Lager Harder with Bierstadt Lagerhaus

Five years ago at Craft Beer & Brewing, we produced one of our earliest and most-watched video courses: The Secrets to Brewing Great Lagers with Bierstadt Lagerhaus, taught by Bierstadt brewers and cofounders Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye. Back then, their lager-focused brewery was a rare unicorn, with plenty of skeptics that such a business could stay afloat amid the sea of IPA. And yet, among small breweries in North America, Old World–inspired lager has only gained steam since then, and it’s hard to understate Bierstadt’s influence on that ongoing evolution. So, when Carter and Eye said they wanted to return as instructors, and go deeper on their processes and lager-brewing philosophies, we didn’t hesitate. 

In this course, the Bierstadt cofounders discuss: 

• why and how they decoct
• mashing for higher attenuation
• the beauty of first-wort hopping
• boiling to eliminate DMS
• the when and why of kettle hop additions
• how they do dark lagers differently
• considerations for water profile
• how they whirlpool and knockout
• getting the fermentation right
• why you want a cold liquor tank
• yeast choice and fermentation temps
• watching your dissolved oxygen
• filtration and packagaing
• the importance of proper service

And much more.