Brewing a Vienna lager at home

What a Vienna lager is

Vienna lager was developed in Austria in the 19th century and later found a lasting home in Mexico. The BJCP describes it as a moderate strength amber lager with a soft, elegant malt complexity and a dry finish. Typical numbers are an original gravity of 1.048 to 1.055, a final gravity of 1.010 to 1.014, 4.7 to 5.5% ABV and 18 to 30 IBU.

It should taste of lightly toasted bread and gentle malt sweetness, balanced by enough bitterness to finish clean. It is not a caramel bomb. Too much crystal malt is the most common fault in homebrewed versions. If you have brewed a pale lager, our guide to brewing a lager at home covers the basics this style builds on.

A 20 litre recipe

For a 20 litre batch at about 72% efficiency, aiming for an OG near 1.052:

• 3.5 kg Vienna malt (70%)
• 1.0 kg Pilsner malt (20%)
• 0.35 kg Munich malt (7%)
• 0.15 kg light caramel malt, such as CARAMUNICH I (3%)

Hops: a German noble type such as Hallertau Mittelfrüh or Tettnang at 60 minutes to reach about 22 IBU, with a small addition at 15 minutes. Keep hop aroma low. The malt is the point.

Vienna malt is kilned a little darker than Pilsner malt, which gives the amber colour and toasty depth. It has enough enzymes to convert itself, so a high share is no problem.

Imported malt is the main cost and the main risk in India. Buy it fresh, keep the sack sealed and store it somewhere cool and dry. Malt that picks up moisture in the monsoon loses its crunch and its toasty character. Mill it on brew day if you can.

Mash and water

A single infusion mash at 65 to 66 °C for 60 minutes gives the balance of body and dryness the style needs. Traditional brewers often used decoction mashing to deepen malt character. With modern, well-modified malt a single infusion works well. A decoction is an option if you want to experiment.

Vienna lager suits moderate water. Very soft water can taste thin. Very hard borewell water can make the beer taste harsh with amber malts. If your local water is extremely hard, blend it with RO or packaged water to about half strength.

Lager yeast needs cold

Use a clean lager yeast such as a German strain like W-34/70. Lagers need more yeast than ales. Two 11 g packets of dried lager yeast, rehydrated, is a sensible pitch for 20 litres at this gravity. Pitch at 9 to 10 °C and ferment at 10 to 12 °C.

When the gravity is about two thirds of the way to finished, let the beer rise to 16 to 18 °C for two or three days. This diacetyl rest lets the yeast clean up the buttery compound it makes during fermentation. Then cool slowly to 0 to 2 °C and lager for four to six weeks.

That schedule needs a fridge with a temperature controller. In India there is no way around it. Ambient temperatures are far above lager range for most of the year. If you do not have one yet, our guide to brewing a Kolsch without a lager fridge gives you a crisp, clean beer while you save up.

Patience in the cold

Lagering is where Vienna lager gets its polish. Weeks near freezing let yeast and haze settle, sulphur fade and flavours round out. Rushing it gives a beer that tastes green. Carbonate to about 2.4 to 2.6 volumes and serve at 6 to 8 °C.

It pairs well with grilled and smoky food. Tandoori dishes and kebabs suit its toasty malt and clean finish. Our guide to brewing a rice lager with Indian rice covers a lighter lager for hot afternoons.

Lagers reward process

A simple recipe does not make a lager easy. Fermentation temperature, pitch rate and lagering time decide everything. Every fault shows in a clean beer. Learning to run that process reliably is the core of good lager brewing. It is also where most homebrewers stall.

Your first step: check that your fridge and controller can hold 10 °C steadily for a full week before you brew. Log the temperature morning and evening with a probe thermometer.