Maibock Always lagered?

I would like to make a Miabock, but they all seem to be lagers. I don’t have the capability to lager and was wondering if there is a way to make a Maibock Ale? Thank you.

I would use Wyeast 1007 German ale yeast and ferment it at 60° or less if you can.

Just an idea, but you could use Wyeast 2112 California lager if you can keep your fermentation temps between 58-64F. It makes a decent lager at those temps. You could ferment for 2-3weeks. Bottle carb at room temps for 2 weeks. Then put your bottles in the fridge to lager in the bottle for a few weeks.

(I’m assuming you don’t have a fridge to bulk lager)

You don’t have the capability to lager (~32°F), or you don’t have the capability to ferment cool (~50°F)? You can both ferment and “lager” in the 45-50°F range (in a kegerator, for example) and get good results.

Flytyer, I see you live in Wisconsin. Plenty cold in the winter, I assume. Do you have a basement and/or a garage? If so, you have the ability to make a lager. I make lagers in my basement (around 52oF) all winter. I then lager in my keg fridge or in the garage, depending on space. If it’s cold, you can lager.

:cheers:

I don’t have the room. Basement is consistent 64 degrees f. year round, and the garge is uninsulated and the temp. varies with the weather.
I recently turned the basement fridge into a keggerator when I told the Boss that “I need to fill the holes I drilled in the fridge with something”. It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission. She got a chest freezer out of the deal and my drill is on double secret probation.
At the risk of clarifying what I was trying to say. My understanding of lagering is that it is usually a longer process with a gradual, consistant lowering of the temp. from 55f to 60f down to 35f to 40f. What I was wondering is if there is an ALE yeast that would produce a Maibock Ale or does it always have to be lagered to make it a true Maibock?

Check out NBs Brewing TV, they have a demo of this very thing.

Since your basement is cool, I’d try a swamp cooler (frozen 2 liter bottles in a tub with your fermenter). That should get you another 8-10 degrees, which would hardly be ideal, but 50s would be OK for most lager yeasts.

I’m about to do a Pilsner style beer with the California lager yeast, I’ll be fermenting at about 60 -62. We’ll see if that really tastes like a Pilsner or not.

Brewing a lager consists of, first, fermenting the beer at about 50°F, and second, lagering it at about 32°F. You can transition the temperature gradually, but it’s by no means a requirement.

My advice would be, you want to brew a lager, so brew a lager. Using a swamp cooler in your basement, you should be able to keep the beer <55°F. Then you can move it to the garage to lager (provided it won’t get below ~25°F for more than a few hours at a time). The process isn’t complicated enough to justify compromising by using an ale yeast, IMHO.

This might be what you want:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/grat ... group.html

It’s a clone of Stone’s Dead Guy. It’s delicious. I think they use pacman yeast.

Check out Episode 53: Lager workarounds.

Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager ferments at 45-68 degrees.

Check out Episode 53: Lager workarounds.

Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager ferments at 45-68 degrees.[/quote]

This. It works very well. Watch it.