Go into any bar or liquor store and ask them what kinds of lagers they have and you’ll likely find many. There are many different lagers to suit any taste. When you make your own home brewed lager, however, you are not confined to what’s available. You can make your own creation and, who knows, you might find that you have a lager that will one day make you lots of money.
Home Brewing Lager Beer
If you are home brewing lager, you must first learn how the process is completed. You can buy home brewing lager kits that include the ingredients for the particular kind of lager you are looking to make, as well as all the equipment you will need. This equipment often consists of a pot and heating element, a thermometer, bottles and a bottle capper so that you can preserve your latest home brewed lager for all your friends to try. You can even give your home brewed lager away as gifts at Christmas or on Birthdays. Home brewed lager can be made to your specification and can be made in any amount you want. That’s the beauty of making your own lager.
When you want to make your own beer, wine or liquor, you often have to make several batches before you get it right. That really goes with anything but it especially goes for making your own beer. Lager, especially, takes a special touch and lots of practice to get right.
What Is Lager
A lager is a dark beer that is heavier than regular beer and has a distinctive taste and is recognized by its high carbonation level and light color, though some modern lager beers are darker in color and may even be black. Many people prefer lager over drinking beer and there are many who would rather make their own lager than suffer through the concoctions available at their local watering hole.
Lager Brewing History
Lager beer, which was first brewed in Germany at least 500 years ago and has since become one of the most popular types of beer in the world. The word lager comes from German and means "to store" and refers to the practice of storing beer at a cold temperature to allow the beer to self-filter. The process of storing lager beer in a cool area results in a clean taste, because certain flavors and particles are removed during the process. Traditionally, the beer is stored in barrels for several weeks or longer before being served. In order to help in the brewing process, the German brewers created a type of yeast that was capable of helping cold beer mature properly. This yeast is still used today to make lager beer and is referred to as bottom-fermenting yeast.
Lager is also a general name that includes several variations or styles. The most common type of lager is the pale lager, and there are many types of beer that fall into this category, including pilsner, helles, and dortmunder export. Most pale lager beers are very light in color and tend to be bland in taste, though modern examples can have a bitter or sweet taste. This difference depends on the water used, the storing process, and other ingredients added to the lager.
Practice Makes It Perfect
As with most things, practice makes perfect. If you don’t get it right the first time, don’t worry. You must try and try again if you hope to perfect your technique. And, if you think about it, home brewing lager is just like cooking and, as any cook will tell you, it’s hard to get any dish right the first time. You must follow the instructions, have patience and try out different techniques if you hope to get your home brewed lager just right.
When you are finished with your home brewed lager and you feel that you have a fairly marketable product, you can invite your friends over for a little taste testing party. You can even home brew several types of lager and have a taste testing party. That way, you can get second opinions on all your creations and you can truly find out which ones are worth brewing a second time and which ones aren’t.
Have fun home brewing your own lager beer and remember practice make perfect especially when brewing beer.
