Lager Recipe Suggestions

[SecondRow_Sean]

Hello,

I'm looking for some ideas/suggestions/recommendations on brewing a lighter lager. I haven't done one before, but I've got temp control, a free weekend and a heat wave that's making me thirsty. I have a setup where I can do a partial mash and probably looking at a 3 or 3.5 gallon batch. Starting off with roughly 4 lbs pale DME, some questions I have are:

- What kind/how much specialty grain can I use?
- What type of hops are good for bitterin/aroma/dry hopping?
- Any recipes you guys recommend?

I appreciate any help. Thanks.

[madscientist]

I've been on a German Lager kick lately... Spaten comes to mind.  Hallertauer, Tettnager, Saaz... those are good hops to use.  Sierra Nevada Summerfest uses Perle and Saaz hops, and I think Pils/Munich malt.

[morticaixavier]

I have not brewed a lager of any kind but I would think you would want to go with pilsner extract over the normal pale. +1 on the noble hops.

[jeffy]

I agree on the hops, but would add Sterling to that list.
I doubt that you need any specialty malts.  My standard pils recipe is 95% pils malt and sometimes 5% Vienna.  I haven't made an extract beer for a while, but could you use just pilsner extract?

[SecondRow_Sean]

Yeah, looks like I'll use Pilsen DME and play around with some of the hops you guys suggested. Thanks.

[a10t2]

4 lb of DME in a 3-3.5 gal batch would be ~1.049-1.058 OG, so that might already be over your target for a "light" lager. If you're going to do a mini-mash, I'd cut way back on the DME.