Recipe for first lager

[rukkus]

Looking to put together my first lager recipe.

I have some lager malt, saaz and some brewferm lager yeast and some w-34/70.

Thoughts on something simple to start with....?

[Ciderhead]

Big boils. 
http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/12/14/pilsner-lager-recipes-beer-styles/

[mr hoppy]

You'd  need more malt but Oktoberfest is pretty forgiving as lager stylers go. That's what I did for the first couple of lagers I did. The grain bill is a little more complicated in that you'd need munich malt but that means there's more to hide behind!

If you've not read How to Brew, or something similar already it is definitely worth checking out the chapter on lager brewing first. Although, he's not reliable relationship between termperature and lagering time.

[johnrm]

Although, he's not reliable relationship between termperature and lagering time.

:-? ??

[johnrm]

So 100% Lager malt is going to be like...  budweiser?

[Shane Phelan]

I'm also considering a lager in the near future and my main worry is having little or no control over the temperature whatsoever.

Will it turn out drinkable if the temperature fluctuates in the 14+ Degrees region?

[Ciderhead]

Ideal lagering temps are 9-12 range depending on yeast, San Fran 810 is closer to ale temps.
as its a long ferment risks off-flavours, I have done various lagers in non fridge controlled conditions, in what I thought was ok, but they all had one problem or another.
A really good blonde ale tastes better than a poor lager anyday

[johnrm]

I have 25kg Whole Lager Malt.
Unused Crankenstein.
STC1000 controlled Fridge.
Working on a recipe 

[rukkus]

Lol same here

[Ciderhead]

I have 25kg Whole Lager Malt.
Unused Crankenstein.
STC1000 controlled Fridge.
Working on a recipe 

With beersmith you have no excuse 

[mr hoppy]

Sorry Johnrm, forgot to re-read,  basically Palmer says that the higher the temp you lager at the shorter you need to lager for - which is complete rubbish: a month to two months at 0 to 3 degrees is your only man.

Other thing about lager malt is that a 90 minute boil is a good idea as it tends to produce more DMS - unless you like boiled vegetable flavoured beer.

Would definitely agree that unless you are decoction mashing some carapils, munich or vienna would help.

Yeast is really important and big, even huge starters help. Some lager yeasts are more forgiving than others -WLP German bock yeast is easy to use and the South German lager yeast is also supposed to pretty good. I love WLP800, but a 4 week primary isn't for everyone.

[mr hoppy]

That's true Shane, but it's got it's good points as well. For me personally, it let me short circuit the whole kit thing and move straight to brewing the sort of extract SNPA knock-off I was after. I will admit its taken four years of lurking on Jim's to get over some of the dafter stuff that Amercian homebrewers recite as if it were gospel.

Mind if you think Palmer is a pain in the ass you should check out Greg Noonan. The way he tell's it every beer I've ever brewed should be in a toxic waste dump.

[Ciderhead]

About half way down this article you will see different temp profiles

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Fermenting_Lagers

I am doing a simple lager tomorrow that looks like piss for my brother as he likes stella :

4 Ingredients!
not mentioned below are the 2 packets of W34-70

The temp profile is 12.5 and then after 14 days up to 15.6 for Diacetyl rest and then down to 2 over 30 Days.

Brewed for drinking in May/June

Diacetyl Rests are probably unecessary with todays yeasts but force of habbit ...


Recipe: Johns Stella Clone      TYPE: All Grain
Style: Vienna Lager
---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 6.5 EBC            SRM RANGE: 19.7-31.5 EBC
IBU: 24.8 IBUs Tinseth      IBU RANGE: 18.0-30.0 IBUs
OG: 1.047 SG            OG RANGE: 1.046-1.052 SG
FG: 1.009 SG            FG RANGE: 1.010-1.014 SG
BU:GU: 0.530            Calories: 427.1 kcal/l      Est ABV: 4.9 %            
EE%: 72.00 %      Batch: 22.00 l      Boil: 28.96 l      BT: 60 Mins

---WATER CHEMISTRY ADDITIONS----------------


Total Grain Weight: 4.60 kg      Total Hops: 66.00 g oz.
---MASH/STEEP PROCESS------MASH PH:5.40 ------
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD WATER CHEMICALS BEFORE GRAINS!!<<<<<<<
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
4.60 kg               Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (3.9 EBC)            Grain         1        100.0 %      


Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time    
Mash In           Add 12.80 l of water at 75.0 C          65.6 C        75 min       

---SPARGE PROCESS---
>>>>>>>>>>-RECYCLE FIRST RUNNINGS & VERIFY GRAIN/MLT TEMPS: 6.0 C/6.0 C
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD BOIL CHEMICALS BEFORE FWH
Fly sparge with 21.57 l water at 75.6 C

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.039 SG      Est OG: 1.047 SG
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
50.00 g               Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min            Hop           2        23.3 IBUs    
0.25 tsp              Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)              Fining        3        -            
16.00 g               Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min             Hop           4        1.5 IBUs      



---NOTES------------------------------------
02-Feb      12.5

15-Feb      15.6
16-Feb      15.1
17-Feb      14.7
18-Feb      14.2
19-Feb      13.8
20-Feb      13.3
21-Feb      12.9
22-Feb      12.4
23-Feb      12.0
24-Feb      11.5
25-Feb      11.1
26-Feb      10.6
27-Feb      10.2
28-Feb      9.7
01-Mar      9.3
02-Mar      8.8
03-Mar      8.4
04-Mar      7.9
05-Mar      7.4
06-Mar      7.0
07-Mar      6.5
08-Mar      6.1
09-Mar      5.6
10-Mar      5.2
11-Mar      4.7
12-Mar      4.3
13-Mar      3.8
14-Mar      3.4
15-Mar      2.9
16-Mar      2.5
17-Mar      2.0

[mr hoppy]

2 packs of W34/70. Yikes! That doesn't come cheap. That's one group buy I'd definitely be interested in if I ever give up on the wlp800!

[Ciderhead]

2 packs of W34/70. Yikes! That doesn't come cheap. That's one group buy I'd definitely be interested in if I ever give up on the wlp800!

yep, but one won't cut it, its the only dry lager yeast I use, it claims to be but its still not as good as my wlp830