I shudder every time I hear someone say, “I
only brew in summer”. It is believed that beer has to brew in warm
temperatures, when in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
Maintaining a constant temperature is very important when brewing,
but it’s a fallacy that all beer must brew warm. Lagers & Pilsener for
example, generally brew cold (8 – 15 degrees).
A lot of people that
brew in winter go to great lengths to warm the brew when they could be
using a yeast that is more suited to the colder conditions (lager
yeast).
It is in fact more difficult to produce consistent results
in summer, as in many cases the brew gets too hot resulting in clarity,
taste & head retention problems.
A beer brewed at cold
temperatures tends to have a crisp dry flavour, great head retention,
& clear more consistently without any change in method. There is no
special requirement apart from NOT heating.
There’s a number of
lager style yeasts available in both dry & liquid form. There are a
few beer packs that do supply lager yeast with the can – ask for
advice.
Lager yeast can be used on any style beer pack, & there
are a number of choices available. Keep in mind that a lot of liquid
yeasts are suited to the colder months. |
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