Help with a lager

[HCbrewing]

Hi guys, I am trying to come up with something for my wife as she is definitely a fan of light, crisp beers. She doesn't mind hoppy beers, but they are not her first choice. I have made some wheats, blondes, creams, and even a kolsch, but they just don't have that crispness of a lager that she is looking for. Of course this is something mostly for her, but I also want something I want to drink, so I'm not trying to reproduce Bud Light.

I would love to do something like Yokel or Totally Naked from New Glarus, but I can't even find a suggestion for a recipe let alone a clone. My wife does like Canoe Paddler from Leinenkugel which they call a rye Kolsch style beer, but I'm sure they just use their standard lager yeast.

So here's what I have on hand: 2 row (no Pilsner), malted rye, flaked rye, flaked corn, and carahell for grain. For hops I have Perle, Saaz, Hallertau Mittelfrau, and Tettnanger. I have 2 packets of 34/70 yeast.

What I was thinking was 2 row, maybe around 10% corn, and .25-.5# carahell, bitter with Perle and throw some Saaz in around 20 minutes trying to get to 4-4.5% alcohol and 15-20 IBUs then ferment with 34/70. Does this look good? What would you change? Would you use any rye? If so, flaked, malted, or both? Should I order some Pilsner malt, or can I still make a tasty lager with 2 row?

 

[BigEd]

Hi guys, I am trying to come up with something for my wife as she is definitely a fan of light, crisp beers. She doesn't mind hoppy beers, but they are not her first choice. I have made some wheats, blondes, creams, and even a kolsch, but they just don't have that crispness of a lager that she is looking for.

I would love to do something like Yokel or Totally Naked from New Glarus, but I can't even find a suggestion for a recipe let alone a clone. My wife does like Canoe Paddler from Leinenkugel which they call a rye Kolsch style beer, but I'm sure they just use their standard lager yeast.

Surprised she doesn't go for Kolsch. While technically an ale a good Kolsch will pass for a lager with most of the rest of the population.

I'm not familiar with the New Glarus brews but from their website it sounds like Yokel is a German Pilsner style and Totally Naked is a premium American lager a category that would cover beers like Michelob and many of the standard Euro lagers like Heineken and Stella Artois.

So here's what I have on hand: 2 row (no Pilsner), malted rye, flaked rye, flaked corn, and carahell for grain. For hops I have Perle, Saaz, Hallertau Mittelfrau, and Tettnanger. I have 2 packets of 34/70 yeast.

What I was thinking was 2 row, maybe around 10% corn, and .25-.5# carahell, bitter with Perle and throw some Saaz in around 20 minutes trying to get to 4-4.5% alcohol and 15-20 IBUs then ferment with 34/70. Does this look good? What would you change? Would you use any rye? If so, flaked, malted, or both? Should I order some Pilsner malt, or can I still make a tasty lager with 2 row?

I'd say it looks fine if you want to make a premium American lager style. As to changes or rye, what do you want to do? As is it should at least bear a passing resemblance to the New Glarus Totally Naked. If you want to add rye I'd go with the malted. You could swap out the 10% corn for rye. For the beer you have so far the pale malt will be fine. If you do decide to do more of a German pils a change to actual pilsner malt will lend a more authentic flavor. Along with that you would want to bump up the hops to 30-40 IBU.

 

[HCbrewing]

She liked the Kolsch, but it seemed like it took forever to drop the yeast out of suspension. I see what they mean by powdery. I used the Wyeast version and have since read that most people like the White labs version better. I'll probably try it next time.

Maybe I'll do more of an American style lager here and keep the corn, then do a rye Kolsch after that.

 

[d3track]

I'd get the pilsner malt, bitter to about 30 IBU, and add 1-2oz saaz at flameout\whirlpool

 

[BrunDog]

I did a Yeungling clone. 60% 6 row, 10% Munich, 20% Corn, 10% C-80, Cluster, Cascade, and WY2035. Very appealing to both parties. I think your recipe is not that much different.

 

[slym2none]

I plan on making BM's Centennial Blonde a little later, but using a lager yeast and actually lagering it for at least a month. I think that recipe would do well for winning a lager-lover over.

 

[Bear979]

Hey HCbrewing, check your water report. You might want to play with that to get a crisp beer. If its not possible to work with it, go out on a limb and add some salt to your water. The sodium and chloride will help get that dry, crisp finish youre looking for.

 

[BrunDog]

That is not correct. Sodium will not do much unless used in quantity. Chloride will emphasize mouthfeel and "maltiness", not dryness or crispness.

 

[HCbrewing]

That is not correct. Sodium will not do much unless used in quantity. Chloride will emphasize mouthfeel and "maltiness", not dryness or crispness.

Yeah I always thought you wanted soft water for lagers.