Lager by any other name
It’s back again. Today is national Lager day. It’s time to celebrate everyone’s favorite bottom fermented Malt beverage. Most people, simply, call it beer. And, that’s fine. lager by any other name is still lager. Unfortunately, many “beer” drinkers don’t even know they’re drinking lager. And, anything that doesn’t look, smell or taste like Coor’s, Bud, or Miller isn’t beer. Well, actually they’re all beer. But, lager is just the most popular beer in the world. And, believe it or not, it comes in a much wider variety than what you see at sporting events. The pale golden stuff gathers the masses. But, Lager is a brewing method that extends far beyond. Pilsner, Bock, helles, Schwarzbier, Kolsch, Dunkel, and more are examples of lager based brewing. And, microbreweries are pushing the boundaries of lager every day.
We did enough complaining about American Lager in a recent post where we looked at the history of the Sex in a canoe variety of lager that the world makes fun of, but flocks to as far as sales are concerned. The problem with this iteration of beer is that it’s marketed to the lowest common denominator. It’s an introductory beer to get young drinkers into the genre. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t graduate to better beers. Perhaps, today could be that day. Take a few baby steps. Try a Pilsner or Helles, and expand those horizons. These use the same cold fermentation process, with different ingredients and emphasis on differing characteristics. The key factor in lagering is the colder fermentation temperatures, and time taken from brewing to drinking.
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Lager by any other name is aged to “perfection”
Lager has a long, sometimes contested, history. As the names of lager style beers implies, it harks back to Germanic AKA Bavarian roots. The strains of yeast marked the transition from Ale to lager. Ale employs top fermenting yeast at room temperature to produce some of the finest beverages in the world. But, warmer temperatures also pose a threat to the brewing. Micro-organisms flourish at moderate temperatures as well as yeast. According to beer historians, that’s what happened to push Bavarian and Bohemian brewers toward lagering. The story goes that wild yeast strains altered some ales. And, new yeast strains like Saccharomyces eubayanus and a hybrid Saccharomyces pastorianus proved beneficial in controlling this when used at lower temperatures.
Mind you, we’re talking 13th to 16th century Europe where these strains came into use. So, it’s not like they knew what they were working with on a biological level. Microbiology didn’t become a science until the mid to late 19th century. What the brewers did understand at the time was the importance of cold brewing. They actually brought their brews to mountain cave to store in ice over the summer months. The result was a super clarified brew with exceptional carbonation.
The original brews were darker than the golden color we know today. That color became the standard with Pilsner Urquel in the 1840’s. And, at that time, the majority of Bavarian and Bohemian brewers transitioned from top fermented ales to bottom fermented lagers brewed at colder temperatures. They went from 32% of less than 500 breweries producing lager to 97% of almost 900 dedicated to lager. The clarity, smoothness, and control over wild yeasts sealed the deal. And, lager began it’s ascent to top usage world wide. Especially once it immigrated to America around the same time.
A challenge to home brewers
To beginner and intermediate home-brewers, lagering is a challenge. It requires more precision in temperature controls and processing. This requires more specialized equipment, like wort chillers, and the like. In a way, it’s a bit ironic that lager is a cheaper brew than most ales. But, it requires a bigger investment and attention to detail. Ale brewing requires less muss and fuss. You can stick your carboy in a closet and forget about it for a couple weeks. There is no need for refrigeration. And, it actually takes less time because the yeast is more active at higher temperatures.
And, some artisan brewers are actually embracing some of the so called “flaws” in ale brewing. Those “wild” yeast strains that ruined beers, leading to lager are now celebrated, especially in barrel aged brews. But, that doesn’t mean they’ve given up on bottom fermenting. Lager was a happy accident. Likewise, some of the new experimental brews are, too. And, lagers are a frontier for experimentation too. So, you’ll see fruit based and other iterations of lagers, sours, and Lambics on many micro-brew menus these days. But, remember, lager by any other name is still lager. And, with modern refrigeration, we can do so much more than the original brewers hoisting kegs to the mountaintops of Bavaria.
Perfect for a mountaintop Yodel
We thick of Lager as cool, crisp and refreshing. That is also how some describe mountain living. But, you wouldn’t necessarily want a cool crisp drink when it’s 20 below zero. It seems more like something you want on a hot summer day. That’s why it’s important to try different variation of lager. Even Guinness Stout is a lager base. Again, it’s not about the golden color. We’ve been conditioned to think of lager as Budweiser and it’s kin. So, your assignment for today is to try some new forms of beer without straying from your beloved lager base.
here is a partial list of lager styles to peruse, thanks to https://www.beermonthclub.com/beer-style-guide-lagers:
- European All-malt Pilsener
- German Pilsner
- Bohemian Pilsner
- European-Style Pilsener
- German Licht
- Munchener Helles
- American Lager
- American Light Lager
- American Premium Lager
- American Malt Liquor
- American Amber Lager
- American Dark Lager
Or , just go to your local brewpub and try what’s on tap. Today is a pretty easy day to celebrate. lagers are so ubiquitous, you probably have some in your fridge. So, what are you waiting for? Start drinking. But, don’t forget to eat something. And, don’t drink and drive. A lager by any other name is still beer. And, we don’t want you or anyone else getting hurt or in trouble.
So, here are some lager friendly recipes:
Caramelized Onion and Wild Mushroom Calzone with Vegan Cheese and Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Typo 00 flour
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 TBSP Yeast
- 2 TBSP Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil
- For Onions and Mushrooms:
- 4 Cups Thin Sliced Sweet Onions
- 3 Cups Sliced Assorted Wild Mushrooms
- 1/4 Cup Sherry
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1 tsp Truffle Oil (optional)
- 2 Cups Vegan Pizza Cheese
- Olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- For sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Sweet Onion
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 Cup Red Wine
- 1 Cup Roasted Red Pepper
- 1 Cup Ground Tomato
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil
- 1 tsp Chopped Oregano (fresh or dried)
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Almonds
- olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the Romesco Sauce: Saute the onion and garlic over medium high heat in a thin layer of olive oil until translucent. Add red wine and reduce by 1/2. Then add the remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and taper back to a simmer. Cook down until it is about half the original volume. Add more stock or water if it is too thick. Add seasoning and Blend until semi smooth.
- While the sauce is Cooking, Cook the onions in olive oil. Start at high heat to get some color, then drop down to medium. Allow the onions to caramelize slowly, stirring as needed to prevent burning. When they have a golden brown color, add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook until soft. Then, add the sherry and increase the temperature. Burn off the alcohol, and cook off the extra liquid. You want it as dry as possible to prevent soggy dough. Season and add the thyme. Set aside to cool.
- While those 2 are cooking, make the dough. Or you can make all the ingredients ahead of time to assemble on the day of service. For the dough, Put the sugar, yeast, and water the bowl of a mixer. make sure the water is warm, not hot. Stir in the yeast and allow it to bloom about 10 minutes. Then, add the remaining ingredients and use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough. You may need to scrape the sides to aid the dough in forming. When it takes shape, remove the bowl from the mixer. Coat the dough with Olive oil and cover. Allow it to rest about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 550
- While the dough is resting, fold vegan pizza cheese into the onion and mushroom mixture. Also, add a touch of truffle oil if you want to boost the flavor.
- Roll out the dough, preferably by hand into a long Wide rectangle. You could also do smaller pieces of dough for multiple smaller calzones. Place the filling down the middle of the dough and paint the edges with olive oil. Roll the calzone up like a cigar. Fold the ends over to keep the filling inside. Poke a couple small holes in the top, to allow steam to escape.
- Preheat a pizza stone or an inverted sheet pan in the oven. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan or stone to prevent sticking. Place the calzone on the stone or pan and brush with olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until perfectly browned,
- Remove the calzone to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then cut it into manageable pieces. Serve with heated romesco sauce on the side.
Notes
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Beer Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp combined spices: onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper
- 1 cup Kentucky bourbon barrel beer (you can use the whole bottle if you want, but, I'd save some to drink while you are cooking)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup mozarella cheese
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a heavy bottom pot. Stir in flour and spices. Cook over low to medium heat for about a minute, stirring to keep from scorching.
- Add the beer and bring to a boil. Whisk frequently to blend. Then add the cream. Bring back to a boil and continue whisking.
- Ad in the cheese and whisk until it is all melted and blended smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Serve hot with pretzels, bread, vegetables, and/or fruits like grapes or Green apples.
Oatmeal Stout Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Oats, not instant, plus extra for topping the bread
- 2 Cups Wheat Flour
- 1/2 Cup Bread or AP Flour
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Molasses
- 1 Tbsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 12 oz Stout beer, Oatmeal stout works best, but others will do.
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Stick European style butter for brushing the pan and top of bread.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Whisk together all wet ingredients: Stout, vanilla, melted butter, sour cream, and molasses.
- Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients in the middle, then knead them together. The final dough will resemble cake batter.
- Brush a 9×5 bread pan or a 9 inch cake pan with some melted butter. Pour in the batter. Brush the top with more butter, and sprinkle oats on top.
- bake at 400 for about 45 minutes. test that it is done by sticking a toothpick in. If it comes out dry, it's done.
Cheers!