Hi everyone. As I really like the lager I make, can I brew it all your round?? I know it’s a winter brewing beer because it likes the lower temps when fermenting (the yeast). Am I able to say put an ale or bitter yeast into a lager through the warmer months as these ferment at a higher temp??? Please correct me if I am wrong with all this.
Brewing lager all year round.
- Thread starter Mickchap
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TwoCrows
Well-Known Member
You can make ales into lagers and Vis versa. The body of said beer maybe different to what you might like. Ales normally have more body due to mashing at higher temps.
Split your batches and experiment.
Higher temp yeast is kveik all the way up to mid 30 Celsius.
Split your batches and experiment.
Higher temp yeast is kveik all the way up to mid 30 Celsius.
bradmcm
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You sure can. Wort is wort, it's how you ferment it determines whether it is a lager or an ale, and there is a blurry line.
There are always exceptions but most people think of lagers as being crisp (high attenuating yeast) and clean.
You may find the yeast you are using for your lager can be brewed reasonably warm without producing any of the esters associated with ales.
I haven't done it but I have heard of people taking the classic Weihenstephan 34/70 up to 20C and it still is neutral.
For my lagers I am using Novalager yeast which can also go to 20C and above and not throw any fruity esters, meaning I can brew pseudo-lagers all year around with it.
If you want to use an ale yeast, choose a neutral flavoured ale yeast, most of them are listed as "American" such as US-05, BRY-97, M42, M44 etc.
If you were to use a British style strain you probably going to get a lot of that ale character. Perfectly delicious beer but not be as as crisp and clean as a traditional lager. The exception is Nottingham, that is pretty neutral. Anyway, talk to your local shop and find out what they have.
There are always exceptions but most people think of lagers as being crisp (high attenuating yeast) and clean.
You may find the yeast you are using for your lager can be brewed reasonably warm without producing any of the esters associated with ales.
I haven't done it but I have heard of people taking the classic Weihenstephan 34/70 up to 20C and it still is neutral.
For my lagers I am using Novalager yeast which can also go to 20C and above and not throw any fruity esters, meaning I can brew pseudo-lagers all year around with it.
If you want to use an ale yeast, choose a neutral flavoured ale yeast, most of them are listed as "American" such as US-05, BRY-97, M42, M44 etc.
If you were to use a British style strain you probably going to get a lot of that ale character. Perfectly delicious beer but not be as as crisp and clean as a traditional lager. The exception is Nottingham, that is pretty neutral. Anyway, talk to your local shop and find out what they have.
Hangover68
Well-Known Member
Get an old fridge and a temp controller and then brew whatever you want any time of year.
antoRCB
Member
Yes, you can definitely brew your lager year-round! While traditional lager yeast thrives in cooler temperatures (around 10-14°C), there are ways to brew similar styles during warmer months.
One option is to use a clean, neutral ale yeast like US-05 or Nottingham. These yeasts ferment at warmer temperatures (around 18-22°C) and produce fewer fruity esters, giving you a "pseudo-lager" with a clean profile. As mentioned by others, you could even experiment with yeasts like Kveik, which can tolerate very high temperatures without producing too many off-flavors.
Some lager yeasts, such as the Weihenstephan 34/70 or Novalager, can be fermented at higher temperatures (up to 20°C) without generating too many esters, which means you can make a crisp beer even when it's warmer out.
Ultimately, the yeast you choose will impact the flavor and body, but you can get close to a lager profile even in the summer. If you're up for experimenting, you could split batches and try a few different yeasts to see which one gives you the results you prefer!
One option is to use a clean, neutral ale yeast like US-05 or Nottingham. These yeasts ferment at warmer temperatures (around 18-22°C) and produce fewer fruity esters, giving you a "pseudo-lager" with a clean profile. As mentioned by others, you could even experiment with yeasts like Kveik, which can tolerate very high temperatures without producing too many off-flavors.
Some lager yeasts, such as the Weihenstephan 34/70 or Novalager, can be fermented at higher temperatures (up to 20°C) without generating too many esters, which means you can make a crisp beer even when it's warmer out.
Ultimately, the yeast you choose will impact the flavor and body, but you can get close to a lager profile even in the summer. If you're up for experimenting, you could split batches and try a few different yeasts to see which one gives you the results you prefer!
I will third the recommendation to use US-05. I have made dark lagers, cream ales and kellerbiers with a very clean profile at higher temps (18-22C). If you leave them cold to settle and clear they come out nice and crisp from the bottle.
