352: Chris Lohring of Notch Wants You to Brew More Distinctive Lager Notch Brewing’s (https://www.notchbrewing.com) Chris Lohring loves that more craft brewers are embracing lager, but he has some strong opinions about the best way to brew lager beer.
“Crispy boys don’t exist, lagers aren’t dry,” he says. “Clean lager yeast is boring to me.”
Refinement and distinction are his goals, not minimalism, and he uses all the tools in the brewer’s toolbox to achieve them, adjusting mash schedules and malt bills to build body in low-ABV beers, moving lager mid-fermentation from quasi-open fermenters to conical fermenters before later moving to horizontal lagering tanks, reducing and timing decoction to fit the goals of individual beers, and considering the impact of mash rests on fermentability, among many other things. It’s not one thing, after all, that makes a lager distinct—in his worlds, “there’s no magic bullet.”
In this episode, Lohring discusses:
Why Czech pale lager is a category not a style
How variable processes in the cellar lead to different expressions of diacetyl
Manipulating a mash schedule to build body and character with more expressive lager yeasts
What decoction does and doesn’t do for lagers
Using small percentages of crystal male in Czech pale lager
Fermenting with no head pressure and skimming to optimize flavor and hop character
The difference in cerné pivo and tmavy pivo
Using American hops in Czech-style lager
And more.
This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): At G&D Chillers they always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with them as you Build Great Beer. Choose G&D Chillers on your next Expansion or Brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote control and Monitoring of your new G&D Chiller!
ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) “ProBrew is changing the game at this year’s CBC in Las Vegas. Visit go.probrew.com/CBC24 or contact us at contactus@probrew.com to schedule time with one of our subject matter experts at Booth #1783 at this year’s show.”
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer)
Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Streamline efficiency with Omega Yeast’s Diacetyl Knock Out series. The DKO series is comprised of 8 familiar yeast strains engineered to knock out the formation of diacetyl before it starts. The strains you know, now better. Contact Omega Yeast today at omegayeast.com.
ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com). ABS Commercial are proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and preventative maintenance parts to brewers across the country as well as equipment for distilling, cider-making, wine-making, and more! Contact them today at sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs.
Ss Brewtech (https://SsBrewtech.com). Ss Brewtech was founded by a group of home and craft beer brewers, dedicated to bringing an engineering-first approach to brewery equipment. Ss brewhouses are used to formulate new beer recipes at some of the world's greatest breweries. To learn more, head over to SsBrewtech.com
US Water Systems (https://uswatersystems.com): Depending upon the city and day, water quality can vary 40% to 50%. The best method is to start with the same water every time and Reverse Osmosis gives you that power. Visit USWaterSystems.com (https://uswatersystems.com) for a free expert analysis.
Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast (https://spiritsanddistilling.com/podcasts/): If you’re a distiller or curious about it, check out the Craft Spirits & Distilling podcast. Click on the link and subscribe from your favorite podcast platform.
https://beerandbrewing.fireside.fm/352