What should I pay attention to when brewing Lager beer?

According to beer sales, the most popular beer in the world today is Lager. Although most modern beer drinkers may have been brought to the beer world through Lager beer, most homebrewers may enter this hobby by brewing other styles of beer.

Why are home brewers reluctant to brew Lager beer? There are many good reasons for this. Lager-style beer is brewed by using bottom-fermenting yeast strains, which is also the biggest difference of Ale beer. The bottom-fermenting yeast strain is at a lower temperature than most malt wines, and the fermentation effect is better. Lager beer usually requires a longer conditioning process, which may take weeks or even months.

Compared to beer produced by top fermentation (using Ale yeast) at higher temperatures, Lager beer generally has a cleaner, more refreshing aroma and flavor profile. The top-fermented Ale yeast strain is relatively easy to get, has a shorter fermentation and maturation time, and has a higher lipid (fruity) content usually encountered in malt liquors. This makes Ale yeast very attractive to beer brewers. Beer produced by Ale yeast usually has a greater tolerance for faults, which helps to cover up deviations and inconsistencies in the flavor profile. In home brewing, these factors are conducive to beer fermentation.

Does this mean that you should not or cannot produce high-quality Lager beer at home? Not at all, this is very wrong! If you can keep in mind the distinguishing characteristics of beer and malt beer, homebrewers can also produce beer that is as delicious as commercial breweries, or even better. Micet Craft will bring you what you need to pay attention to when brewing Lager beer, hoping to help you reproduce the high-quality commercial beer produced all over the world today, and have a crisp, clean beer flavor and aroma.

10 things to pay attention to when brewing Lager beer

1. Patience

Lager is a derivative of the German word lagern, which originally meant "to store". The original beer style was the result of long-term storage in caves deep underground. Although a typical ale can be brewed, bottled, and consumed within two to three weeks, Lager beer can take weeks or even months to mature. As the temperature drops, the metabolism of most organisms begins to slow down. This is a natural law, and yeast cells are no exception.

Although Lager beer fermentation and malt beer fermentation have gone through almost the same stages, Lager's fermentation speed is much slower due to the lower temperatures involved. Only by waiting for each stage of the fermentation and conditioning process to proceed at its own pace, can beer brewing be successful. If any process of beer production is to be shortened, it will increase the possibility of peculiar smells, which will be regarded as defects in the finished beer.

If the odor has already developed in Lager beer, it is best to wait a few more days to fill the beer. Also, Lager beer usually has some unusual aromas during the fermentation process, such as burnt matches and other sulfur characteristics. Of course, over time, these characteristics usually disappear, leaving a clean-finished beer. When storing Lager beer, you need to have enough patience to wait for the beer to finish.

2. Control the fermentation temperature

All yeast strains have an optimal temperature range within which they can produce the best fermentation effect. For most yeast strains, this temperature can range from 38°F to 60°F, depending on the specific yeast strain used. Keeping the fermentation temperature within these ranges is very important once the optimal performance range for a particular type of yeast is determined. Putting or using a sticky thermometer in the fermentation tank will make it a simple task to check the fermentation temperature.

Generally, the most accurate temperature control solution is a controlled storage cabinet that converts a refrigerator or refrigerator into a fermentation tank. The optimal fermentation temperature range of most yeast strains is outside the normal temperature range of these devices, especially the beer flavor specially designed for cold fermentation. So, it is necessary to add some designed temperature control devices to allow the equipment to operate normally and accurately at a temperature higher than the originally designed temperature. These types of temperature control devices are very easy to get and will be given complete instructions for use.

Appropriate temperature control methods can still be used for winemakers who are unwilling or unable to invest in a device dedicated to controlling the fermentation temperature. Remember, beer brewing technology predates modern refrigeration technology. You can put the fermentation tank in a colder place, such as a basement or garage. If you live in a particularly hot area, you may need to limit the beer brewing time to the colder winter. But you need to remember that the temperature of the air changes much faster than liquid. Also, you need to protect your fermenter from direct sunlight (you should do this whether you are worried about the temperature or not) and use some form of the lid to insulate it. Although the temperature during the day and night may differ by 20-30°C, the temperature of the fermentation tank will only fluctuate by a few°C during the same period. This fluctuation is within the acceptable range of most marketable yeast strains.

3. Use Lager type yeast

Nowadays, brewers can use more high-quality yeast strains than ever before. The best option is to use a liquid yeast strain or culture to ferment real Lager beer at a suitable fermentation temperature. Although these yeast strains are more expensive than dry yeast strains, they generally provide better and more consistent results, especially for a beer that requires lower temperatures.

Liquid yeast strains usually have excellent purity and performance. They have different yeast strains to choose from to produce a variety of specific Lager beer. Also, most yeast suppliers can provide information about the optimal fermentation conditions for a particular yeast strain. Even brewers located in remote areas can get high-quality liquid yeast strains by mail.

4. Use yeast starter

Although the use of liquid yeast strains to brew beer is a great suggestion, it is also very important to use yeast starters when brewing Lager beer. Keep in mind that as the fermentation temperature decreases, the rate of yeast metabolism slows down greatly. In the critical growth stage after inoculation, yeast cells are multiplying to provide enough yeast cells for fermentation. Lowering the fermentation temperature may prolong the growth stage of yeast. This situation may result in unacceptable fermentation time, which will allow bacteria to multiply and leave the possibility of contamination.

The best way to avoid this problem is to inoculate more yeast, usually two to three times the number of yeast required for fine wine fermentation. The best way to achieve this goal is to add the healthy yeast slurry harvested from the previous batch of beer to the yeast or to make a yeast starter before the actual brewing.

5. Irish moss is used when the wort is boiled

Protein is the main ingredient that causes beer turbidity. Also, beer and protein residues (sediment collected at the bottom of the fermentor) will produce a peculiar smell for extended contact time in the fermenter. This is particularly important for Lager beers because they have a longer fermentation time than malt wines, and the low fermentation temperatures used in Lager beers can cause protein precipitation. When the wort is boiling, the addition of clarifying agents such as Irish moss can cause the protein to precipitate (drop out of the solution). So, many proteins can be prevented from entering the fermentation tank and causing damage to the beer. Of course, this also creates a brighter and cleaner beer product.

6. Use a wort cooler

Most homebrewers cannot quickly cool the boiling wort to the best fermentation temperature. Failure to quickly cool the wort to the fermentation temperature may result in a strong and premature initial fermentation. In this case, most of the fermentation process begins before the wort cools to the best fermentation temperature, resulting in a beer with fats and characteristics like malt liquor. Also, the rapid cooling of the wort will speed up the coagulation of the protein and help prevent some difficulties related to the protein in the fermenter.

7. Two-stage fermentation

Even if a clarifying agent is used when the wort is boiled, the protein residue will still enter the fermenter. Transferring beer from the primary fermentation tank to the secondary fermentation tank or storage vessel (generally called a bright tank or brite tank) can cut this extra protein. Also, secondary fermentation can remove yeast deposits and reduce the risk of yeast or other peculiar smells in the beer.

After healthy fermentation and removal of sediments, the protein used to regulate the yeast is still present in the beer. Most lager beers can be maintained at a temperature outside the performance range of yeast strains for several weeks, allowing the beer to show clean-finished properties. Put it in the secondary fermentation tank, you can carry out this process without producing any peculiar smell or aroma.

8. Add diacetyl base material during fermentation

A natural by-product of yeast fermentation is a compound called diacetyl, which produces a buttery or butterscotch flavor in the finished beer. Although these characteristics are normal in some beer styles, they are even very good. But in most Lager beer, any trace of diacetyl is a defect, affecting the cleaning properties of the beer. Before the fermentation is complete and the yeast begins to settle, the yeast metabolism reduces diacetyl. But, lower fermentation temperature will not only slow down this metabolic reaction but also increase the tendency of yeast to settle faster and reduce the time to remove these compounds.

To counteract this, many brewers add diacetyl base material after most of the primary fermentation is complete (this time can be easily determined by the hydrometer reading). The fermenter slowly rises to 50~55°F for 2~5 days. Finally, the temperature will drop to the regulation temperature. This brief temperature increase not only accelerates the reduction of diacetyl compounds but also ensures that the primary fermentation is indeed completed.

9. Choose the right ingredients for your beer style

The fun of homebrewing is not limited by beer style and commercial considerations. The main characteristics of most Lager beer styles are crisp, clean aroma, and flavor. When hops and malt work together, the beer will not be overshadowed by the yeast characteristics and aroma. It is very important to choose the correct raw materials and achieve a balance. In fruity, ester-flavored Ale beer, the peculiar smell in malt or hops can be masked, and it has reached the cleanliness and balance of the fine beer. If you plan to brew many types of beer, please feel free to try various ingredients. But if your goal is to create a clean traditional beer, remember the ingredients that were originally used to produce the relevant style.

10. Disinfection

Appropriate and effective hygiene is essential in all brewing methods. Most Lager beers must have long-term fermentation and storage. Although both fermentation and storage occur at lower temperatures, bacteria can still grow and multiply—just slowly. Long-term storage allows bacteria to develop to a level above the flavor threshold for a longer period of time, and then you can feel the peculiar smell in the beer. For a beer whose fermentation is completed in a short time, the hygienic requirements are not very high. But for Lager, which requires a longer fermentation time, more stringent and meticulous hygiene requirements are required. In many malt liquors, the ester flavor produced by fermentation can mask slight contamination. But in a clean Lager beer, the same slight contamination will be particularly noticeable.

Brewing high-quality beer requires more effort and extra technology, which is unnecessary in the production of malt liquor. Whether you are brewing ale or Lager beer, many of the techniques described here are very good ideas. You can incorporate these brewing recommendations into your brewing plan to ensure that the beer you produce at home has the same unique characteristics as commercial beer.

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If you plan to upgrade your home brewing business to commercial brewing, you can contact us for a list of commercial brewery equipment and prices. Also, Micet Craft’s engineers will provide you with a completely customized turnkey solution. Of course, if you have some beer brewing problems, you can leave a message below and our engineers will try their best to help you solve the problem. We very much hope to provide constructive advice to your brewery. Please visit: https://www.micetcraft.com/brewery-equipment/