447: Building Character in Lagers with 34/70 and Beyond, Presented by Fermentis

Lager brewing requires intentional fermentation management to move beyond simple, clean profiles toward distinct, character-driven expressions. Brewers utilize specific yeast strains like 34/70, S-23, and S-189 to manipulate sulfur levels, ester production, and malt perception. While 34/70 offers a neutral, reliable baseline, varying fermentation temperatures and timing—such as stepping down temperatures for Czech-style lagers or utilizing warmer fermentations for hoppy styles—significantly alters the final sensory profile. Techniques like decoction mashing and krausening in the package further refine body and carbonation, allowing breweries to create unique house signatures using common ingredients. These processes emphasize that lager quality relies less on ingredient variety and more on precise control over fermentation kinetics and post-fermentation conditioning.