Pale Lager Beer
- 4 lb. pale malt
- 2 lb. white sugar
- 1 lb. demerara sugar
- 2 tablespoonfuls black treacle
- 3 oz. hops
- 1 small level teaspoonful salt
- ½ oz. citric acid
- lager yeast - nutrient
Bring seven quarts water to 150°F. Pour into polythene pail and add the malt at once. Put in immersion heater, cover with sheet polythene as directed and wrap vessel in blanket to conserve warmth. Switch on heater and maintain mash at 145° -150°F for eight hours. You may try the starch test at this stage if you want to.
Strain the mash into boiler and add the salt and two ounces of hops. Bring to boil and simmer for forty minutes. Add remaining hops and simmer for a further ten minutes.
Put both sugars, treacle and citric acid into the fermenting vessel and strain mash on to it through fine muslin. Make up to four gallons with boiling water and allow to cool to 65° - 70°F. Add yeast and nutrient, cover with sheet polythene as directed and leave to ferment for six-eight days.
If using hydrometer, take readings after six days until 1.005 is recorded and then bottle. If hydrometer is not being used, merely allow fermentation to go on until beer becomes ‘flat’ and then prime - add sugar to recommence fermentation - and then bottle.
If draught beer of this sort is wanted, merely allow fermentation to go on until beer goes ‘flat’ and then bottle.
May be used a week or so after clearing, but better if kept for three weeks or more before being used.