Poll: Do you brew lagers and if so how often

I typically do 3-4 batches a year during the cold time of the year (January - March).

I have brewed three batches this year: 2 CAPs and 1 Bohemian Pilsner.

Lagers are not necessarily 'hard' to brew but they sure require patience.

Cheers!

 

I'll be brewing for batch for Octoberfest this Sunday. Yeah, getting that temperature down is a pain in the ass in Texas. I'll do ice baths to get from 60s to 50s in the winter. I have also experimented with use WLP810 for a variety of recipes sometimes with good results if I'm creative with the style. I can also get some really nice pseudo-lagers with WLP013 and no one ever seems to suspect it's actually an ale - just enough sulfur to throw 'em off. Recently made a pseudo-schwarzbier that everyone loved using WLP013.

 

I do as many as I can. The problem is time involved in some of the lagers I do ie 10+ weeks (yet they only last 4).

Also lots of different styles out there.

Lately it seems that all I've been brewing is Sours, Lagers or Imperial Stouts. I need to focus on some quick turn styles and session lagers (6 weeks)

 

I like to brew mainly session type lagers, like Munich Helles or even smallish Pilsners are fast turnaround. 5-6 weeks for me routinely. Oktoberfest beer I brew in April or May and let them lager until September. I dont' worry about time of year. I chill with recirculated ice water and have temp control so whenever I get the urge. Mostly, I like to do my lagers back to back to utilize the same yeast and just repitch it over and over. Then I will wait a few months until the pipeline runs short and use the harvested yeast again. Saves the hassle of starters and all that mess. Good for a lazy ass like me.

 

I brewed a Maibock early on before I switched to kegging. Now the fridge is only used as a kegerator and I won't be adding another fridge anytime soon

 

I'm so jealous of people who can lager. I can't wait until I finally get my chest freezer....

....or get a place that has the room for a chest freezer....

 

I usually do 3 to 4 in the winter months and 1or 2 in the summer. I have two coolers now so I ferment in the warmer cooler (45F to 50F) and lager in the colder cooler (down to 32F).

 

No - prolly wont ever.

 

I just got a second chest freezer for fermentation temp control. Brewed my first lager 2 weeks ago, and just tasted my helles after a 2 day D-rest, and I'll be damned if it isn't tasty. Really excited what some lagering will do to it. They certainly take more time, and monitoring, but in terms of difficulty, not too much, unless you're attempting decoction mashing.

 

Gave my temp controller to a buddy as I prefer mostly ales...some day I will brew a lager, but not anytime soon, unless at his house.

 

Brewed my first Helles a few weeks back. I've had plans for years to time it right and use the cold garage for lagering and the cold basement for fermentation (with a little help from an ice water bath). Finally got off my ass and did it this year. Have 5 gallons lagering at 44F now that the heat wave broke.

If it turns out well I'll brew many more as I love a good lager. Turns out if you can swing the primary and secondary fermentation temps, you can lager in the bottle in your fridge!

 

I really want to brew some lagers but don't have the capability currently to keep the fermentation at the correct temperature... one of these days I will though!

 

maybe 10% lagers. Love em, but mine require patience and then disappear fast, so I can't fit in more than that small number.

 

I have a SMASH Oktoberfest that I brew about once or twice a year, I think quality wise it's one of my best brews. I have a dedicated fermentation fridge that I use but I don't brew this one as often as I'd like because it takes so dang long. It's even worse now, my 5-tap keezer recently died, so now my fermentation fridge is doubling as my kegerator (it only holds 1 keg OR 1 fermenter).

 

I brew a few lagers in the winter (Florida). I primary ferment in the swimming pool when the water's around 55. Perfect for temperature control! This year's mild winter kept me to only two lagers - the pool's already 65 degrees.

 

I was planning on doing one this yr with a hobo set up- going to do it in the basement with snow to keep the temps down in a bucket, but never got around to it

 

I have not brewed any lagers yet...