India Pale Lager

My next brew will be a session India Pale Lager. I'm thinking of this:

1053 OG
61 IBU
12 EBC

4600g Pale Ale Malt
300g Vienna Malt
100g Aromatic Malt

15g  Galaxy for 60 mins
45g  Galaxy last 15 mins
25g  Ahtanum Flame Out

Dry hop with 45g Galaxy and 25g Ahtanum

White Labs 802 Czech Budejovice Lager Yeast

I've already used that particular combination of malt and Galaxy hops to make a very good single hop golden ale. It was one of the most balanced beers I've ever made and full of malty, citrusy, tropical fruit salad flavours. I'm adding some late Ahtanum this time to counteract the tendency of lager yeast to dull down the hop flavours.

To ensure I pitch enough yeast I'll use the following method recommended by White labs:-  Maintain fermenting wort temperature at ale temps (about 68° F) until signs of fermentation are evident (i.e. CO2 evolution). Begin to lower temperatures to desired fermentation temperature. Lower 10° F over each 12 hour period until temperature is reached. They say this method has little or no effect on the final taste. I'll make a starter as well.

Any thoughts?

That yeast gets very sulfury at the primary temperature you're intending. Hops with a side of egg salad. Take the primary down to 55 - 58F.

The idea is to pitch at 68 and maintain that temperature briefly until fermentation starts and then drop it down to 55. That way you only need to pitch one vial af east. It's a method recommended by White Labs on their website.

That's cool, but you also mentioned making a starter, not just a vial. With a starter, you should be able to go directly to your desired fermentation temperature.

Yeast produce fusels, esters and sulfur in the lag phase of fermentation. Also, the level of diacetyl precursor (alpha acetolactate) is influenced by pitching and fermentation temperature. Simply, the closer you are to 48F for pitching and primary, the less diacetyl is produced. And lager yeast reduces diacetyl best when it can have a diacetyl rest above the temperature it's pitched.

Higher fermenting temperatures under pressure are used to counter diacetyl and ester production in a lot of European lager breweries.

Thanks, now I'm with you. I was concerned about under pitching and I didn't think it through. You're right.

I'm now thinking maybe 2 packs of dry yeast like Mangrove Jacks M84 Bohemian lager would be a better choice.  I've used M44 and M79 and like them a lot. The M84 has some good reviews and I understand it produces good clean, dry beers that floc well, although it starts slow.

I've never made lager as I don't care for it much but I love that particular recipe and I think it'll make a great IPL. It'll also give my brew fridge a proper workout. I'll probably brew it next weekend if I have time.

Is there anything else I need to think about?

No. I think you have this one under control.

I brewed it today and it looks and smells great. I got the water quantities wrong, (I'm still getting used to my new boiler). The OG has come out at 1060 instead of the 1053 I calculated.

I pitched two packets of Mangrove Jacks M84 Bohemian lager yeast and it's now sitting in the brew fridge at 12C (53F). It'll be interesting to compare it against the ale I made to the same recipe (without the Ahtanum). I used Crisp Pale Ale Malt which is made from a winter barley variety called Flagon grown in East Anglia.  I use it a lot and get good, consistent results. It's slightly cheaper than MO.

Sounds like a great IPA.  I love Galaxy hops in IPA's.  It has become my favorite late boil addition for IPA's.

Well, it's been in the fermenter for 3 weeks at 12C and it's down from 1060 to 1022. It's still bubbling in the airlock so I'll just let it carry on. It smells good and I reckon it'll taste good.

I'm thinking the same recipe will work well with the Yeast Bay Funktown blend.  I'll maybe add some Nelson Sauvin to compliment the Galaxy and ahtanum.