food and Drink
- Unrated
Lager is one of the most popular styles of beer in the world, not to mention that it is easily the most recognisable in terms of appearance. The name refers to a type of beer brewed from malted barley and then stored under low temperatures.
Characteristics of Lagers:
Lagers come in many varieties from pale lagers like the helles to dark lagers like the Baltic porters with experts recommending that these beers be served straight from the refrigerator for the best taste. Also, lagers are the one of the most alcoholic beers in the world with ABV reaching up to 14% of the Doppelbock style from Germany. With their wide variety of tastes, flavours and strength, paring lagers with food means paying attention to its specific type. Thus, pale lagers go well with light foods including crispy and spicy tortillas while dark lagers are best for rich and saucy meals like curries, beef stew and goulash.
Steps to Make Lagers:
If you can brew your own lager at home, then you will have one of the best beers available the whole year-round. Take note that not only are lagers good for drinking but these are also great for cooking dishes like barbecues - double whammy, indeed. Here are the steps to make your own brews.
You should first familiarise yourself with the process of making lagers. The steps like malting mashing and boiling are similar to brewing ales with two major differences - the yeast used is of a different strain and the fermentations are done at a lower temperature for lagers. The lower temperatures during the primary and secondary fermentations allow the yeast to completely metaboli
se the sugar in the wort.
The steps to making your first batch of lager are:
Make the yeast starter. Pour 1.9 litres of water into a large stockpot and bring it to a approximately 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir in 230 grams malt extract and then bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Cool the mixture down to 90 degrees Fahrenheit before pouring into a sanitized container. Let the yeast propagate for 2-3 days.
Pitch the above yeast starter into the chilled wort (60 degrees Fahrenheit).
Ferment the wort for 2 weeks, which will be the primary fermentation. The temperature should be according to the yeast being used. After 2 weeks, be sure to raise the temperature to 62 degrees Fahrenheit in a process known as diacetyl rest. (This will aid in complete fermentation, drive off carbon dioxide and allow the yeast to absorb the diacetyl, thus, making for good lager).
Rack the brew into a glass carboy, which signals the start of the secondary fermentation. Decrease the temperature by 5 degrees Fahrenheit every day until the temperature reaches just 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lagering then starts. Allow the brew to sit for a minimum of 6 months although it is common for lagering to stretch for 12 months.
Bottle or keg the resulting beer. Follow the steps for bottling ale.
As with other beer styles, you must practice, practice and practice to get the perfect lager in your own home brewery. The good news is that, once you have your first perfect 5-gallon batch of the best beer in the world, the possibilities for enjoying it are virtually endless. Serve the pale to dark beer on its own or serve it with appetisers, meat dishes and desserts - you can rarely go wrong with lagers.
Characteristics of Lagers:
Lagers come in many varieties from pale lagers like the helles to dark lagers like the Baltic porters with experts recommending that these beers be served straight from the refrigerator for the best taste. Also, lagers are the one of the most alcoholic beers in the world with ABV reaching up to 14% of the Doppelbock style from Germany. With their wide variety of tastes, flavours and strength, paring lagers with food means paying attention to its specific type. Thus, pale lagers go well with light foods including crispy and spicy tortillas while dark lagers are best for rich and saucy meals like curries, beef stew and goulash.
Steps to Make Lagers:
If you can brew your own lager at home, then you will have one of the best beers available the whole year-round. Take note that not only are lagers good for drinking but these are also great for cooking dishes like barbecues - double whammy, indeed. Here are the steps to make your own brews.
You should first familiarise yourself with the process of making lagers. The steps like malting mashing and boiling are similar to brewing ales with two major differences - the yeast used is of a different strain and the fermentations are done at a lower temperature for lagers. The lower temperatures during the primary and secondary fermentations allow the yeast to completely metaboli
The steps to making your first batch of lager are:
Make the yeast starter. Pour 1.9 litres of water into a large stockpot and bring it to a approximately 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir in 230 grams malt extract and then bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Cool the mixture down to 90 degrees Fahrenheit before pouring into a sanitized container. Let the yeast propagate for 2-3 days.
Pitch the above yeast starter into the chilled wort (60 degrees Fahrenheit).
Ferment the wort for 2 weeks, which will be the primary fermentation. The temperature should be according to the yeast being used. After 2 weeks, be sure to raise the temperature to 62 degrees Fahrenheit in a process known as diacetyl rest. (This will aid in complete fermentation, drive off carbon dioxide and allow the yeast to absorb the diacetyl, thus, making for good lager).
Rack the brew into a glass carboy, which signals the start of the secondary fermentation. Decrease the temperature by 5 degrees Fahrenheit every day until the temperature reaches just 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lagering then starts. Allow the brew to sit for a minimum of 6 months although it is common for lagering to stretch for 12 months.
Bottle or keg the resulting beer. Follow the steps for bottling ale.
As with other beer styles, you must practice, practice and practice to get the perfect lager in your own home brewery. The good news is that, once you have your first perfect 5-gallon batch of the best beer in the world, the possibilities for enjoying it are virtually endless. Serve the pale to dark beer on its own or serve it with appetisers, meat dishes and desserts - you can rarely go wrong with lagers.
Steven Hooch
Steven Hooch is a leading connoisseur for a variety of fine wines and ales. He has been sharing his insights and reviews for over 11 years striving to provide expert advice and information on a wide range of alcoholic beverages including lager.
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