Summer of Lagers

[johnnyik]

So with my recent hop irritation, this will be the summer of Lagers! I'm starting tomorrow with Annie Johnson's best of show Homebrewer of the Year American light lager recipe. Seems like a standard american lager. I listened to the Session podcast with her as a guest and she mentioned to make a true light lager she holds the mash at 149 for up to 2 hours to convert and create high fermentability. I'm using 8lbs 2-row and 2lbs flaked rice with .75 oz Hallertau at 4.8% as the 60 minute addition. Fermenting with Chech Budjovice lager. (Joe was out of Mexican or American lager so thought I'd try this one.) Made a 3.5L starter that's ready to go. The rest of the summer will be Munich Helles (Oktoberfest Lager yeast), Vienna lager (Chech yeast slurry pitch), and Oktoberfest (Oktoberfest lager slurry pitch). Crisp beers for the hot summer and darker smooth beers for the fall. Cheers!

P.S. Also made the Club RIS (the recipe we used to make the barrel aged RIS a few years ago) two weeks ago. I will be aging it with 2oz of medium toast oak cubes soaked in 8oz Bacardi gold. Figured the rum soaked oak will add an interesting note. It will be called Siberian Mermaid. I plan to have some samples ready for Brew-B-Que in August.

[bf514921]

Sounds epic, I do like lagers

[czubak]

Interesting. I may have to listen to that podcast. I have only done one lager and want to do more, but need a chamber first. I could see these being a real fun change of pace.

[Steven P]

I can second the use of WLP802 CZECH BUDEJOVICE LAGER YEAST

http://www.whitelabs.com/yeast/wlp802-c ... ager-yeast

It was really nice in my Czech Dark Lager. Still has character too, unlike WLP840, the American Lager yeast which is just straight clean.

[johnnyik]

Update:
The American Lager is kegged and the Helles is fermenting. Next up is the Vienna lager. The RIS has been on oak for two weeks now and tried a sample last night...damn boozy and getting a nice oak finish! I can't really tell there is any rum in it but oh well. Cheers!

[johnnyik]

Last lager of the season is Oktoberfest...tastes pretty good and ready for the next two weeks. It turns out I may have lactose intolerance and was having a bowl of cereal nearly every morning. Add any other minor irritants and my intestines retaliated! Now that I have cut out milk I am feeling way better and ventured back into pale ales with good success! Next up...IPAs! I hope this is the answer, I don't want to live in a world without hoppy beers!

[kjball]

Glad to hear they might have it figured out John. And that you can maybe drink the hoppy stuff

[Matt F]

That is good news! Milk does a body good my ass. Beer is the healthier choice and hops are a wonderful medicine.

[Steven P]

Thanks Matt. That's my new signature.

[Matt F]

Glad I could help.