I just started the transition from extract to "all-grain". Now in northeastern Ohio, have lived in the Southwest, Midwest and Germany. Since beer-making isn't about saving money or time, my quest is to make the best lager I can.
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Finn Berger
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That's what I'm aiming at, too. Or more precisely: the best pilsner - or even more precisely: the best German pilsner
.I've been brewing for 8 years now, but there are always things to learn. Actually the beers keep getting better, and as there is more to learn, I can hope the improvement will continue.
I've never brewed with extract, but I feel certain all grain has an edge. Still, mashing and boiling isn't where the key to great beer is to be found. Just don't make any big mistakes, keep pH under reasonable control and avoid unnecessary splashing. I've tried LODO-brewing, and found it didn't make any difference, but that doesn't mean HSA should be totally ignored. I've also tried decoction, and didn't detect any effect from that. (It is fun to do, though
.)Brewing pilsner is very much about making a clean beer. And most of those flaws you want to avoid stem from fermentation problems. And fermentation problems are most often related to the way you treat your yeast. So that's where I'm concentrating my efforts.
Another puzzle I'm trying to solve, is how to coax as much flavor and aroma as possible from noble hops. Sadly I seem to be far away from the solution there.
"...as much flavor and aroma as possible from noble hops."
Although I'm realistic about the limits of what I can do for myself, I was inspired to raise my own hops when I visited a historic German/American village near my home. So I bought a small plant from a Michigan farm that specializes in hops. The seller warned me that I chose the most demanding variety (Hallertau Mittelfruh). But if I can't raise that one I'll just keep buying that variety as pellets.
Part of the appeal of a lager is that my ancestors were doing this several hundred years ago, with simpler materials and ingredients than are now available. Call brewing an "applied genealogy" hobby.
Although I'm realistic about the limits of what I can do for myself, I was inspired to raise my own hops when I visited a historic German/American village near my home. So I bought a small plant from a Michigan farm that specializes in hops. The seller warned me that I chose the most demanding variety (Hallertau Mittelfruh). But if I can't raise that one I'll just keep buying that variety as pellets.
Part of the appeal of a lager is that my ancestors were doing this several hundred years ago, with simpler materials and ingredients than are now available. Call brewing an "applied genealogy" hobby.
Finn Berger
Brewer
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2022
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 30
Traditions are nice. I'm a Norwegian, and am mighty impressed by the work Lars Marius Garshol has done to gather yeast (kveik) and brewing traditions from farms. It would have been very sad to lose that heritage, which we probably would have done had he not taken the task upon himself.
I don't like the traditional farm beer much, though, and I do not brew with kveik, as I find it gives a certain taste I just can't stomach. It's just nice to know it's there. And I don't think you would have liked the beer your ancestors brewed, either. It must have been very different fram modern lagers. But if you'd like to have a go at it, I think the book by Andreas Krenmair, "Historic German and Austrian Beers for the Home Brewer", is a good source of knowledge and recipies. (You may already know it, of course. .) And also Brad has a podcast with him: https://beersmith.com/blog/2020/07/30/vienna-lager-with-andreas-krennmair-beersmith-podcast-219/ As all of Brad's podcasts it's very much worth listening to.
. I'm a Norwegian, and am mighty impressed by the work Lars Marius Garshol has done to gather yeast (kveik) and brewing traditions from farms. It would have been very sad to lose that heritage, which we probably would have done had he not taken the task upon himself.I don't like the traditional farm beer much, though, and I do not brew with kveik, as I find it gives a certain taste I just can't stomach
. It's just nice to know it's there. And I don't think you would have liked the beer your ancestors brewed, either. It must have been very different fram modern lagers. But if you'd like to have a go at it, I think the book by Andreas Krenmair, "Historic German and Austrian Beers for the Home Brewer", is a good source of knowledge and recipies. (You may already know it, of course. .) And also Brad has a podcast with him: https://beersmith.com/blog/2020/07/30/vienna-lager-with-andreas-krennmair-beersmith-podcast-219/ As all of Brad's podcasts it's very much worth listening to.