How quick can you lager?

[thisisbeer]

I have a kit recipe I wanted to have ready for memorial day weekend (30 days from brew day) for some of the family. I have heard good things about it but never brewed it. It's a texas bock I assume is supposed to be like shiner. The recipe isn't like shiner but that's not a problem. Read below.

4 lbs. Old Bavarian Munich Blend
1/2 lb. dark malt extract
1 1/2 lb. brewery grade corn syrup
1/2 lb. Domestic Six-Row malt
1/2 lb. Belgian Cara-Vienne malt
1/2 lb. Medium Crystal malt
1 oz. Tettnanger hops (bittering)
1/2 oz. Crystal or Cascades hops (flavoring)
1/2 oz. Crystal or Cascades hops (finishing)

I decided to do it after a few friends and family requested something for memorial day. I am running short on time that's why I went with an extract kit than dragging out my all grain set up. I'm using Mangrove Jacks Bohemian Lager yeast, two packets that will be rehydrated. I have never used that yeast or any dry lager yeast. But i didn't have time to make a starter. Fermentation shouldn't be an issue as I have a fermentation chamber with a thermowell in the wort to get exact temp. I will aerate pure O2. I plan to move it to a keg as soon as it reaches FG and let it lager/carbonate for a couple of weeks in the keg. I have only done a couple lagers and lagered them for a couple of months before even tasting them so I really don't have any experience on it. I would like to stick to a lager yeast if you guys think I can pull it off in 30 days. Thoughts?

Edit: I will raise the temps for a couple days in between reaching FG and going to the keg.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Typically, a brew like this will need 4-6 weeks to lager. If you're okay with it not being crystal clear by Memorial Day you might be okay. I think if it were me and I was facing this sort of timetable, I'd brew it as an ale and use a kolsch yeast.

 

[mosaicbrewer]

why not just use a really clean ale yeast? and lager it some? dead guy uses an ale yeast and works out quite well IMO, better than it should maybe, but since you are going to crush this keg anyways, why not ensure it has no off flavors instead of risking it?

 

[thisisbeer]

If I have to I will go with an ale yeast. But even a very clean ale yeast never quite hits the right flavor I'm looking for. But if the ale yeast will be better than the 4 week old lager I will go the ale route. Just wanted to make sure it couldn't be done.

 

[DSorenson]

There are people that seem to be able to speed brew lagers in a much shorter period of time, but there is considerable knowledge of letting involved and I would be hesitant to try that on a time table.

I second the idea for Kolsh

 

[LLBeanJ]

Oh, it can be done, but it just won't be lager clear with just a couple weeks of lagering.

Just as a comparison, I brewed a Premium American Lager (1.056) a week ago yesterday. Took a gravity reading last night (one week) and it was done (1.011) and tasted great. I'm doing a D-rest as a precaution even though I didn't taste any diacetyl, but I could've gone ahead and kegged it. Instead I'll do the D-rest and keg it next Friday (2 weeks after brewing). If I were to then put it on tap and start drinking it without lagering, it would be cloudy and not have that crisp lager taste until several weeks later, but it will still be plenty drinkable and every day it will get just a little bit better.

Just remember that lagers can be difficult to brew cleanly and may take a bit longer than ales to clean themselves up. Time is a great healer for all beer styles, but lagers can present some additional challenges when working with a compressed time frame, though if done right they aren't that much different than ales. The key phrase there is "if done right."

 

[PeteNMA]

Really to be ready in that time you'd do much better using something fast and clean like Nottingham yeast. Ferment cool-ish in the low 60s, cold crash, rack to keg then lager that for a couple of weeks. Even a good lager ferment is going to want four weeks lagering time which you don't have. Yes the taste will not be the same with an ale yeast, but you'll be much less likely to have weird flavors left either from a hurried fermentation or simply because you've still got a lot of yeast in suspension after only a couple of weeks lagering


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[Yooper]

If I have to I will go with an ale yeast. But even a very clean ale yeast never quite hits the right flavor I'm looking for. But if the ale yeast will be better than the 4 week old lager I will go the ale route. Just wanted to make sure it couldn't be done.

It can be done in 4 weeks with lager yeast, no problem.

Longer lagering helps drop out polyphenols for a "smoother taste" but a lower OG lager can lager for 2 weeks and still be really good.

 

[hunter_le five]

http://brulosophy.com/lager-method/

A HBT member wrote up this blog post about turning around lagers in less than a month. I haven't tried his methods (yet), but it makes sense. I'd give it a read, it sounds like exactly what you're looking for.


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[SpeedYellow]

I've brewed dozens of lagers, but very rarely ever had one taste great after just 2 weeks of lagering. Lagers change dramatically over their first month.

So I, too, suggest Kolsch, which can turn out great with just one month grain-to-glass.


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[thisisbeer]

Thanks for all the help guys. Kolsh it is.

 

[DSorenson]

Well informed choice!

 

[SpeedYellow]

Yes, good choice! You'll likely find that you have a very good beer 2 weeks from brew day, and it'll be pretty lager-like. The main drawback is the yeast flocculates very poorly, so have some gelatin or whatever on hand since you'll need it. Otherwise it wouldn't likely clarify in your timeframe.


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[thisisbeer]

Will do. Thanks!