The idea of crisp, pale lagers may have roots in 19th century Bohemia, but lager beer is far older and richly complex. Since Pilsner beer took the world by storm, lager beer has become a household term and a commercial behemoth before taking root among homebrewers and craft brewers.
Modern Lager Beer is an exploration of the world of lager beers, their historical origins, and the detailed development and techniques used in their production today. Explore the Bavarian and Bohemian origins followed by an examination of the many significant ways that the modern perception of lager styles has been shaped by a myriad of techniques used to produce them. Many of the traditional methods once employed in the production of lager beer can be used today by the savvy brewer to create unique and delicious lager beers. Insight from many of today's modern brewers, along with traditional beers that have inspired them, will highlight the interesting ways that lager brewers borrow from these traditions in search of creating their own unique expressions of lager.
Modern Lager Beer is filled with practical methods, processes, culture, and recipes from some of the world's greatest lager craft breweries. From the smallest details of decoction programs to philosophies of fermentation tank geometry, as much as possible of the minutiae of the world's most popular beer category is explored.
Tap into Modern Lager Beer and explore:
29 Recipes: Craft brewery's best lagers, including a variety of styles: adjunct pale lagers, German-inspired pale lagers, Czech-inspired pale lagers, copper to brown lagers, strong pale lagers, dark and/or strong lagers, nouveau lagers, and smoked lagers
Ingredients: Lager yeast, malt, adjuncts, water, hops
Fermentation: Historical and modern methods, harvesting and repitching yeast, lagering
Decoction: Methods for triple, double, single, and simplified decoction mashing
Traditional Techniques: Kellerbier, wood barrels, open fermentation, coolships, cold break, biological acidification, steinbeer
Future of Lager Brewing: Ingredients, Landbier, wood-aged, serving lager
For Homebrewers: Lagering techniques, decoction methods, step-infusion process
Author Biography:
Jack Hendler is founder and co-owner of the award-winning Jack's Abby Craft Lagers located in Framingham, MA. Following years of hands-on experience and a degree in brewing from the Siebel Institute in Chicago and Doeman's in Munich, Jack opened Jack's Abby Brewing in 2011 with his brothers, Eric and Sam. Inspired by his education and travel in Germany, Jack's Abby brews lagers, and only lagers. The brewery has since grown to be one of the largest breweries in the state and remains family owned and operated. Jack lives in Framingham, MA with his wife and children.
Joe Connolly is the Sales Director for Jack's Abby Craft Lagers. Since joining the beverage industry in 2007, he has developed a passion for beer education and its importance for the brewing industry. As a founding team member, Joe has helped define the brand and establish the core values of community, education, experimentation, and fun. A Boston University graduate, Joe combines his passion for writing, travel, and beer production to co-write Modern Lager Beer with Jack Hendler. Between pints of lager, you can find him exploring wild places with his wife, son and dog. Joe resides in Waltham, MA.
