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BREWING 101 This month’s brewing article comes to us from a club newsletter from El Paso called Borderline Brewers. I’ve heard many members comment they don’t brew lagers because they don’t have an extra fridge. Here’s a way to try to make a lager type beer using ale yeast and ale temperatures. Thanks to Ken Schwartz for writing the article and to John Nash, the editor of the Borderline Brewers’ newsletter for giving me permission to reprint it.
BOHEMIAN PILSNER IS BLUE IN MAY By Ken Schwartz Before I get to the recipe, I have a little secret. I used ale yeast for this beer. I'm not saying this to rub it into the faces of those who slaved over a tedious lagering schedule, but rather to indicate that a clean ale yeast and a carefully-managed recipe and brewing session can allow you to make "fake lagers" that will give you most of the results with a lot less work. You could of course adapt this recipe to use with a good lager yeast such as Wyeast's Bohemian Pilsner strain and a traditional lagering schedule for even better results. The main difference in performance between lager and ale yeasts is that lager yeasts can digest a couple more types of sugar than an ale yeast can, often producing a drier, crisper, more-attenuated beer. Almost as important is that fact that ale yeasts tend to produce more flavor components that can detract form the expected crisp, clean taste of a lager. To make a "fake lager" with an ale yeast, choose a yeast that is both neutral in character as well as highly-attenuating (meaning it will ferment out very completely), and ferment it at the low end of its recommended temperature range (at least for the first few days) to minimize off-flavors. I used Danstar Nottingham dry yeast, but Wyeast's American Ale (#1056) would work well too. * 7.5 lb German Pilsner malt * 1 lb light Munich malt * 0.5 lb Cara-Pils * RO (or distilled) water plus 1 gram calcium chloride per 5 gallons of mash water. * Infusion-mash using a 135F/20 minute and 158F/60 minute schedule. * Acidify sparge water with 4 ml 10% phosphoric acid (water < 6.0 pH). Extract Version: Use 6.6 lb pale unhopped malt extract in place of Pilsner and Munich malts (Alexander's, Ireks, Bierkeller, Northwestern/Briess; avoid English pale-ale style extracts for this beer). Steep Cara-Pils 30 minutes at 155F (remove grains before heating to boil). Use straight RO or distilled water (do NOT add gypsum!!). * 1.051 Original Specific Gravity * 2 ounces Saaz hops (whole, 4.7% AA) 60 minutes * 1 ounce Saaz hops 30 min * Irish Moss 20 minutes * 1 ounce Saaz hops 10 minutes * 1/2 ounce Saaz hops steeped while chilling the wort * 2 pkg Danstar Nottingham dry ale yeast, rehydrated 20 minutes in 100F plain water, Important: Ferment at 60F for at least the first 4 days. Try setting the fermenter in an ice chest filled with water; add "blue ice" packs as needed to maintain 60F. 1.008 final specific gravity
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