Temperature of lager beer fermentation. Lager needs "some" chilling

Good quality beer bottom fermentation» - lagers - are considered upper class brewing skill. And this poses a serious challenge for homebrewers. Today we will talk about approaches to the production of lagers at home.

General ideas about lagers

Lager beer, or as it is also called, beer of cold (bottom) fermentation, compared to ales is a youth. Despite the fact that the majority (by volume) of modern industrial beer is lagers, there were no such beers at all until a few centuries ago. Thanks should be said to the coincidence - around the 15th century, traditional European ale yeast with some stray guests (most likely from China), as a result of which the new variety received unique features - the ability to produce beer at low temperatures. A low temperatures- this is the enemy of contaminants: with them, lager yeast begins to unequivocally dominate in fermenting beer, suppressing the development of a different microbiota.

At first, these yeast tendencies severely limited brewers: the beer was much more demanding on the fermentation temperature than the more traditional beer. In fact, normal conditions for it could only be provided in winter or in a cave / basement. Mass, truly industrial production of lagers became possible only in the 19th century, with the invention of refrigeration equipment.

So what makes a "real" lager different?

1. Special types of yeast.
2. Low (10-13°С) temperature of the main fermentation.
3. Relatively long exposure of fermented beer at an even lower temperature (0-2°C)

Many styles of lager beer have evolved over the centuries. The vast majority of them trace their pedigree from the countries of continental Europe. For example:

• Pilsner- a rather bitter (20-40IBU) lager, created in the territory of the modern Czech Republic and then spread to Germany and the whole world.
• Hell one of the German answers to the success of the pilsner, lighter, malty and less hoppy.
• Schwarzbier And dunkel- dark German lagers.
• Side- a strong German lager. Not to be confused with Dutch Ale Sides!
• Baltic porter- adaptation of British porter by "lager" Northern European breweries.

In recent years, various hybrid styles have become popular, such as the India Pale Lager with a bright hop aroma and high bitterness, or the New Zealand Pilsner, which combines the lightness of a pilsner with the pronounced aroma of local hops.

Get by with a little blood

In fact, real lagers are quite laborious to manufacture and require special equipment. Is there any way to mimic native lager beer styles in simpler ways?

If approached with all rigor, then more likely no than yes. However, you can still try to get a good option.

For example, remembering the styles of beer that are on the borders of lagers and ales. Such as German Kölsch and American stimbeers.

Stimbier (steam beer) is a style of beer originally from California, where German emigrants tried to recreate their "lager" brewing culture in the face of a lack of funds and equipment. As a result, the beer was fermented without refrigerators, but with the use of lager yeast strains. Of course they are high temperatures produce quite a lot of fermentation by-products, which is responsible for the ale-like fruity and oily profile of the beer. However, this beer also has lager features in taste. To recreate a steam beer, it is better to use special strains of yeast (for example, ) - common lager strains at high temperatures often tend to be excessively sulphurous.

Kölsch is the opposite. In this case, "rather ale" yeast is used, however, fermentation temperatures are closer to lager ones - 13-14°C. In this case, long-term cold ripening is traditionally used. In terms of profile, Kölsch is perhaps the closest ale to lagers. There are several liquid yeast strains for this style of beer on the market today, and many brewers use standard US-05s for this style of beer, which do quite well at "Kölsch" temperatures.

Real lagers

The path to real lagers is more difficult. It depends on conditions and equipment.

Lager fermentation involves several thermal regimes: the main fermentation is on at a temperature of 10-13°C or so, and ripening at near zero temperatures. Another mode is a diacetyl pause, 15-18 ° C, more on this in the next chapter.

Accordingly, the room or equipment must allow the brewer to handle these temperature conditions. The most obvious way out is the use of ready-made (for example, wine) or modernized (to the required temperatures) refrigerators or specialized fermentation tanks with cooling jackets. In general, both options will be useful for those who do not even think about brewing lagers - after all, flexible temperature control is highly desirable for a brewer in general.

More artisanal ways cooling - for example, using ice, a wet cloth, etc. is clearly inferior to the methods described above and can hardly be recommended.

An important question is how exactly to carry out the maturation of beer, in a separate tank or directly in bottles? If you are using bottle maturation, the second option is to lower the temperature to "lager" temperature after the beer has been carbonated.

A few words about defects

In general, lager yeasts are considered to be less prone to fermentation by-products than ale yeasts. However, this is true only if the required temperature regimes are observed.

For example, at too high temperatures, most lager yeast strains release a lot of sulfur compounds, which give the beer unpleasant tones, up to "toilet". Ether output at elevated temperatures also elevated. We can say that at a temperature of 18-20 ° C, the yeast of the type will be much more neutral than almost any lager strain.

In addition, lager yeast is prone to producing diacetyl, which in high concentrations gives unpleasant oily tones (however, a small amount of it is part of the profile, for example, of a Czech pilsner). To combat this, the so-called diacetyl pause is used - an increase in temperature to 15-18 ° C for two to three days after the end of the main fermentation. Do you need it at home? There is an opinion that in the case of beer fermenting in the bottle, the significance of the diacetyl pause is greatly exaggerated - we still reactivate the yeast for carbonization.

Lagers - due to their purity of taste - make high demands on sanitation. Taste defects caused by contamination in ales can be obscured by overall esteriness. In lagers, they are likely to be very noticeable.

Styles and Ingredients

What yeast to use? Most of industrial microbreweries use dry yeast from Fermentis or. The former give a more fruity character, the latter are considered "default" for pro-German varieties. However, you should also try liquid yeast. The specific strain depends on the style of beer desired. For example, for Czech pilsners, where the yeast profile emphasizes the coarse hopping, you can try liquid yeast.

For many lagers, authentic is decoction mash- for example, for the same Czech pilsners. Its use is highly desirable in styles where it has traditionally taken place. It should not be forgotten that lager yeasts often have a fairly high degree of attenuation, which makes the mashing process more careful - especially for bottle-fermented beers.

The choice of hops for lagers will also depend on the style of beer chosen. In principle, the spread of New Wave lagers has shown that aggressive hopping with American or Australian hop varieties can be quite appropriate for lagers.

Brewing Lager - 5 tips for homebrewers.

The vast majority of households, and probably"Craft" brewers started their "brewing" activities by making ales. This is natural, because the process of making top-fermented beer is simpler, the requirements for fermentation conditions are less, the guarantee of obtaining quality product higher. But then, over time, every brewer sooner or later starts thinking about brewing lager. Having learned the basics and the theory of brewing, it no longer seems impossible or overly complicated. This is true. It is enough to follow 5 basic rules when brewing lager to get good beer at home.

Rule 1: Pitch Enough Yeast (Avoid Undersowing)

Lager fermentation occurs at a temperature of 8-13*C, which is much colder than the fermentation temperature of ales. Here, almost everything is like in humans - the lower the ambient temperature, the more energy is needed to complete the movement. So it is with yeast - the lower the temperature, the more active cells are needed to process sugars into CO2 and alcohol.

You need about 2 times more lager yeast than ale yeast to ferment a wort of the same density. If you don't want to make a fairly bulky yeast starter (sourdough starter) use dry bottom-fermenting brewer's yeast, such as FermentisS-23or Fermentis W34/70 at the rate of 1 gram per 1 liter of wort (with initial density wort 11-12% and T fermentation 10-12*C). For a more accurate calculation, I recommend using online calculator adding yeast.

Rule 2: "Sow in the cold"

It is common practice for homebrewers to challenge yeast into wort when room temperature followed by cooling to the lager fermentation temperature. This is not entirely correct. Even for a short time lager yeast at high temperatures will have time to produce enough esters to affect the taste of the beer. If you asksufficientthe amount of yeast there is no reason to worry and start from the heat. Pour the yeast starter into the already chilled desired temperature must. The temperature of the starter, of course, should not differ from the initial temperature of the wort by more than +-1 degree.

Rule 3: Accelerate fermentation correctly.

Sowing in the cold, with all its pluses, has a minus - this is the duration of fermentation. But there are several simple steps to speed up this process and not harm our young beer. Make regular measurements of the gravity of the beer and raise the temperature of the fermentation (fermenter) by 2-3*C when the gravity of the beer drops to 50% of the initial one. For example, if the wort NP is 1.050, and the calculated final is 1.010, then you can increase the T * C of fermentation when the density of the wort is 1.030 (1.050 minus 1.010 is 40 density units. Half of 40 is 20, add these 20 to the expected final density and we get 1.030).

Rule 4: Diacetyl pause.

Bottom fermentation is colder and less aggressive than top fermentation. These conditions favor the presence of diacetyl in finished beer at the end of fermentation (warmer temperatures help reduce diacetyl). If you ask enough yeast and fermentation is normal - then most likely diacetyl will not be a problem, but there is a simple way that will help to ensure that you avoid an excess of diacetyl in beers - when your lager finishes fermenting you need to raise the temperature in the fermenter to 15-16 * C for 24-48 hours to overflow. This is the simplest and reliable way rid your young lager of oily diacetyl.

Rule 5: Be patient.

Word Lager translated from German means "hold" or "keep". This seems to allude to the long and lengthy "maturation" phase of all lager beers. Homebrewers often use accelerated fermentation schedules and can get great beer in as little as 14-15 days, but it won't hurt if the period is 10-20 days longer. In fact, aging is a virtue in lagers, and most bottom-fermenting varieties require moderate aging. Keep your fermented lager at 0-2°C until you have time to keg or bottle it. I usually store beer at 0-2*C for 7 days for every 10 units of original gravity. Thus, a lager with NR 1.050 must be aged for at least 5 weeks for optimal taste.

Using these 5 simple rules You can always please yourself and your loved ones with wonderful homemade bottom-fermented beer.

Many beer consumers believe that beer is made from powder at large factories ... But they simply were not interested in how much "beer powder" - dry beer concentrate, costs, but it is very expensive, but this is understandable, because in order to get it, you need to wipe the present beer wort, boil it with hops, and in the end still spend effort on evaporating water. That is why, beer is made from such concentrates only at home, where the simplicity of the process is worth the money spent (and at breweries, the wort is completely mashed). in the usual way). There are not many dry beer mixes on our market, I’ll tell you about the Czech version, which is interesting in that it is supposed to make lagers (bottom and cold fermented beer), and not ale (top and warm). Lager (namely, this style is now the main one in brewing) is more familiar to the average consumer, because not everyone likes bright tones in beer, but in home ale such "brightness" is often just over the top. Making a real lager at home is not easy, since fermentation takes place in the cold and refrigeration equipment is needed. Lager yeast is also required, which is not a problem now, although instead of the recommended S-23, I used M-84 (I took what was available from the lager ones), so the experiment was not entirely clean.

And here is the actual "beer powder" ;-)

Getting beer wort from concentrate is very simple - heat 5-9 liters (depending on the volume of your largest pan) to 40 degrees, pour out the "beer powder", mix thoroughly. We cool the wort (for example, by placing the pan in a basin with cold water), pour it into a water trap (you can use both a special water trap for home brewers, and any container, preferably airtight and preferably with an installed water seal, the most the simplest example- two five-liter bottles of water, we make a hole in the lid and insert water seals, they are also convenient in that you can put them on the windowsill, closer to the cold, well, I used a “birmachine”), bring the volume to 10 liters, pour it there pre-diluted lager yeast. I also measured the density - it turned out to be 12%, which is normal for a "sunbed". Lager needs to be fermented at a temperature of 10-15 degrees, the concentrate manufacturer recommends 15-18 (in fact, this is closer to mixed styles - such as steam-beer or Kelsch), but even this temperature is not easy to find in our apartments, I still had above 20, although I found the coldest place in the house.
We ferment for about a week, after that we pour it into bottles and put them in the refrigerator at a temperature of 7 degrees for fermentation (I have fermented medium, up to 4% alcohol). Within three weeks, the beer ferments and carbonizes. Although my M-84s didn't perform very well, the carbonation was rather weak, so it's best to use the manufacturer's recommended yeast. In order to carbonate the beer better, I kept the bottle warm before drinking, and then the M-84 immediately started working (which suggests that M-84, despite the manufacturer's statement, is closer to ale fermentation temperature than to lager ones in terms of fermentation temperature).
Well and the main thing - about taste. Despite the fact that fermentation took place at high temperatures for a lager, the taste turned out to be really more lager, although the increased aromatics were slightly noticeable, but overall the taste was quite clean. Very moderately hopped, hops added just for balance, I would add more, but compared to industrial beer hops are sufficient. If you manage to find a place in the house where you can really carry out fermentation at a temperature of around 15 degrees, then I'm sure the taste will be even more "lager".

Includes stages, each of which must pass according to the rules. Otherwise, the beer will not have the desired taste. There are no trifles here: the type of yeast used is also important, and fermentation tank for beer, and the aging time of the drink. Let's consider the main points.

First: choose the yeast. Types of yeast used in brewing:

• dry (in powder form);
• pills;
• liquid.

Preferably added to a drink dry yeast. The reason: they are easy to transport, and besides, they are stored in almost any conditions. Disadvantage of this species: less interesting taste qualities than liquid yeast.

The choice of yeast also depends on what kind of beer you want to make: ale or lager. So, for camp varieties we take Fementis-Saflager 34/70.

To brew ale (read:), it would be nice to get SafaleS-04. This subspecies is perfect for fermentation in wooden barrels.

What is yeast? This is a product received from malt and hops by fermentation. Without them, the preparation of beer is impossible. Before you “refill” the wort with them, you need to properly prepare them.

Preparation

Liquid yeast does not require special preparation, but dry yeast needs a little work. Actions are as follows:

1. We disinfect the container selected for the process.
2. Pour into it warm water (the temperature of which is from 26 to 28ºС).
3. Sprinkle dry yeast on top.
4. We cover the dishes foil.
5. We leave for 40 minutes.
6. Shake the liquid until a suspension is obtained.
7. We add the resulting suspension to the wort.

On this preparatory stage completed: now we are waiting for the fermentation and the moment when the tasting of the drink begins.

Choosing a container for beer fermentation

Beginning brewers think about the question: what fermentation tank is suitable for making a drink? Most often the choice is stopped on a plastic container.

The task of the brewer: not to make a mistake with the size of the container. It must be capacious, because foam will form, which will overflow over the edges if the volume of the container is insufficient.

You put a container with and pour the wort into it. Do not forget open the lid. This is necessary in order to violent fermentation stopped. A week passes. After that, the future beer is removed from the sediment and left for secondary fermentation.

top fermentation

Initially, there was only a method of top fermentation. Why? It was not always possible to reach temperatures below 14ºС. Riding requires temperature from 15 to 25ºС. Yeast does not separate for a long time during the top fermentation process. They form colonies of gas bubbles.

Top fermentation is gradual formation of higher alcohols and esters. This is how ale or German wheat beer is made. These have a taste alcoholic beverages somewhat coarser than those obtained by bottom fermentation.

bottom fermentation

In bottom fermentation, yeast settle at the bottom of the container where the whole process takes place. Such beer is brewed in cold rooms, carefully monitoring that temperature regime was not violated. The yeast should settle to the bottom of the container.

Lager varieties formed in this way are more palatable, according to many connoisseurs. Another plus: camp varieties last longer, easier to transport.

Fermentation stages

The whole process is divided at 4 stages, during which the future beer gradually becomes what we are used to.

• The wort was poured into a vat and the yeast was placed there. Carbon dioxide is released. bubbles of gas rise to the surface. We wait from 12 to 20 hours: during this time foam appears white color. At this time, we can assume that the first stage has come to an end.
• At the second stage, take a closer look at the wort: do you see curls on the surface? They look like roses appearance. This means that the yeast began to multiply rapidly, which means that fermentation is intensifying. Everything goes according to plan.
• The third stage is characterized by a change in the color of the curls. They turn brown and rise higher.

Attention! At this stage, pay close attention for wort temperature! It grows, so it is necessary to cool the future beer from time to time, bringing it to a temperature of 6 or 7ºС.

• The last stage: the cessation of fermentation. Curls fall off. The yeast "goes" to the bottom, the beer becomes lighter.

Do you think the cooking process foamy drink completed? No, there is another stage ahead, but it will take place in a different container.

End of fermentation stages

To understand that fermentation is complete, inspect the liquid. Assess its uniformity. Check did the yeast sink to the bottom. Pay attention to the color: if it is cloudy, then you need to wait a little more. If the beer has become light, it can be poured into a glass container.

Wort transfusion

Check that the temperature of the wort is from 8 to 10ºС. If so, prepare clean glass containers. Fermentation will be carried out in them.

These can be pretty bottles in which you will then serve beer to the table. Pour carefully so that sediment does not get into the bottles. Use a siphon tube for this.

Fermentation

Here we come to the end technological process. But you need not just pour the beer into bottles and put it away for a while in a place inaccessible to children and guests. in bottles add some sugar:

• sugar;
• glucose;
• sugar syrup.

The calculation here is: 9 g of sugar-containing product per 1 liter of wort. During fermentation, it is formed carbon dioxide. Keep beer in glass containers at a temperature of 18-20ºС. Fermentation is necessary in order for the drink to acquire pleasant taste and aroma.

Shelf life

Beer industrial production if it is alive stored 3 days. If you followed the production technology, then homemade drink can stay for three days- Nothing will happen to him.

If the beer is brewed on horseback, the shelf life increases up to 3 months. To extend the shelf life, try to comply with the following conditions:

• put the bottles vertically;
• tightly seal containers;
• do not expose the beer to sunlight;
• protect the drink from both overheating and hypothermia.

If you spend pasteurization of alcohol, then the shelf life will increase to 6 months.

Have you ever brewed beer at home? Tell us about your experience. Also share your opinion: home product differs from the analog made in an industrial way. What tastes better?

Try making beer in your own kitchen. Its indisputable advantage: it is used only natural ingredients . In addition, you personally carried out the selection of products and gradually brewed the drink, preventing the interference of “foreign elements”.

Useful videos

Look at the order of fermentation home beer- all stages:

Personal experience of removing from the sediment and overflowing onto secondary fermentation, look:

About the primary and secondary fermentation of beer in a conventional container, see:

If you are an experienced brewer, you will surely find something to advise beginners. How to ferment so that the taste is beyond praise? Share information with us, and we will post it on our pages. See you soon!

The vast majority of home, and probably "craft" brewers began their "brewing" activities with the preparation of ales. This is natural, because the process of making top-fermented beer is simpler, the requirements for fermentation conditions are less, the guarantee of obtaining a quality product is higher. But then, over time, every brewer sooner or later starts thinking about brewing lager. Having learned the basics and the theory of brewing, it no longer seems impossible or overly complicated. This is true. It is enough to follow 5 basic rules when brewing lager to get good beer at home.

Rule 1: Pitch Enough Yeast (Avoid Undersowing)

Lager fermentation occurs at a temperature of 8-13*C, which is much colder than the fermentation temperature of ales. Here, almost everything is like in humans - the lower the ambient temperature, the more energy is needed to complete the movement. So it is with yeast - the lower the temperature, the more active cells are needed to process sugars into CO2 and alcohol.

You need about 2 times more lager yeast than ale yeast to ferment a wort of the same density. If you do not want to make a sufficiently voluminous yeast starter (sourdough) use dry brewer's yeast for bottom fermentation, for example S-23 or w34/70 at the rate of 1 gram per 1 liter of wort (with an initial wort gravity of 11-12% and a fermentation T of 10- 12*C). For a more accurate calculation, I recommend using the online calculator for adding yeast.

Rule 2: "Sow in the cold"

A common practice for homebrewers is to challenge the yeast into the wort at room temperature, followed by cooling to lager fermentation temperature. This is not entirely correct. Even in a short time, lager yeast at high temperatures will have time to produce enough esters to affect the taste of the beer. If you supply enough yeast there is no reason to worry and start out warm. Pour the yeast starter into the wort that has already cooled to the desired temperature. The temperature of the starter, of course, should not differ from the initial temperature of the wort by more than +-1 degree.

Rule 3: Accelerate fermentation correctly.

Sowing in the cold, with all its pluses, has a minus - this is the duration of fermentation. But there are a few simple steps to speed up this process and not harm our young beer. Make regular measurements of the gravity of the beer and raise the temperature of the fermentation (fermenter) by 2-3*C when the gravity of the beer drops to 50% of the initial one. For example, if the wort NP is 1.050, and the calculated final is 1.010, then you can increase the T * C of fermentation when the density of the wort is 1.030 (1.050 minus 1.010 is 40 gravity units. Half of 40 is 20, add these 20 to the expected final gravity and get 1.030) .

Rule 4: Diacetyl pause

Bottom fermentation is colder and less aggressive than top fermentation. These conditions favor the presence of diacetyl in the finished beer at the end of fermentation (warmer temperatures tend to reduce diacetyl). If you add enough yeast and fermentation is going well - then most likely diacetyl will not be a problem, but there is an easy way to ensure that you avoid an overabundance of diacetyl in beers - when your lager finishes fermenting, you need to raise the temperature in the fermenter to 15-16 * C 24-48 hours before overflow. This is the easiest and most reliable way to rid your young lager of oily diacetyl.

Rule 5: Be patient

The German word Lager means "hold" or "keep". This seems to allude to the long and lengthy "maturation" phase of all lager beers. Homebrewers often use accelerated fermentation schedules and can get great beer in as little as 14-15 days, but it won't hurt if the period is 10-20 days longer. In fact, aging is a virtue in lagers, and most bottom-fermenting varieties require moderate aging.

Keep your fermented lager at 0-2°C until you have time to keg or bottle it. I usually store beer at 0-2*C for 7 days for every 10 units of original gravity. Thus, a lager with NR 1.050 must be aged for at least 5 weeks for optimal taste.