What Is Lagering And How Is It Done?

[brettule]

From what I can understand lagering is a process where by you drop the temp for a period of time. Why should I do this and what effect does it have?

I've got a Stella style kit ready to rack to my secondary in a temp controled fridgemate. Should I rack to the secondary and set a lagering temp? If so, what temp and length of time should I set?

 

[Bribie G]

Lagering started in Germany in the middle ages. Barley is harvested in the Autumn (September onwards over there), the beer was brewed and then stored in cold cellars over the winter (November to March) - often the cellars would be packed with ice transported down from the Alps. The reason for all this is that, if you have ever been to Germany / Czech Republic etc in the summer it can get bloody hot! With no scientific knowledge of sterilisation, bacteria etc you could do some pretty crook brews during the hot weather so their premium beers would be stored (Lagered from German Lagern, to store) over winter.

A mutated form of yeast appeared in Medieval times (according to wikipedia) that could ferment nicely at lower temperatures and this has become the modern lager or bottom fermenting yeasts.

Lagering at say 5 to 10 degrees for a month or more allows complex flavours to develop and for nearly all of the trub and hazes to drop out of the beer. Australian megabreweries only lager for about two weeks, whacky doo, and even traditional European lager breweries such as Budvar are apparently dropping their traditional three months lagering due to economic rationalisation.

Edit: I toured Heineken a very long time ago but IIRC even brews such as Heineken, Carlsberg and Stellar only get six weeks in the modern era.
Edit: sadly Pilsner Urquell itself now only gets about five weeks.
http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/b....3/urquell.html
I'm planning to get a big fridge and do a proper lager myself. Have never personally tasted a properly lagered all grain home brew and will get myself along to the next Bris brewer's club and see if there are any samples going :icon_cheers:

 

[cdbrown]

What yeast did you use? Most kits use ale yeast as it's easier for the everyday joe to maintain the higher temp. Lager yeast ferments at a lower temp and takes quite a while. The lagering allows the beer to clear up and provide crisp flavour.

 

[brettule]

What yeast did you use? Most kits use ale yeast as it's easier for the everyday joe to maintain the higher temp. Lager yeast ferments at a lower temp and takes quite a while. The lagering allows the beer to clear up and provide crisp flavour.

Saflager S23, I believe it can tolerate down to 11 degrees. Much below that and the yeast sleeps. I've been fermenting at 13 degrees. What's your advice on racking and attempting to larger?

 

[Bribie G]

I would rack into secondary for a week at 13 degrees then drop to about 8 degrees for maybe 2 weeks and see how it goes. I kept my S23 batch at around 8 degrees for a week before using Polyclar and it's turned out very crisp and bright.

 

[brettprevans]

there is an awsome post somewhere on AHB (possibly by Stuster) on lagering. full history and heaps of info.

whilst the info above is fairly right there are additonal steps such as a diacetyl rest. have a search on AHB under 'lagering' and you'll find heaps of info and methods.