Lager

We’ve been working on this one for a while. The idea was to create an authentic Oktoberfest style Märzen, but in an accessible fashion. Traditional Märzen beers are fermented like a lager at a consistent 10°C, and then aged (lagered) at 0°C for months before being consumed. This process requires equipment, storage space, and patience (:p) that not all of our fellow homebrewers possess. The goal was to make an authentic tasting Märzen recipe that can be brewed at room temperature and be enjoyed in a shorter time. And, we ah, nailed it – this one is a winner.

The weather is about to warm up, and that means it is officially lager season! But alas, despite being the ideal time to drink lagers, spring and summer are never good times to make lagers. It is too damn hot! Lagers traditionally need to be fermented at 10-14°C for weeks at a time. Slight deviations from that can have profound consequences on the taste of the beer.

Well, here comes Escarpment Labs to the rescue! They have developed a special strain of yeast that is designed to make clean, lager like beers that are meant to be fermented in warmer temperature. The KRISPY strain should be fermented between 20-30°C – which is perfect for the spring and summer!

Knocking down walls, building desks, laying floor, and building new rooms is hot and sweaty work. For the last couple of months behind the scenes, we (Adrian) have been knee deep in renovations. One thing that quenches your thirst after some hard manual labour is a cold glass of beer. This month’s beer is the epitome of that philosophy.

Named after our brand-new mill room, which is made from beautiful re-claimed hemlock beams – Hemlock Mill Kölsch is an extremely easy drinking Kölsch. It is well balanced, with a light honey sweetness that makes it super crushable. It is hopped just enough for balance and a bit of fruit character.

Lagers get a bad rap from a lot of the craft brewing community. We get it, they taste thin and lack the complexity of craft beer. All that being said, they are really hard to make at home! Check out our easy to make, crisp recipe for the month of October!