Lager with Maris Otter?

[Galena]

I was thinking of making a lager, in the Pilsner style but can't be bothered with ordering Pilsner malt right now, how do you think it would taste brewed with MO and using a Pilsner yeast and otherwise brewed with full Diacetyl rest and lagering? Just a bit stronger/biscuity in flavour?
Maybe this is quite normal but not having any real interest in Lager I have no idea

 

[Clint]

I'd use a cali common yeast and do a pseudo lager. As for taste I recon it would be fine as some Vienna lagers have a mixture of malt and are darker. You could add some Munich and Vienna malt and do similar if you have some in stock.

 

[the baron]

It will be fine it is done many times. The MO will impart a slight maltiness to the Lager and if you do a lot of German Lagers they contain some Vienna/Munich hence the names of the malt. Only the crispest of Lagers are just Lager malt.
I prefer the malty Lagers myself and do pseudo Oktoberfests and Marzen styles regular using ale yeasts as I struggle with temp control(no brew fridge)

 

[Braufather]

There is a recipe in a book called Maris pilsner. I will see if I can dig it out for you later if you like. It’s made the short method too but with larger yeast.

 

[Galena]

I'd use a cali common yeast and do a pseudo lager. As for taste I recon it would be fine as some Vienna lagers have a mixture of malt and are darker. You could add some Munich and Vienna malt and do similar if you have some in stock.

Yes I do have a couple of kilos of Vienna, that's a great idea.

 

[Galena]

It will be fine it is done many times. The MO will impart a slight maltiness to the Lager and if you do a lot of German Lagers they contain some Vienna/Munich hence the names of the malt. Only the crispest of Lagers are just Lager malt.
I prefer the malty Lagers myself and do pseudo Oktoberfests and Marzen styles regular using ale yeasts as I struggle with temp control(no brew fridge)

Yes a bit more flavour I think, I do have temp control and have made one Czech Pilsner but the fridge was tied up for so long that it seemed a bit of a hassle even though I have 2 fermentation fridges. It was very nice though coming from a non lager drinker, I guess when you have laboured over it yourself and realise what goes into it both in ingredients and process it separates it from the Euro fizz i usually associate lager with.

 

[Galena]

There is a recipe in a book called Maris pilsner. I will see if I can dig it out for you later if you like. It’s made the short method too but with larger yeast.

Thanks I would like to see that and might tempt me to avoid tying my fridge up for a couple of months.

 

[Braufather]

Here you go.

 

[Cwrw666]

At this time of year you can surely find somewhere in your house that's in the lager fermenting range, especially if you use a yeast with a good range. I always use CML Hell. Works great for pilsner and has a fermentation range of 12 - 18c. I've done brews at both ends of the range and would be hard pushed to tell them apart.
As for lagering - I've tried it and tried it without and again couldn't tell the difference. Just store your brew somewhere cool is good enough.

 

[the baron]

I used CML Hell early this year too and it did a good job of my Marzenish beer

 

[Galena]

Here you go

Thanks I will give that a go, I don't have those hops but have a few Saaz left that should do the job .

At this time of year you can surely find somewhere in your house that's in the lager fermenting range, especially if you use a yeast with a good range. I always use CML Hell. Works great for pilsner and has a fermentation range of 12 - 18c. I've done brews at both ends of the range and would be hard pushed to tell them apart.
As for lagering - I've tried it and tried it without and again couldn't tell the difference. Just store your brew somewhere cool is good enough.

Thats true, I have some WLP800 sitting in my teast fridge if I can revitalise it I will use that, needs to be kept a bit cooler 10-13C but I can ferment in the fridge and then I have a stone built garage that is always cold. Do you think store in FV or keg and store it?

 

[Cwrw666]

Do you think store in FV or keg and store it?

I'd just keg it. I bottle all mine.

 

[An Ankoù]

Here you go. View attachment 58633

That's interesting @Braufather , what book is it from?

 

[Broken Toe]

For what it's worth I have a Kölsch with MO single malt on tap. It's very good. Nice biscuit element to it that is ideal this time of year.

 

[An Ankoù]

I was thinking of making a lager, in the Pilsner style but can't be bothered with ordering Pilsner malt right now, how do you think it would taste brewed with MO and using a Pilsner yeast and otherwise brewed with full Diacetyl rest and lagering? Just a bit stronger/biscuity in flavour?
Maybe this is quite normal but not having any real interest in Lager I have no idea

I made one at the beginning of the year using Crisp's Plumage Archer (because it was the lightest Pale Malt I had at 3.6 ebc) and EKGs and MJ-M84. It turned out lovely. I'll make it again, but this time I'll try fuggles hops. Might try making a lager with Chevallier just out of a sense of sheer badness.

 

[marshbrewer]

Might try making a lager with Chevallier just out of a sense of sheer badness.

I like your badness. I bet it would be great. Especially with fuggles.

 

[Galena]

I made one at the beginning of the year using Crisp's Plumage Archer (because it was the lightest Pale Malt I had at 3.6 ebc) and EKGs and MJ-M84. It turned out lovely. I'll make it again, but this time I'll try fuggles hops. Might try making a lager with Chevallier just out of a sense of sheer badness.

Interesting, I would never have thought of making a lager with Fuggles even though it is one of my favourite hops for bitter.
I have some Saaz but probably not enough for the whole brew, I wonder of the hops I have, which do you think may compliment the Saaz?
Fuggles
First Gold
Jester
EKG
Cascade
Challenger

 

[An Ankoù]

Interesting, I would never have thought of making a lager with Fuggles even though it is one of my favourite hops for bitter.
I have some Saaz but probably not enough for the whole brew, I wonder of the hops I have, which do you think may compliment the Saaz?
Fuggles
First Gold
Jester
EKG
Cascade
Challenger

It's an interesting question and, I supose, it's about the kind of territory we want to get into: do we want to make the closest thing to some kind of Pilsner with the materials at hand or do we want something more exotic?
If the former, I'd say bitter with Fuggles (or EKG) and finish with Saaz. If the latter then make a lager version of Summer Lightning with Challenger to start and EKGs in the finish (sounds good to me) or make something like Hophead or Bishops Farewell with loads of Cascade at the end and in a hop steep, perhaps chucking the Saaz in there as well.
I love Jester in a bitter, but I 'd be hesitant about using it in a lager (no rational reason why, come to think of it) and I've never really been blown away by First Gold.

 

[Galena]

@An Ankoù Some good suggestions there and I never considered lagering a Summer lightning, so many potential brews to do, I can't keep up with the drinking

 

[Braufather]

It’s from James Morton.

That's interesting @Braufather , what book is it from?

james Morton, Brew.