Question: I recently tried and fell in love with the Quinannan Falls Special Lager; however no one where I am located carries it. I know that I can’t get the recipe for this delicious brew, but any information regarding grain bill, hops, etc. would be appreciated so I can try and recreate this at home.
Answer: Start with a base of Pilsner malt and add a touch of Carapils or other dextrin malt for some body. Shoot for a gravity just shy of 1.060.
Hopping is simple – use your favorite American hop for bittering and a flavor addition (60 and 30 minute additions) – shoot for around 50 IBUs.
Ferment with your favorite German lager yeast – something clean.
Dry hop with a moderate amount of Simcoe and a small amount of something noble, like Saaz or Hershbrucker.
That’s it. Ferment cool and lager cold.
- David Curtis, Bell's General Store Manager and resident homebrew expert
This post is a part of an occasional homebrew Q&A series. Bell’s founder and president Larry Bell began brewing his own beer in the late 1970s after working at Sarkozy Bakery in Kalamazoo where he learned about yeast and fermentation. Larry opened his homebrew supply store, Kalamazoo Brewing Co., in 1983, which later became Bell’s Brewery. Homebrewing is still a big part of who we are. This series is an homage to our homebrew origins - one of the ways we give back to the community that helped us get to where we are today. Homebrew equipment and supplies can be purchased online or in person at our General Store.