Poll: Do you brew lagers and if so how often

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by cracker, Mar 28, 2012.

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Do you brew lagers and if so how often?

  1. No

    17 vote(s)
    19.5%
  2. Want to but haven't yet

    29 vote(s)
    33.3%
  3. Sometimes, once or twice a year

    23 vote(s)
    26.4%
  4. Often, three or more batches a year

    18 vote(s)
    20.7%
  5. I only brew lagers

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
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  1. SwillBilly

    SwillBilly Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2004 Virginia

    Yep, gotta have a chest freezer or fridge. As for good lagers in Texas, Live Oak does decoction mash's and open fermentation and brews some nice lagers. Saint Arnold has a nice Pils and Uncle Billy's Brew and Q has won multiple gold medals at GABF with its Pils, and one of the best I had the GABF in 2010. Explore BA, look up different lagers, find what you can in your area. You're missing out on some great beer.
     
  2. Fitzmke

    Fitzmke Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Texas

    I would consider having to use a chest freezer or fridge dedicated to brewing as being significantly more hassle then brewing with an ale yeast.
     
  3. cracker

    cracker Pundit (893) May 2, 2004 Pennsylvania

    I use mine for ale fermentation as well as in the summer by basement gets above 70 and sometimes in the winter when it get too cold down there.
     
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  4. Fitzmke

    Fitzmke Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Texas

    I've had saint Arnold's pilsner and found it very underwhelming. As far as live oak the hefe is very good and readily available on tap around Dallas but that haven't seen anything else from them. I've never seen anything from uncle Billy's around here.
     
  5. Fitzmke

    Fitzmke Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Texas

    That's all well and good but why would I buy a chest freezer when my house stays the perfect temp for fermenting with ale yeast year round?
     
  6. cracker

    cracker Pundit (893) May 2, 2004 Pennsylvania

    And what temp is that?
     
  7. Fitzmke

    Fitzmke Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Texas

    Upper 60's, why do you ask?
     
  8. mnstorm99

    mnstorm99 Initiate (0) May 11, 2007 Minnesota

    Because, that would be considered high. But, if your beers are good, then it works.
     
  9. cracker

    cracker Pundit (893) May 2, 2004 Pennsylvania

    I prefer 64-66 F for most of my ales maybe a tad warmer for English stuff and Belgian.

    You must have a helll of cooling bill in the summer living in TX :slight_smile:
     
  10. epk

    epk Pundit (813) Jun 10, 2008 New Jersey

    The only true lager I think we've done is the Maibock. We have one now lagering since Jan. believe, ready to get it kegged in later April. We've done the hybrids, like Kolsch and Cali Common.
     
  11. Fitzmke

    Fitzmke Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Texas

    What ale you are you using that upper 60's aren't optimal?
     
  12. cracker

    cracker Pundit (893) May 2, 2004 Pennsylvania

    Cool. Why don't you just lager in the keg though if you are kegging it? That's what most people would do (and what I do).
     
  13. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    If your ambient temp is upper 60's, then your peak fermentation temps will be pushing (or over) the 'too high' line for most styles. But if you like your results, that's what matters.
     
  14. Fitzmke

    Fitzmke Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Texas

    With what yeast specifically? And the ac bill isn't bad at all.
     
  15. cracker

    cracker Pundit (893) May 2, 2004 Pennsylvania

    Wyeast 1056 and 1272. Lately I've switched over to using English strains for all my non-Belgian style ales and have used Wyeast 1968,1469, White Labs 005 and 002.
     
  16. MLucky

    MLucky Initiate (0) Jul 31, 2010 California

    I pretty much always have a lager in production, but I can't do more than one at a time, so given the roughly three month start-to-finish time, I do three-four a year. (I can do ales separately, and I do about 10 per year.) Usually pilsners for the hot weather months, bocks for the cold. I've really liked the results, and it's helped me to gain much more of an appreciation of the whole range of lager styles. And definitely taught me serious respect for the German tradition.

    For those considering it, let me add that lager brewing isn't really any harder assuming you have decent temperature control. The hardest thing is having the patience to wait out the lagering period.
     
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  17. Fitzmke

    Fitzmke Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2011 Texas

    I actually have one of the very rare Texas basements so all my fermentation takes place down there which stays a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house
     
  18. premierpro

    premierpro Savant (1,060) Mar 21, 2009 Michigan

    I enjoy making and drinking Lagers. Dunkels,Rauchbier,Pilsners,and California Commons. It's not that hard letting a Keg sit in the fridge for 4-6 weeks!
     
  19. mnstorm99

    mnstorm99 Initiate (0) May 11, 2007 Minnesota

    If your basement is 68° then your fermentation temp is likely 73-75° when active. 75° is on the high end of most American and English ale strains.
     
  20. epk

    epk Pundit (813) Jun 10, 2008 New Jersey

    I honestly can't remember why we didn't. I brew with a buddy and we do it all at his house, he transferred when I wasn't around.
     
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