Curious about lager. Why do you do it?

[Callumbo]

I just wanted to ask why brew lager? First off I don't mean any offence by this but lager is pretty cheap most of the time with 50p a can when deals are on. With most of it being pretty good. Where as for a decent ale it's normally £2 a bottle so considerably cheaper to home brew.

Now I enjoy lager and some of the more expensive ones too but from what I have read it seems to be a lot more expensive due to the extra yeast, effort and equipment needed.

Is it just because you like lager and want a few home made lagers or is It because its cheaper?

Im just curious. And sure I'm to be proven to wrong but just wanted to know. Thanks:thumb:

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
We brew lager because we don't like drinking cat's p**s. Even a pseudo-lager tastes infinitely better than the bland commercial swill that is served up as lager in pubs.

 

[Slid]

I just wanted to ask why brew lager? First off I don't mean any offence by this but lager is pretty cheap most of the time with 50p a can when deals are on. With most of it being pretty good. Where as for a decent ale it's normally �£2 a bottle so considerably cheaper to home brew.

Now I enjoy lager and some of the more expensive ones too but from what I have read it seems to be a lot more expensive due to the extra yeast, effort and equipment needed.

Is it just because you like lager and want a few home made lagers or is It because its cheaper?

Im just curious. And sure I'm to be proven to wrong but just wanted to know. Thanks:thumb:

I feel that it comes down to how the terms like "lager" might be defined.

The Germanic style would be a strong beer, brewed with a bottom fermenting yeast, that is then stored over a long period of time. This is a very "clean" tasting beer that is much prized. It is actually quite difficult to brew at home without temperature control. I would not contemplate it myself, due to the high living temperatures of my (?) house with wife and daughters.

What in the UK has been marketed as lager (often spelled larger on this Forum) is really a fairly weak Pale Ale, This is essentially a session beer, maybe brewed to around 4.5% ABV max by home brewers and using a top fermenting yeast - like, say, US 05.. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this sort of beer. It is great and it gets new HB's into the hobby. It can be done using kits like the Coopers range and it is drinkable, easy and a good drink.

Supermarket Lager sort of pushes the boundaries of quality vs getting drunk, perhaps a little far? It does tend to be little weaker than a HB of the same style and canning does not exactly add to the taste and aroma profile.

 

[Pope]

I haven't done it yet but I'm going to in the next month.

I want to do it because I haven't done one before and it's a challenge...more effort and time are invested in brewing a lager. Also, a decent lager is not to be sniffed at...it's a lovely drink when brewed with effort and good ingredients.

 

[Rogermort]

I brewed a San Miguel style lager for my wife earlier this year and she loved it. Unfortunately she's now developed a taste for my American style PA! [emoji853]


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[Dutto]

I have just finished an el cheapo Coopers Australian lager that I brewed back in May, cold hopped in June and bottled on 2nd July.

I didn't particularly like lager because of memories of my youth when the lager was cheap but tasted so bad that we used to add Lime Juice to it or drink it with "Lemonade Tops" ...

... whereas the lager I have just finished was superb straight out of the bottle.

Perhaps that is why we brew it. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[yeastinfection]

i have a Hells Bock waiting to go on, ibought it cause it sounds interesting, watch this space .

 

[Covrich]

Thesew days I dont drink lager much but have made a few pseudo lagers which were really nice, I can see why people make them though.. the cheap commercial stuff to me is a bit dirty.

I think if you let it sit and it deteriorates as the temp rises its not great, the dirty flavours come out to play once hidden by 3ºc temps..

Mill some pilsner grain and cook it up with some fresh noble hops pick your yeast to suit your style (whether its true/ german / steam whatever) ferment at teh right temp for your yeast and you will have something simple and lovely.

 

[MyQul]

As others have said (and no offence), your defination of lager, "First off I don't mean any offence by this but lager is pretty cheap most of the time with 50p a can when deals are on." Is far removed from what a properly brewed lager can be. Greeneking IPA is an ale but I still dont want to drink it just because it's called ale

 

[Callumbo]

As others have said (and no offence), your defination of lager, "First off I don't mean any offence by this but lager is pretty cheap most of the time with 50p a can when deals are on." Is far removed from what a properly brewed lager can be. Greeneking IPA is an ale but I still dont want to drink it just because it's called ale

That is a fair point. I suppose just from my experience most of the lagers you see on tap are just a bit bland. But some of the specialist lagers are awesome. And I understand the point about cheap IPA's.

From what I have read it seems that a lot of people are brewing specialised lager and that's awesome.

I suppose I just viewed lager as a nice session beer. But ales as a specialist beverage. But to each there own. But I definitely think that when I have my own brew fridge I'll give lager a go to see what I can create

 

[Callumbo]

Cheers for all the responses guys. I think I need to try some more special lagers rather then the session crud they have in tap. But to be honest I don't really have a lot of specialised lager where I am so I may have to wait till I can properly brew my own in a cool brew fridge. Maybe then I'll fully appreciate the home brewed lager. Really appreciate the responses.

 

[pms67]

Because we can 😉

 

[MickDundee]

I've never had a "pretty good" lager for 50p a can. The decent ones are all comparable cost-wise with bottled ales.

 

[terrym]

Cheers for all the responses guys. I think I need to try some more special lagers rather then the session crud they have in tap..

This is what I thought of British lager a few months back.....
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61007
I haven't changed my mind :whistle:.
Anyway there are enough specialist non-British lagers on the shelves at the average supermarket for you to try without resorting to the normal array of rubbish heavily discounted at this time of year. You might just have to pay more that's all.

 

[Brewmarc]

I feel that it comes down to how the terms like "lager" might be defined.

The Germanic style would be a strong beer, brewed with a bottom fermenting yeast, that is then stored over a long period of time. This is a very "clean" tasting beer that is much prized. It is actually quite difficult to brew at home without temperature control. I would not contemplate it myself, due to the high living temperatures of my (?) house with wife and daughters.

What in the UK has been marketed as lager (often spelled larger on this Forum) is really a fairly weak Pale Ale.

Absolutely correct:thumb:

I would add that there are lagers ( the nats **** kind) & there are ' LAGERS'
If you class yourself as a skilled home brewer who can make a decent ale, try making a proper lager like a bohemian pilsner for eg these require skill as a home brewer not to mention using correct ingredients & noble hops.
Who would attempt a double decoction mash followed by a stepped temp controlled fermentation, & then storing ( lagering) at cold contant temperatures of 4 degrees for months & repitching additional conditioning free fermenting wort
It really isn't about making 10 gallons of 7% lager & chucking it down your neck after 3 weeks.:nono:

 

[Clint]

Out and about and at home i gave up drinking lager many years ago because basically it was rubbish...I turned to bitters,ales and stouts..some of these are dreadful too. Then this year after threatening it for ages I started brewing..only from kits at the moment and a few dry hops to experiment. In my limited experience I tried a cerveza and it turned out fine and miles away from the mass produced stuff.
Thinking about it I don't suppose the majority of people ,myself included, know what properly made lager is supposed to taste like. That goes for a lot of ales...I know people who simply will not try anything new or different because "they know they don't like it". Twits!

Cheers

Clint

 

[Joeyriles]

I'm brewing a 'true' lager today with saflager yeast (yes, I made a starter). Hallertau hersbrucker and Northern Brewer hops for this one.
I have no temperature control so I'm going to chance it by putting the FV in a sleeping bag and putting it in the shed where it's pretty cold. The rest I will leave to the gods of beer.

Why? Because it's a challenge and it fits with the idea of brewing lager in winter for the coming warmer months.

 

[Tim1975]

I do it because I like Lager but having discovered dry hopping I can now tailor it to my tastes, there aren't many Lagers out there that would taste the way mine do (I've found a couple and they are £2 for 330ml).

 

[mike77]

I've just finished drinking a seudo lager. Pilsner malt, hallertau blanc and mandarina barvaria brewed with a clean ale yeast. 35 IBUs all from late additions. Went down pretty well. Just kegging up another tonight. Similar recipe but I subbed out some of the mandarina with some perle. Had a taste last night and so far so good.

 

[barbeer]

This is what I thought of British lager a few months back.....
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61007
I haven't changed my mind :whistle:.
Anyway there are enough specialist non-British lagers on the shelves at the average supermarket for you to try without resorting to the normal array of rubbish heavily discounted at this time of year. You might just have to pay more that's all.

i think the Freedom brewery do some pretty good lagers. http://www.freedombrewery.com/our-beers/

The Freedom 4% is a bit weaker and not as good. However I have also tried the Organic Helles, and the East India Pale. I was not as keen on the Organic Helles, but really like the East India Pale. They were selling it in Morrisons a while ago but then stopped. I haven't been able to try the others yet. If only the supermarkets had a better range.