Beer Forum

I finally set up a freezer with a temp controller. I have cream ale going now and I am going to try a saison this weekend where I ramp up the temp. In a few weekends I would like to pop my lager cherry. Since it is my first time I want it to be special. What would you do for your first lager?

I decided on Oktoberfest.

Schwarzbier is the safe bet. Even if you screw something up, you have all those dark malts to kind of mask any off flavors... and it'll get you into lagering.

Having said that, as soon as I get a cooler and can do lagers, I'm planning on a Cherrywood Smoked Lager.

Thanks Thristy. Cherry Wood Smoked Lager sounds pretty good. A local brewerey (O'Fallon) makes an awesome smoked porter and I love it. Is there a particular base recipe you are going to use? How are you going to smoke the grain?

I looked at Schwarzbier. But Oktoberfest and Dopplebock both give me a wood.

In the Sept/Oct 09 Zymurgy there was a article/recipe in the back by Charlie Papazian for a Cherrywood Smoked Lager.

Here's the specifics:

Rogerfest Cherrywood Lager
5 Gallons, 60 min Boil
Efficiency: 79%
EST. OG - 1.056. EST FG - 1.018
EST. IBU - 24ish

6.5 lbs Cherrywood Smoked Malt
2.0 lbs Munich Malt (10L)
12 oz. Belgian Aromatic Malt
12 oz. Honey Malt
8 oz. German CaraMunich (75L)
4 oz. German Sauer Malt

0.75 oz. - Mt. Hood - 5%AA - 60 min
1.0 oz. - Hallertauer - 4.3%AA - 20 min
0.5 oz. - Strisselsalt - 1 min.
0.5 oz. - Mt. Hood - 1 Min.
0.25 oz - Crystal - Dry Hop
0.25 oz - Strisselspalt - Dry hop

WLP862 Cry Havoc yeast.

Step mash. 30 min at 132F, 30 min at 155F (I'd probably just do a 155 and call it good)

Pitch at 70F. Once fermentation begins, drop temp to 55F for duration.

I had an "accident" with my Vienna lager and it turned out GREAT! So, I reproduced this accident on my subsequent 2 lagers (German Pilsner and Schwarz).

I cooled to 45° and pitched. Let it raise to 50°. Held it at 50° through high Krausen (about 5 days or so) and then let it raise 2° every 2 days until 60°. 2 days at 60°, I went to 65° and held for the remainder. Effing delicious!!!

The accident was that I lost power to my freezer after high krausen and it got to 65°. Then, I listened to the brew strong episode on lagering and Jamil said something to the effect of "I don't care where my lagers end up as long as the temp is always rising."

Of course, I racked and they're lagering now at 30°. I'm giving them 3 weeks in the lager tank and then filtering them both before carbing and serving but tasting them now, out of the lagering tank, they're delicious.