How to Brew Lager Beer

Lager, one of the two main types of beer, can be brewed at home.

Brewing beer is both a science and an art--and brewing a lager will require greater attention to detail in both areas. A lager beer's taste is clean and crisp, absent of ale's characteristic fruitiness. Originating from the German word "lagern," which means "to store," a lager beer remains in cold storage while it ages in the conditioning phase after initial fermentation, which prevents the yeast from forming fruity esters and causes it to finish fermentation of residual sugars, metabolizing other compounds to eliminate the possibility of off-flavors and aromas. The result is lager--a smooth, satisfying beer.

Things You'll Need

• 3 gallon plastic container
• 5 gallons water
• 3 lb. can malt extract
• Lager yeast
• 3 lb. sugar
• Thermometer
• Glass carboy
• Fermentation lock and stopper
• Air trap
• Funnel
• Siphon hose, 5 ft.

Instructions

1. Sterilize all brewing equipment that will come into contact with the beer to kill any bacteria or fungus. Wash the apparatus with a powder brewery wash solution or soak for 10 minutes in a bleach solution of 1 tbsp. bleach per gallon of water, thoroughly rinsing and drying.

2. Activate the yeast by mixing it along with 1 tsp. sugar into 2 cups filtered, room-temperature water. Avoid hot water as it will kill the yeast. Set the yeast starter aside.

3. Heat an unopened can of malt extract in by immersing it in hot water in a sink for several minutes, making the syrup easy to pour. Combine about 2 gallons of hot water with the full can of malt extract in the plastic container, stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon.

4. Mix 3 to 5 pounds of sugar into the malt/water mixture, depending on the brew's desired strength. Pour this solution into the glass carboy using a funnel, then add 2 more gallons of water to the solution in the carboy. Gently add the yeast mixture to the carboy at this point, allowing it to spread on its own. Continue to fill the carboy with cold water to within 5 to 6 inches of the top--but leave room for the foam that will develop as the solution ferments.

5. Insert the fermentation lock and stopper, and the air trap half-filled with water, into the mouth of the carboy. Place the carboy with the beer solution in a dark, cool location with a room temperature at 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Monitor the number of bubbles per minute that rise through the air trap--it will peak at 60 to 100 per minute, indicating that the process of primary fermentation is under way.

6. Determine the completeness of the primary fermentation process--the "working time" for a batch of beer, which varies according to surrounding temperature and ingredients--by watching for the point when bubbling slows to 1 to 3 per minute. Transfer, or "rack," the brew to another sanitized carboy using the siphon hose, leaving the residual yeast sediment and its byproducts, called "trub," for a clarified brew.

7. Store the brewed beer in a cool location--this is necessary for the secondary fermentation phase, referred to as the "conditioning" phase. Lagering times vary by temperature, usually about 3 to 4 weeks at 45 degrees, 5 to 6 weeks at 40 degrees or 7 to 8 weeks at 35 degrees. Lager the brew longer to achieve a stronger beer.

References

• Mother Earth News: Do It! Brew It Yourself!
• How to Brew: Chapter 10 - What is Different for Brewing Lager Beer?