Beer Forum

So I haven't brewed a lager before. I have a temp controlled freezer so I have the capabilities. I'm going to be brewing Illuminator Dopplebock http://brewvana.net/?p=2356. I know that I'm a little late on brewing, but I figure I've been staring at that recipe for while so it might as well be my first. Anybody have any suggestions for good lagering technique?

So that's one resolution down.

The second resolution brew 100 gallons per adult per household. 200 gallons here I come!!

I think I'll join you in the lager resolution. I was thinking about some bock too.

Writing as someone who has been brewing lagers for a couple of years now, I suggest you work out your technique on a less challenging beer. Brewing a doppelbock as your first lager is like brewing a barleywine as your first ale. I would try maybe a Vienna Lager or a Munich Helles first. You get the added benefit of building a big slug of yeast that you can subsequently pitch into a bigger beer like a doppelbock. My $0.02.

Technique tips:

Pitch about twice as much yeast as you normally would for an ale of similar OG.

Be generous when adding oxygen just before fermentation begins

Pitch cold and let the beer rise up to your fermentation temp (48-50 oF)

Be patient: I normally don't touch a lager until it has fermented for four weeks. FOr a bigger beer like a doppelbock I might let it ferment for 6-8 weeks.

Depending on the yeast strain you may need to raise the fermentation temp up by 10 oF for a diacetyl rest near the end of fermentation.

Lager the beer in a keg. That way you can taste the beer periodically to see when it is ready. I try to wait until the beer has lagered for 4 weeks before I taste the beer.

Brew lagers often that way you won't be tempted to drink them too early.

In addition to what MikeB said, I also transfer my wort to a fermenter and let it sit overnight at pitching temperature. The next morning I will transfer off all the break material ( and there is usually a ton of it ) and then pitch my yeast and ferment. I generally pitch at 45 and let it free rise to 50F and hold there so 2+ weeks then do a slight increase in temp for D-rest.

Look at Jamil's Lagering technique at the beginning of Brewing Classic Styles. Also New Brewing Lager Beer lays it out step by step.

Have to jump in with the same advice as above. By the time you make a starter large enough to grow a large enough pitch for a doppelbock, you might as well brew a 5-gallon "starter" you can drink. Munich Helles is my favorite. Give you enough yeast and something to drink while lagering the doppelbock.

I brewed a doppelbock as my first lager. It took a fuckin' year before that mess resembled beer. Eventually it wasn't bad, but as others have said, tread lightly. I'm going to brew a few lagers this year, but I'm going to get a better process down first with something a little less bold.

Not a lager brewer (or much of a lager drinker), but did resolve to brew more often. 3 batches in the first month, so doing good so far!