Category Archives: lager

Let There Be Rauch!

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Smoked beers can be nice as an occasional treat (especially in the winter), and I have made a few over the years. One classic style that has escaped my brew log to date, however, is rauchbier. I remember trying one years ago, from a fellow homebrewing paleontologist, and it is still one of the most memorable beers I have ever sampled! The combination of smoke and maltiness was unlike anything I had tried previously, and the beer lives on in my memory, well over a decade later (and probably closer to 15 or 20 years now).

After years of thinking about rauchbier but never making one, I was spurred into action by Dan Jablow’s article (“Making Friends With Smoked Beer”) in the November/December 2024 issue of Zymurgy. He included a 1 gallon recipe called “Let There Be Rauch!”, and the approach seemed simple enough. So, I scaled it up to 5.5 gallons and adjusted the hops slightly to move the bitterness level into the higher end of the style’s range in the BJCP guidelines.

Let There Be Rauch!

  • 5 lb. beechwood smoked malt (Weyermann)
  • 3 lb. Munich light malt (BESTMALZ)
  • 3 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 1 lb. Caramunich II malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 1 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh (5.5% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh (5.5% alpha), 15 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 WhirlFloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 3 pkg. SafLager West European Lager dry yeast (Fermentis S-23)

Target Parameters

  • 1.054 s.g., 1.015 f.g., 29 IBU, 11 SRM, 5.2% abv
  • Full volume mash with 60 minutes at 154° and 10 minutes at 168°; 60 minute boil
  • Water built from RO and tap water to hit target water parameters of 59 ppm Ca, 4 ppm Mg, 29 ppm Na, 56 ppm SO4, 88 ppm Cl, 52 ppm CaCO3, RA=-2

Procedure

  • I collected 2.5 gallons of tap water (with Campden tablet) and 5 gallons of RO water, with 3 g CaCl and 2 g gypsum, to hit the target water parameters.
  • I heated the strike water to 161° and added the grains to hit a mash temperature of 154°. I added 2 mL of 88% lactic acid, to adjust the pH. I held the mash at 154° for 60 minutes, with recirculation, before I raised the temperature to 168° for 10 minutes.
  • Upon removing the grains, I had a total of 6.6 gallons at a gravity of 1.045, for 68% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil and added finings and hops per the schedule.
  • After 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat, did an initial chill to ~70°, and then transferred the beer to the fermenter. I chilled it further to 52° before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed the beer on 24 November 2024, with a starting gravity of 1.055. I fermented the beer at 54°, and let it free rise to 60° on 3 December 2024.
  • I cold crashed to 35° on 5 December 2024, and kegged the beer with a closed transfer on 8 December 2024. The beer had a very nice and subtle smoke flavor/aroma.
  • Final gravity was 1.018; this works out to 4.9% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Beautiful! It is a brilliantly clear light amber beer, with a creamy and persistent off-white head
  • Aroma
    • Bready malt with a touch of toastiness at a moderate level, a medium level of smoke–almost lightly bacony, Very pleasant balance.
  • Flavor
    • Bread crust and malty flavor at a moderate level; smoky flavor, somewhat bacon-like, at a medium level. Moderate hop bitterness with a slightly spicy quality. The smoke balance is perfect against the malt; not overwhelming at all, but pleasantly alongside each other!
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium carbonation, medium body, only slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • It’s not often I nail something on the first batch, but this is just a great recipe! It dodges the peaty phenolics of some versions, and is both interesting and drinkable. I am pleased!
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Pfriem Pilsner 2024

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I have done a version of this three times previously, usually with some minor variations for hops or yeast. This time, I decided to do the hop varieties and timings exactly as written (with adjustments for alpha acid), to follow the original Pfriem Pilsner clone recipe from Dave Carpenter’s Lager book. Without further ado, here’s what I did.

Pfriem Pilsner 2024

  • 9.75 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 6 oz. Carafoam malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, in mash
  • 0.75 oz. Perle hop pellets (6.3% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.75 oz. Saphir hop pellets (2.3% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 0.75 oz. Saphir hop pellets (2.3% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 0.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 2 pkg. Diamond dry lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.046 s.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.1% abv, 4 SRM, 38 IBU
  • Full volume step mash, with 45 minutes at 142°, 45 minutes at 156°, and 10 minutes at 168°; 70 minute boil
  • Water built up from RO, to hit target parameters of 62 ppm Ca, 11 ppm Mg, 121 ppm SO4, and 51 ppm Cl, with RA=-50 ppm

Procedure

  • I built up my mash water from 7.5 gallons of RO water, with 3 g calcium chloride, 3 g epsom salt, and 4 g gypsum. Then, I heated it to 146° before adding the grains and holding at 142° for 45 minutes, with recirculation. Then, I raised the mash to 156° for 45 minutes and finished up at 168° for 10 minutes.
  • After the mash, I pulled the grains. I collected 6.8 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 74% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes before adding the first round of hops and proceeding with the rest of the recipe as written. In total, this was a 70 minute boil.
  • At the end of the boil, I turned off the heat, added the whirlpool hops, and whirlpooled for 10 minutes before continuing with the rest of the chill.
  • Once the beer was down to 72°, I transferred to the fermenter and chilled down to 46° in my fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 28 October 2024, and the starting gravity was 1.049.
  • The starting fermentation temperature was 48°, and I held it here until 3 November 2024, when I raised the temperature to 52°. On 17 November, I raised the temperature to 54°, and then to ambient (~62°) on 24 November 2024.
  • I kegged the beer on 25 November 2024. Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.3% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Clear, but short of brilliant; there is just a tiny touch of barely visible haze. It is a straw-colored beer that pours with a fine and persistent white head, which leaves some nice lacing on the glass.
  • Aroma
    • Light notes of cracker and honey in the malt, and a pleasant light floral hop aroma, with a touch of fresh hay. This beer smells awesome!
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness, grainy sweet malt character; hop flavor is lightly herbal. Minerally feel to finish out the flavor.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium carbonation, medium light body, dry finish. Minerally, but not unpleasantly so.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • I am feeling pretty good about this recipe overall. It is perhaps a touch more bitter than I prefer in all of my pils, but I like the hop aroma and malt character; the overall aroma is amazing! I wouldn’t mind a touch taller head (but that may be in the pour), and I also must ding the beer a bit for its clarity. I wonder if the persistent light haze is from the large dose of whirlpool hops? I could have used some finings, and might do that next time for a pilsner-type beer, because clarity is something important to me for these.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Collaboration Brews – Citra Blonde Ale and Andy’s Pilsner

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This past summer, I got to brew with my dad, who first got me thinking about brewing many years ago (I remember helping him way back as a teenager, even if I couldn’t enjoy the product at the time). He started as an extract brewer decades ago, took a break, got back into it, and then eventually switched to all-grain brewing (alongside wine making). Dad makes almost exclusively lagers, with his regular rotation including a Pre-Prohibition PIlsner and a Vienna Lager.

Dad currently brews on an Anvil Foundry 10.5 (gifted by us kids a few years back), doing a handful of batches annually to keep his cellar stocked. Awhile back, I shared my Citra Blonde Ale recipe with him, and he liked it enough to add a version into his repertoire. I also helped him put together a simple German pils, which is made with hops he grows himself.

We’ll usually brew something when I’m visiting, but I almost never get to sample the results due to the distance. So, it was extra nice to get a shipment with a bottle of each of the beers we made this summer. I was also able to get my hands on the notes (thanks, Dad!), which are presented in only lightly edited format.

Citra Blonde Ale

  • 5.25 lb. Briess Pilsen malt
  • 5 lb. Briess 2-row malt
  • 0.75 lb. Munich malt
  • 0.5 lb. Vienna malt
  • 0.5 lb. Carapils malt
  • 0.5 oz. Citra hops (boil 10 min.)
  • Whirlfloc tablet (boil 1- min.)
  • 0.5 oz. Citra hops (boil 5 min.)
  • 1.0 oz. Citra hops (steep for 5 min. after shutting the heat off).
  • BRY-97 American West Coast Ale (dry) and Safale US-05 (dry) yeast, 1 packet each

Procedure

Double-milled grains with 0.035 in. gap.  Steeped grains at 152 degrees.  Mashed out at 168 degrees for 10 minutes.  Boiled for 50 minutes.  Added 0.5 oz. Citra hops, Whirlfloc.  Boiled for 5 minutes.  Added 0.5 oz. Citra hops. Boiled for 5 minutes.  

Shut off heat.  Added 1.0 oz. Citra hops.  Steeped for 5 minutes.  Removed hops and cooled to 69 degrees.  S.G.=1.054.  Added American West Coast Ale yeast BRY-97 (best by 08-2024) and Safale US-05 (best by 01-24).

Fermented in the basement at approx. 65 degrees for 12 days.  S.G.=1.006.  Continued to ferment in the basement for 3 more weeks, then moved to 34-degree fridge.  Chilled for about 3 weeks, then filtered, force carbonated and bottled.

Brewed July 18, 2024.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Medium yellow color, relatively clear. A touch of chill haze. Thin white head that subsides after pouring.
  • Aroma
    • A nice orange/ citrus hop aroma at a moderate level; moderate/low malty aroma
  • Flavor
    • Citrus hop flavor, low bitterness level, grainy malt character, no yeast to speak of. Nice round maltiness.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a great recipe, even after a few months. Clean, drinkable, interesting but not overpowering.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Andy’s Pilsner

This is a SMaSH-esque recipe, based on various SMaSH pilsners that I have made over the years. The closest equivalent would be Farke’s Best Pils.

  • 10 lb. Briess Pilsen malt
  • 1.0 oz. Saaz (2023) hops in boil (60 minute boil)
  • 1.0 oz. Mt. Hood (2023) hops (10 minute boil)
  • Whirlfloc tablet, 10 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. DIamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Procedure

Double-milled grain at 0.035 in. gap.  Steeped grain at 150 degrees for 50 minutes.  Mashed out at 168 degrees for 10 minutes.  Brought to a boil and added Saaz hops.  

Boiled for 60 minutes.  Added Whirlfloc tablet and Mt. Hood hops.  Boiled for 10 minutes.  Cooled to 70 degrees.  S.G.=1.051.  Added 1-1/2 qts. tap water.  S.G.=1.047.

Chilled to 52 degrees.  Added 2 packages of Diamond Lager yeast (BB 08-2024 & 09-2023).  Fermented for 10 days.  S.G.=1.006.  Racked to 5 gal. carboy.   Continued to ferment at 52 degrees for 12 days.  Warmed to 74 degrees for diacetyl rest for 4 days.  Chilled to 34 degrees for approximately one month, then cold filtered, force carbonated and bottled.

Brewed July 18, 2024.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Very clear, straw color, with thin white head that subsides fairly quickly.
  • Aroma
    • A bit of spicy hop at the forefront, and some grainy maltiness behind that. Very nice!
  • Flavor
    • Malty sweetness at the front, and medium level of spicy hopping. Clean fermentation profile.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-low carbonation level; medium mouthfeel; smooth and slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a great recipe! Carbonation might help with giving a touch more head. Malt and hop levels are perfect. This is a nice pilsner.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Munich Madness II

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German beers are certainly my favorite, although a classic German pils is probably my most frequently brewed style within that realm (19 batches since 2016). I haven’t done many märzens, and it seemed like a good seasonal style to explore again. My first version was Monks’ Fortitude Märzen, and it was an exceptional beer. Malt is at the forefront of this style, with Monks’ Fortitude hitting 1.055 with 71% Vienna, 25% Munich II, and 4% Carared malts. For my latest foray into märzens, I took a page from Brewing Classic Styles, via their Munich Madness recipe. Atlhough BCS is pushing 20 years old, it has stood the test of time as a handy reference, especially for styles that have been pretty constant.

My version of Munich Madness has been adjusted slightly from the original, primarily to lower the abv a bit. The original had a starting gravity of 1.059, so I dropped it to 1.054 to hit the lower bound of the BJCP style and also make it a bit more drinkable for my tastes. This was done by maintaining the grain proportions and dropping the amounts slightly, and drops the recipe from around 6% to the lower end of 5%.

Munich Madness II

  • 4.75 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 3.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
  • 2.75 lb. Vienna malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.75 lb. Caramel Munich 60L malt (Briess)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 2 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (2.7% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 3 pkg. Diamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.054 o.g., 1.013 f.g., 5.3% abv, 19 IBU, 10 SRM
  • Full volume mash at 152° for 60 minutes, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Claremont tap water, with Campden tablet, adjusted to hit water profile of 56 ppm Ca, 12 ppm Mg, 87 ppm Na, 89 ppm SO4, 110 ppm Cl, and 20 ppm CO3.

Procedure

  • Starting with 7.5 gallons of tap water, I added a Campden tablet and 6.25 mL of 88% lactic acid, followed by 2 g of gypsum, in order to hit my water profile.
  • I heated the water to 158°, and added the grains, holding at 152° with recirculation for 60 minutes before heating to 168° and holding there for 10 minutes.
  • At the end of the mash, I removed the grains. In total, I collected 6.75 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.045, for 70% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I turned off the heat and chilled to 80° before transferring to the fermenter.
  • I chilled the fermenter overnight down to 50°, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed the beer on 13 September 2024 and pitched the yeast on 14 September 2024. Starting gravity was 1.053.
  • I fermented at 52° until 30 September 2024, when I let the beer free rise to 60°, and then pulled to ambient (~74°) on 5 October 2024.
  • I kegged the beer via closed transfer on 12 October 2024. Final gravity was 1.012, for 5.4% abv.
amber beer with ivory head held aloft in dimpled German mug, with background of pink flowers

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • The beer pours with a tall and persistent ivory head; it is a clear and medium amber-orange beer.
  • Aroma
    • A moderate bread crust malt character at the forefront; slight spicy hop aroma behind that.
  • Flavor
    • Very rich, malty character dominates the flavor, with some bready notes. A medium-low, clean bitterness with a hint of spice is behind that. Yeast profile is clean. It is a very easy drinking beer!
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body, moderate carbonation, smooth finish that is slightly dry.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • This is a fantastically drinkable fall lager, which is interesting but not so interesting that I can’t have another. The malt character is excellent. I rushed this beer just a touch (relative to a “traditional” märzen) in terms of lagering, and a little more time would help it condition and clear to brilliance. Overall, though, this is a winner! [note added after the post was published – by mid-December, the beer had cleared to brilliant; so, a minimum of two months seems to be optimal for this style, recipe, and yeast]
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Dad’s 3P 2024

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pale yellow beer with white head in conical pilsner glass

I’ve made two previous versions of Pre-Prohibition Pilsners, distinguished as such by having a bit more body and malt character than a typical American macro lager, and distinguished from European pilsners by adjuncts and the frequent use of American hops. My dad’s version originally comes from the April 1999 issue of BYO; it stands out in having a bit of flaked rye in it. Additionally, 6-row malt is nowhere to be seen in my version of this recipe.

This year’s edition is broadly inspired by the 2016 version, but you can check out the last version for differences. I used all American hops (Mt. Hood) instead of German ones, and brought Novalager into the mix, too. The main goal is to have something drinkable for the dog days of summer, but not so inoffensive as to be boring.

Dad’s 3P 2024

  • 6.75 lb. 2-row malt (Briess)
  • 2.25 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 1 lb. yellow corn, flaked (Briess)
  • 0.5 lb. rye, flaked (Briess)
  • 0.5 lb. Carafoam (Weyermann)
  • 0.25 lb. rice hulls
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, in mash
  • 1 oz. Mt. Hood hop pellets (6.0% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Mt. Hood hop pellets (6.0% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Novalager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.050 s.g., 1.009 f.g., 30 IBU, 5.5% abv, 4 SRM
  • Full volume mash with recirculation for 60 minutes at 152°, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Water blended from RO and Claremont tap water to hit target of 52 ppm Ca, 10 ppm Mg, 64 ppm Na, 82 ppm SO4, 113 ppm Cl, 5 ppm bicarbonate, alkalinity=4 ppm, RA=-39.

Procedure

  • I built my water the night before with 4 gallons of distilled water and 3.5 gallons of Claremont tap water, adding a Campden tablet and 3.2 mL of 88% lactic acid to drop out the carbonates.
  • I mashed in by heating the strike water to 158°, and then adding the grains and 2.4 mL of 88% lactic acid for pH adjustment.
  • I held the mash, with recirculation, at 152° for 60 minutes, before raising the temperature to 168° for a 10 minute mash-out.
  • At the conclusion of the mash, I removed the grains and let them drain. In total, I collected 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.043, for 69% mash efficiency.
  • As the runnings came to a boil, I added 2.5 g of calcium chloride. Once the runnings boiled, I added the hops and finings per the recipe.
  • After the full 60 minute boil, I chilled the wort to 78° before transferring to the fermenter and letting it chill to 46° in the fermentation chamber.
  • I pitched the yeast at 46°, and then let the fermenter free rise to 52° for fermentation.
  • I brewed the beer on 19 May 2024. Starting gravity was 1.049.
  • I let the beer free rise to 60° on 25 May 2024, and then to 65° on 29 May 2024.
  • The beer was kegged using a closed transfer on 3 June 2024. Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.2% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brightly clear, straw yellow beer, which pours with a fine and persistent white head. It just looks nice!
  • Aroma
    • Grainy sweet malt aroma; no appreciable yeast character or hop character apparent.
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness at the forefront, with a slightly herbal quality. Malty notes and a light hint of corn sweetness are behind that, but the beer definitely tilts toward bitter. Clean fermentation character, Crisp finish.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body with a rounded feel. Dry finish. Medium carbonation.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is an interesting American lager, and highly drinkable. It’s a great summer beer! I’ve never done a six-row version of this, and might have to try it sometime in the pursuit of historical accuracy. Relative to the BJCP guidelines for Pre-Prohibition Lager (Category 27, Historical Beer), it hits most of the notes but should have perhaps a bit more hop aroma and a slightly taller head. Overall, though, this is a solid beer and recipe! It’s really enjoyable to drink on a hot afternoon, which is really all I demand from such a beer.
  • Overall
    • 9/10