LAGER & PILSNER RECIPES PAGE ONE

SO WHAT DEFINES A LAGER?:
Lager is beer which has been brewed and conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be pale, amber, or dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available style of beer. The term "lager" comes from the German word for "storage", as the beer was stored in underground cellars (cold conditioned) before drinking. As well as maturation in cold storage, most lagers are distinguished by the use of Saccharomyces pastorianus, a "bottom-fermenting" yeast that ferments at relatively cold temperatures.

LAGER:
• Uses a bottom fermenting yeast
• Ferments at low temperatures
• Uses European style malts
• Hops play a supporting and balancing role
• Cold storage before drinking

The Germans do not recognise “Lager” as a style of beer rather naming their beers:
• Helles – a light coloured beer usually around 5% ABV using Pilsner malt
• Pils – a beer in the style of those made in Pilsen and slightly hoppier than a Helles
• Dunkel – a dark lager containing some roast malt
• Vienna – a lager containing some richer and slightly darker Vienna malt
• Marzen/Oktoberfest – a stronger lager containing some richer and slightly darker Munich malt
• Bock – a dark brown, strong malty lager

The Czechs on the other hand, credited as they are with introducing lighter coloured beer to the world, prefer to name their beers from where they originated. That is Pilsner from Pilsn, Praha from Prague & Budweiser from Budweis (České Budějovice in Czech) and so on.

WHAT HOPS ARE USED?
Traditional German Munich lagers use landrace hops from the Hallertau region:
• Hallertau Mittelfruh
• Tettnang
• Hersbrucker
• Spalt
and from Zatec in the Czech Republic:
• Saaz

GENERIC STEP MASH FOR LAGERS:
Mash in @ 55°C
Raise to 62°C for 45 minutes
Raise to 72°C for 45 minutes
Raise to 78°C for 5 minutes
Mash out

HOP SUBSTITUTES THAT YOU CAN GROW:
Perle is a German hop used for both bittering & flavour
Wakatu & Pacifica are NZ hops bred from Hallertau Mittelfruh
Liberty & Mount Hood are USA hops bred from Hallertau Mittelfruh
Fuggle has a similar oil profile to Tettnanger
Riwaka & Motueka are NZ Hops bred from Saaz

LINK: HOP PLANTS FOR SALE