Spring Lager

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Heading into the warmer months, I love having some crisp, drinkable lagers on-hand. I often err on the side of a traditional German pils, but it’s nice to explore other realms of lager space. It may be rather generic, but the “International Pale Lager” style in the BJCP sure can be refreshing during warm weather.

This batch was ridiculously simple–100 percent Viking Pilsner Zero malt, Liberty hops at 60 minutes and 10 minutes, and Novalager for my yeast. The latter is a new strain from Lallemand, bred to be clean and highly flocculant. I was intrigued to try a new dry yeast, especially given how much I love Diamond Lager. It can’t hurt to have a few more tools in my toolbox.

Spring Lager

  • 10 lb. Viking Pilsner Zero Malt
  • 1 oz. Liberty hop pellets (4.0% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Liberty hop pellets (4.0% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 1 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Novalager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.049 s.g., 1.003 f.g., 5.9% abv, 20 IBU, 4 SRM
  • Full volume mash, 144° for 45 minutes, 160° for 45 minutes, 168° mash-out for 10 minutes
  • RO water built up to hit target water parameters of 54 ppm Ca, 42 ppm SO4, 64 ppm Cl.

Procedure

  • I started with 7 gallons of RO water, adding 2 g gypsum and 3.5 g of calcium chloride, to hit my water targets.
  • I heated the water to 149°, adding the grains as well as 1.1 mL of 88% lactic acid. I held the temperature at 144° and recirculated for 45 minutes, before raising the temperature to 160°. I held it here for 45 minutes, and then mashed out at 168° for 10 minutes.
  • In total, I collected 6.2 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.044, for 73% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the kettle to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After a 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled to 70°.
  • I transferred the wort to the fermenter, and chilled it down to 50° before pitching the yeast. I held the temperature at 52° for fermentation.
  • I brewed the beer on 20 February 2023. Starting gravity was 1.051.
  • I held the beer at 52° for five days, before pulling it to ambient (~50°) for the next stage.
  • I moved the beer to “house ambient” (~66°) on 18 March, and then kegged on 26 March 2023.
  • The final gravity was 1.010, for 5.4% abv.
  • I held the beer at near-freezing; it had dropped clear by 15 April 2023.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brilliantly clear and straw in color, with a moderately persistent white head.
  • Aroma
    • Grainy sweet malt character, with a slight floral and spice hop profile.
  • Flavor
    • Medium-light malty and slightly grainy flavor as well as a bit of cracker for the malt, with medium-low bitterness. Very clean yeast profile.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, medium carbonation. Smooth finish that tilts towards the malt.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • Absolutely! It’s not the most exciting beer, but it’s a darned great one. It’s super flavorful, but not too much flavor–in other words, exceptionally drinkable. This is more interesting an a light adjunct lager. I’m also impressed by the clarity. This is a perfect “lawnmower beer”! The combo of Novalager and Viking Pilsner Zero really pay off.
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Last Chance Lager

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The Dortmunder Export (German Helles Exportbier) is a surprisingly neglected style, but one that I have enjoyed brewing over the years. It’s a great pale lager for hard waters, and a nice and malty style at that.

I made “Last Chance Lager” to use up some of my grains on-hand, while also highlighting the Dortmunder Export style. There’s not much to say about the recipe, other than that it paralleled previous versions in overall design philosophy. I like pilsner as the dominant malt, with a measure of Vienna and Munich to up the maltiness and add some character. I used Munich II instead of Munich I as part of the grist, which presumably will increase the maltiness relative to previous iterations.

Last Chance Lager

  • 7 lb. 15 oz. Barke Pilsner Malt (Weyermann)
  • 1 lb. 8 oz. Vienna malt
  • 1 lb. Viking Pilsner Zero malt
  • 12 oz. Munich II malt (Weyermann)
  • 1 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (5.2% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (5.2% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 1 tsp. BruTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (5.2% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Diamond Lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.051 s.g., 1.013 f.g., 5.0% abv, 29 IBU, 5 SRM
  • Full volume mash, 152° for 60 minutes, 168° mash-out for 10 minutes
  • Claremont tap water adjusted with lactic acid and mineral additions, to achieve calculated water profile of 64 Ca, 8 Mg, 26 Na, 97 SO4, 91 Cl, 24 HCO3. RA=-31 ppm, alkalinity=20 ppm, effective hardness 51 ppm.

Procedure

  • I started with 7 gallons of tap water, adding 5.85 mL of 88% lactic acid to neutralize the carbonates, followed by a half Campden tablet, 2 g gypsum, 2 g epsom salt, and 0.8 g calcium chloride in order to hit my water target parameters. I raised the temperature to 158°, mashed in with the grains, and added 3 mL of 88% lactic acid in order to adjust pH.
  • I held the mash at 152° with recirculation for 60 minutes, before raising it to 168° for 10 minutes. Following this, I removed the grains.
  • In total, I collected 6.4 gallons with a gravity of 1.042, for 64% mash efficiency. That’s lower than I hoped, but not awful.
  • I boiled for 60 minutes, adding hops and finings per the recipe. Then, I turned off the heat and chilled down to 72°, before transferring to the fermenter and letting it chill the rest of the way (~50°) before pitching yeast.
  • I brewed the beer on 7 January 2023, and fermented at around 50° to 52°. Starting gravity was 1.050, just a bit shy of my target.
  • I kegged the beer on 12 March 2023, transferring to a CO2-purged keg. Final gravity was 1.012, for 5.0% abv. Exactly on target!
  • The beer took a long time to clarify — even after 2 weeks at near-freezing temperatures, it was still pretty hazy. Another month dropped out most, but not all, of the haze.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • A gold beer that pours with a creamy and persistent white head. This is very clear, but not perfectly so.
  • Aroma
    • Doughy malt aroma, with a slight spicy hop character. Clean yeast profile; i.e., not noticeable.
  • Flavor
    • Moderately low bitterness. There is a nice malty quality to this beer, with a rich and bready quality. Malt-forward.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body, medium carbonation, smooth finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • I really like this style, and this recipe is a good incarnation. I love the smooth maltiness that you get in a Dort. My only minor fault is that the beer could be a touch clearer, but that’s a very minor ding on an otherwise excellent beer. I can safely say that I have mastered this style!
  • Overall
    • 9/10

Snowdrop Kölsch

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Kölsch is a great style for mid- to late spring, and I’ve been chasing the perfect batch these past few years. I’ve dialed it in pretty closely, between Kölsch Simplicitas and Kölsch Minimus, two different takes on kölsch recipes that ended up quite tasty.

For 2023, I decided to split the difference between the Simplicitas and Minimus recipes–the grain bill is from Kölsch Minimus, and the hops+yeast are from Kölsch Simplicitas. I liked the blend of Munich and pilsner malt, for its interesting but not overpowering malt character. My previous iteration using the Edelweiss hop blend was also nice, and I had been trying to use them up anyhow. Finally, I was pretty impressed by the Lallemand Köln Kölsch-style dry yeast, and gave it another go on this batch.

The name for my batch–Snowdrop Kölsch–derives from the rare snowfall that hit our part of southern California on brew day.

snow falling with background of green trees
Snow falling in SoCal on brew day

Snowdrop Kölsch

  • 9.5 lb. Pilsner Zero malt (Viking)
  • 0.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
  • 1.38 oz. Edelweiss hop blend (5.1% alpha), 30 minute boil
  • 0.25 tsp. BruTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Edelweiss hop blend (5.1% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch-Style Ale Yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.046 s.g., 1.010 f.g., 24 IBU, 4 SRM, 4.7% abv
  • Full volume mash, 60 minute mash at 152°, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Claremont tap water, adjusted with 88% lactic acid to hit target of 50 ppm Ca, 6 ppm Mg, 84 ppm Na, 30 ppm SO4, 120 ppm Cl, 15 ppm HCO3, -73 ppm RA

Procedure

  • I collected 7 gallons of water and added 5.85 mL of 88% lactic acid in order to knock out the carbonates. Not further pH adjustments were required, by my calculations.
  • I heated the water to 158° and added the grains, to hit a mash temperature of 152°. I held it here for 60 minutes with recirculation, before elevating the temperature to 168° for a 10 minute mash-out. Finally, I pulled the grain basket.
  • In total, I collected 6.25 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.042, 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 the wort.
  • Upon transferring the wort to the fermenter, I chilled it additionally in my fermentation chamber down to 64° before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed the beer on 25 February 2023. It had a starting gravity of 1.050.
  • I fermented the beer at 64° for three weeks, and then pulled it to ambient, where it ranged between 64° and 68°.
  • I kegged the beer on 26 March 2023. It had a wonderful aroma of fresh-mown hay and floral hops in my sample at the time. Final gravity was 1.010, which works out to 5.2% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Nearly brilliantly clear, straw-colored beer, with a white head that settles to a ring around the glass. Very pretty!
  • Aroma
    • Lightly fruity yeast character–very delicate. It has a slight floral hop and a low, malty-sweet character.
  • Flavor
    • Low bitterness, with a fruity, pear-like yeast character evident. Hops have a slight floral quality, as I have noticed on previous batches with Edelweiss hop blend. This exemplifies the delicate qualities of a fresh kölsch, and is simply amazing.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth and soft finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • I would make this recipe again in an instant! This is, at long last, my absolutely perfect kölsch. It exemplifies the very best, delicate aspects of the style, and is incredibly drinkable. I don’t know that I”ll ever modify the recipe.
  • Overall
  • 10/10

Sabrasaic IPA

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My recent Tropical Dream IPA was a big hit, so I wanted to try another recipe in a different vein. This time around, I aimed for a combo of Citra+Mosaic+Sabro, to get a very citrusy, berry-forward blend of hop qualities. I tilted the malt towards the base malt end, with just a touch of crystal 40 to add a some depth and body.

I built this up as a bigger IPA, aiming for around 6.5 to 7.0% abv. It’s almost into double IPA territory (but not quite). It is a deceptively drinkable beer!

Sabrasaic IPA

  • 7.5 lb. 2-row pale malt (Rahr)
  • 6 lb. 7 oz. Golden Promise Malt (Simpsons)
  • 8 oz. caramel 40L (Briess)
  • 1 oz. Sabro hop pellets (14.2% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 tsp. BruTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Citra hop pellets (13.4% alpha), 15 minute whirlpool
  • 1 oz. Mosaic hop pellets (12.2% alpha), 15 minute whirlpool
  • 2 pkg. BRY-97 ale yeast (Lallemand)
  • 1 oz. Citra hop pellets (13.4% alpha), dry hop in keg
  • 1 oz. Mosaic hop pellets (12.2% alpha), dry hop in keg
  • 1 oz. Sabro hop pellets (14.2% alpha), dry hop in keg

Target Parameters

  • 1.065 o.g., 1.012 f.g., 7.1% abv, 64 IBU, 7 SRM
  • Full volume mash at 149° for 60 minutes and 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Claremont tap water with Campden tablet, adjusted with salts to hit 137 ppm Ca, 28 ppm Mg, 84 ppm Na, 156 ppm SO4, 120 ppm Cl.

Procedure

  • I mashed in with 6.25 gallons of water at 157°, to hit a mash temperature of 149°. I adjusted the pH with 88% lactic acid, and then held the mash (with recirculation) at 149° for 60 minutes. Then, I raised the mash temperature to 168° for 10 minutes, and finally pulled the grains.
  • My mash efficiency was pretty awful — a gravity of 1.048 with 6.1 gallons, for only 56%! I have no idea why; I suspect I might have had the “buttons” on the removable bottom for the mash basket upside-down, impeding flow during recirculation. But that’s just a guess. In any case, I added a pound of extra light DME to bring up the gravity.
  • I brought the wort to a boil, adding 2 g of gypsum and 6 g of epsom salts to hit my water target parameters. I added hops and finings per the recipe.
  • After a 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and cooled slightly before the 15 minute whirlpool. Then, I chilled the wort the rest of the way.
  • I brewed this beer on 4 February 2023, and cooled it overnight after the transfer. I pitched the yeast on 5 February 2023, using three packs because they were on the expired side. I maintained the fermenter at 66°.
  • Fermentation was very vigorous, coming out the top of the fermenter!
  • I kegged the beer on 25 February 2023, adding the dry hops to the keg at that point. Final gravity was 1.010, for 6.8% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Very clear, gold beer, with persistent white head. It pours beautifully! The head creates gorgeous lacing as it settles in the glass.
  • Aroma
    • Very delicious hop aroma! Tangerine, honeydew melon, and mango are all prominent, and incredibly delicious. Clean fermentation profile, and not much for malt character. This is all hops!
  • Flavor
    • Just like with the aroma, hops are at the forefront. It starts with some prominent mandarin orange / tangerine, and then I get cantaloupe and a bit of blueberry. The bitterness is assertive yet smooth, and is right where it should be for an American West Coast IPA.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation; smooth and very slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • It took a little bit of time in the keg, but this has turned into one of the best American IPAs I have ever brewed. The hop combination is killer! I’ve been on a good roll lately with my IPA hop combos, especially in the tropical/fruity world. Interestingly, the Sabro hops swamped out the Citra and Mosaic, and after a few weeks, things have fallen into happy (or is that hoppy?) balance.
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Bamberger Hofbräu® Schwarzbier

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I enjoy some lager variety in my life, and dark lagers add a fun dimension to my brewing (and tasting). Although Munich dunkel has special place in my heart, schwarzbier is another great standby.

This time around, I followed the Bamberger Hofbräu® Schwarzbier recipe from the Dark Lagers book by Kraus-Weyermann and Dornbusch (you can also download a version on the Weyermann website). In terms of the grist, it’s probably closest to my Twisted Schwarzbier recipe, in that it uses primarily pilsner malt. However, rather than using just dark grains to produce the color, some Sinamar provides the final color adjustment. I have never used Sinamar before, so I was happy to have an excuse to explore this ingredient. My hop selection is very different from the original recipe (Magnum+Vanguard, vs. Perle+Spalter), but I am okay with that.

No Spaceballs jokes this time.

Bamberger Hofbrau Schwarzbier

  • 9 lb. Barke pilsner malt (Weyermann)
  • 1 lb. Munich II malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 lb. Carafa Special III malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 lb. Carapils malt malt (Briess)
  • 3 oz. acidulate malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.9 oz. (25.3 g) Sinamar extract (Weyermann), added at end of boil
  • 0.3 oz. Magnum hop pellets (16.5% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Vanguard hop pellets (6.5% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Diamond lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.050 s.g., 1.011 f.g., 5.2% abv, 26 IBU, 21 SRM
  • Claremont tap water, with Campden tablet to remove chloramines
  • Full volume mash at 149° for 60 minutes and 10 minute mash-out at 168°

Procedure

  • I mashed in with 7 gallons of water at 155°, to hit 149°. I recirculated and held it at this temperature for 60 minutes, and then raised the mash to 168° for 10 minutes, before pulling the grains.
  • In total, I collected 6.1 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.045, for 68% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After a 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled down to 70° before transferring it to the fermenter. I chilled down to 49° in my fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 31 December 2022, fermenting at 50°. Starting gravity was 1.051.
  • I pulled the beer to garage ambient temperatures (55° to 60°) after 1 week.
  • I kegged the beer on 20 February 2023. Final gravity was 1.014, for 72% attenuation and 4.9% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Deep, deep brown in appearance with a tan head; when you shine a light through it, it is very clear and dark brown with a reddish cast. The head is persistent, but not particularly fluffy.
  • Aroma
    • Malty, with a slight hint of dark chocolate.
  • Flavor
    • Rounded and bready yet highly drinkable maltiness, with a dark chocolate aspect. Yeast character is clean. Moderate bitterness that balances well against the malt.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth and very slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a really nice dark lager. It hits some nice malty notes, without being cloying or burnt-roasty. A little more head retention would be nice (hence my lower score), but even so I’m quite happy with this beer.
  • Overall
  • 8/10