🍺 Top-down Brew: American Light Lager

Recipe Variables

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Variations

For steeped grains plus malt extract:

  • Delete the Pilsner and flaked corn malt lines.
  • For liquid malt extract, add sugar: Liquid Pilsner (light) malt extract, 80, 5, 76 and sugar: corn sugar, 20, 1, 80
  • For dry malt extract, add sugar: Dry Pilsner (light) malt extract, 80, 3.5, 96 and sugar: corn sugar, 20, 1, 80

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Results

Notes

BJCP 1A American Light Lager: "Two- or six-row barley with up to 40% rice or corn as adjuncts. Additional enzymes can further lighten the body and lower carbohydrates. Lager yeast. Negligible hops."

Vital Statistics: IBU: 8 - 12, SRM: 2 - 3, OG 1.028 - 1.040, FG: 0.998 - 1.008, ABV: 2.8% - 4.2%

The base malt should be pilsner malt, American two-row, or a combination of these. Adjunct grains are typically corn or rice for about 20% of the grain bill, altough this proportion of the grist can go up to 40%. Specialty malts such as Vienna, Munich, Carapils, Carahell, or crystal 10L should be little (5%) to none. Acid malt might be needed for pH adjustments.

The mashing goal should be to produce a very fermentable wort. Ashton Lewis recommends treating RO water with calcium chloride and step mashing at 122F (50C) and 140 to 145F (60 to 63C), then 158F. The entire mash is two hours. Two experts interviewed by BYO do cereal mashes (important for non-flaked corn or rice) at either 146 or 158F (63 or 70C) followed by a mash out.

The top hop choices are from the classic noble hop family: Hallertau, Saaz, etc. American hops like Mount Hood and Liberty are possibilities. Most recipes have a main bittering addition and a relatively modest late boil addition or two for aroma and flavor.

Lager yeasts used in pilsner-type beers are recommended. The most popular choices are White Labs American Lager and Fermentis lager strains (S-189, W-34/70, and S-23).

See also the American lager style for a similar, but higher gravity recipe.

Sources

Beer-analytics.com: American Light Lager

Lewis, A. Brewing light lagers. BYO.com

Raspuzzi, D. Brewing light American lagers. BYO.com