I don’t no why we brew anything but Belgians .
By the way Sam , I love that Bradbury quote.
Sorry, should be more careful to not offend. But I’ll admit I never got the appeal of IPAs, or why so many brewers are so fixated on them.[/quote]
Yawn. IPA is fine, but SO IS EVERY OTHER STYLE. That’s what bugs the crap out of me about IPA this and IPA that and IPA all over the place. It’s okay to be tired of IPA. Don’t apologize for it. “They” made us that way.
Yes, I have wondered this myself on occasion. Why indeed.
:cheers:
+1 on Belgians! :cheers:
Yes to Belgians. I have a dark strong that’s about a year and a half old now. I think I’ll open a couple at Thanksgiving.
Yes to lagers too. Drinking my first an Ofest right now. Very good. I thought it was too sweet at first but I think that was because I’d been drinking IPAs all summer. It’s smooth and malty.
Fermenting a Schwartzbier right now. I don’t expect it to be any more boring than the Ofest
There are some boring lagers out there but there are boring porters and stouts too. There are also some awesome lagers. Pilsner Urquell as mentioned above, Kostritzer Schwartsbier, Estrella Damm, Negra Modelo are a couple more I like. All IMHO much more interesting and nuanced than some of the over the top DIPAs my friends rave about.
To the OP, do yourself a favor and research lagers more. You’ll be glad you did.
One thing I think is cool about homebrewing is the way it opens you up to interesting styles, lagers included. My tastes have traditionally skewed towards ales, but I’ve found that researching, brewing, and sharing new styles has gotten me to appreciate them more. As other posters have noted, it can be tough to find good, fresh examples of German lagers, English ales, etc–so you’ve got a huge advantage in being able to make your own!
But since the OP’s question was specifically about lagers, let me throw out the following reasons why they’re worth your time:
–Even if your friends are devoted hop-heads, I guarantee you’ve got people in your life that find big hoppy ales overbearing. In my experience, those folks really appreciate something that is both excellent and accessible.
–Lagers really don’t require that much more time and equipment than ales. If you’ve got a beer fridge, you can make a lager and serve it within six weeks. I’ve heard of people doing it in even less time with a careful fermentation.
–You’ll become a better brewer if you can master the techniques needed to make a good lager. You’ll learn a ton about malt and mashing that will carry over into your ale brewing. What’s more, you’ll end up recognizing the craftsmanship in good commercial examples.
–Lagers encompass a huge range of styles. Some won’t be for you, but many will, and they may not be whatever you can find at your local bottle shop.
I suppose my main point is that it’s difficult to know what you don’t know, but playing around with styles that have been overlooked by the commercial breweries is a great way to find out.
and it seems like it’s the most difficult to perfect in a homebrew… so why bother with lagers?
There is no reward without effort…
My answer to the OP would be, “For the same reason people climb Mt. Everest: Because it’s there…”
To me it’s all in what you like. I can’t imagine a true beer lover not loving a great lager. There are so many out there. This time of year I love sampling all the Oktoberfests. Belgians or IPAs aren’t my favorite, but I respect the work that goes into them and I’m always willing to try a new one.
Professor…didn’t know you were a Firesign Theatre fan, (How can you be in two places at once, when you’re not anywhere at all). By the way…Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers.
Hey if the guy doesn’t like lagers or at least not enough to brew one I can respect that. He should brew what he likes and brew it well. I personally wouldn’t waste my time brewing a fruit beer.
No fruit beers? Not even a Kriek?
Nope
Well, if he’s going to come on here and tell us all how it’s a waste of time to brew lagers, then he’s going to hear about it, see?
[quote=“Shark”]I completely recognize it’s my own dumb opinion, but lager is the worst beer (or less tasty, less interesting), and it seems like it’s the most difficult to perfect in a homebrew… so why bother with lagers?[/quote]I take it the only lager that you’ve tasted is Miller LIte? 
I don’t brew lagers. Just haven’t loved the style enough to put the extra effort/investment in. I have relatively limited time for brewing so I concentrate on my favorite English and Belgian styles. When I want a lager, I buy one. I could see the reverse being true (all lagers, no ales) for somebody with different tastes but the same time constraints I have. I may very well tackle lagers when I retire or my life otherwise becomes less time squeezed.
There are a LOT of good arguments for brewing lagers, so thanks for responding. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a chip on my shoulder or anything, I just didn’t see why people did them as often as they do. I actually didn’t realize some of the beers you guys mentioned were lagers, so there’s that.
My taste is mainly for reds and dark stuff. Maybe I just haven’t had a good lager or variation of it.
I get the challenge of making them. That reason resonates the most with me.
Maybe when I get the proper equipment for temp control, I’ll try it.
Brew on :cheers:
I think a big problem with lagers is that most of us went to craft beers to get as far away as possible as domestic light lagers. I don’t usually brew lagers because I don’t usually drink lagers. I probably drink 10x the amount of ales.
That being said, still try it once or twice. I made a California common a few years back with Wyeast 2112 (California lager). Turned out really nice. Will I make another? Perhaps.
I’m late to the party and this has clearly been covered but the OP sounds like the only lagers he knows are Bud Light or Corona. I agree that there are boring lagers but as Denny mentioned, you have Bocks, Oktoberfest, Viennas, Maibocks, Red Lagers, Helles, Dark Lagers, etc. and there is nothing boring about them. Also, the character you get from various strains of lager yeast cannot be duplicated by ale yeast just as the opposite is true.
I actually try to brew at least 2 light lagers per year for 2 reasons:
- people who only like light lagers drink it and get a kick out of it… as do I when they enjoy it.
- the challenge. Brew one and it will show you where the faults are in your techniques. No hiding flaws with a simple grain bill and very neutral yeast.
To each their own. If you don’t like a style don’t brew it. With that said… don’t critic that style. Its a pet peeve of mine when people knock the quality of a style they don’t like.
To the OP: you like reds? Ever drink Killians?
