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Author Topic: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated  (Read 1648 times)

Offline BrewBama

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #15 on: February 03, 2021, 10:16:29 am »

I don't recall ever getting sulfur at all in a dark lager.

Me neither


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Offline Steve Ruch

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #16 on: February 03, 2021, 12:29:18 pm »
One of the key differences I note between between lager and ale is sulfur.  It does not have to be there in large amounts, but if one drinks lager after drinking ale, it is easy to sense it (it comes across as a light lima bean flavor).  From what I understand, the word "lager" is derived from the German word "lagern," which means to store (Jeff, feel free to correct me). I always found that transferring a lager to a keg and allowing it to condition at 4C (40F) or below for a few weeks improves the flavor.  Lager just seems to get better the longer it is stored.  The beer becomes rounder.  Sadly, I do not have that much storage or patience. :)

I don't recall ever getting sulfur at all in a dark lager.
It depends on the yeast. I've never gotten sulfur in any lager I've brewed. I've always made a point of avoiding lager yeast with the word sulfur in the description.
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Offline denny

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #17 on: February 03, 2021, 12:32:20 pm »
One of the key differences I note between between lager and ale is sulfur.  It does not have to be there in large amounts, but if one drinks lager after drinking ale, it is easy to sense it (it comes across as a light lima bean flavor).  From what I understand, the word "lager" is derived from the German word "lagern," which means to store (Jeff, feel free to correct me). I always found that transferring a lager to a keg and allowing it to condition at 4C (40F) or below for a few weeks improves the flavor.  Lager just seems to get better the longer it is stored.  The beer becomes rounder.  Sadly, I do not have that much storage or patience. :)

I don't recall ever getting sulfur at all in a dark lager.
It depends on the yeast. I've never gotten sulfur in any lager I've brewed. I've always made a point of avoiding lager yeast with the word sulfur in the description.

Yeah, I have to admit I rarely get it in any lager, but it seems to be especially rare in dark one.
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Offline dannyjed

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #18 on: February 03, 2021, 02:34:24 pm »
I got sulfur the last time I used WY 2124 which I never got before. It dissipated after a few weeks in the keg. Sometimes during fermentation a lager yeast can throw off some sulfur aromas.


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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2021, 03:08:09 pm »
One of the key differences I note between between lager and ale is sulfur.  It does not have to be there in large amounts, but if one drinks lager after drinking ale, it is easy to sense it (it comes across as a light lima bean flavor).  From what I understand, the word "lager" is derived from the German word "lagern," which means to store (Jeff, feel free to correct me). I always found that transferring a lager to a keg and allowing it to condition at 4C (40F) or below for a few weeks improves the flavor.  Lager just seems to get better the longer it is stored.  The beer becomes rounder.  Sadly, I do not have that much storage or patience. :)

Beers like Kölsch and Alt are termed Obergäriges Lagerbier by the Germans. Top Fermenting Lager Beer, to differentiate from the usual bottom fermented Lagerbier.

Lagern is the verb to store. Lager as a noun has several applications, not all in brewing. It can mean to store as a verb . It also means warehouse, storehouse, camp, and more.

A friend traveled home to Australia. She shared a picture of her father as a young man in a German Displaced Person Camp after WWII. THE caption had his name and "Lager Zelt 44".  It meant Camp Tent 44. He went to Australia afterwards.
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Offline wesbrew

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2021, 08:13:37 am »
I always thought of Lager as simply a beer fermented with lager yeast, bottom fermenting.  I don't do a secondary. I ferment it for 2 weeks or so, then cold crash for a few days and "lager" it in the keg for a month or so. I can never resist taking samples along the way. In addition to clarifying, i notice subtle flavors from the yeast seem to develop, strong flavors mellow, and light watery beers are more balanced with time
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Offline Descardeci

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2021, 09:03:36 am »
Now I want to bottle my lagers, this week gonna be the 3 week lagering, I was planning to bottling in the first week of march, but now I don't know, I'm trully thrist for some of that beers

Offline majorvices

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2021, 09:13:14 am »
Now I want to bottle my lagers, this week gonna be the 3 week lagering, I was planning to bottling in the first week of march, but now I don't know, I'm trully thrist for some of that beers

Almost never any need to lager medium gravity beers longer than a couple of weeks unless you just really want to. The only magic that will be happening is yeast and any potential haze dropping our of solution. That will happen faster in the bottles anyway. I say bottle it up and drink once it is carbbed.

Offline Descardeci

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Re: First attempt at lagering questions - feedback appreciated
« Reply #23 on: February 15, 2021, 01:32:49 pm »
Now I want to bottle my lagers, this week gonna be the 3 week lagering, I was planning to bottling in the first week of march, but now I don't know, I'm trully thrist for some of that beers

Almost never any need to lager medium gravity beers longer than a couple of weeks unless you just really want to. The only magic that will be happening is yeast and any potential haze dropping our of solution. That will happen faster in the bottles anyway. I say bottle it up and drink once it is carbbed.

This give more time for doing my next batch, I think I'm gonna do it soon