Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

339: Ashleigh Carter, Jeff Bagby, and Ryan Brooks Dissect Mexican Lager and More

Jan 12, 2024

Prominent lager brewers Ashleigh Carter, Ryan Brooks, and Jeff Bagby discuss Mexican and dark lagers, brewing challenges, gear and process priorities, water impact, yeast selection, natural carbonation, brewing with corn, and building color without intense malt flavor.

01:02:04

Creator website

Episode guests

Ryan Brooks

Ashleigh Carter

Jeff Bagby

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Corn should be used in moderation as an adjunct in lagers to avoid overpowering the beer.

Water quality, yeast health, fermentation temperature, and ingredient selection are crucial for producing high-quality lagers.

Different approaches can be taken when brewing dark lagers, such as European-inspired or Mexican dark lagers, which involve varying ingredients, yeast strains, and water profiles.

Deep dives

The Use of Corn in Lager Brewing

Corn is often used as an adjunct in lagers, but it should be used in moderation to avoid overpowering the beer.

Introduction

3min

Crafting Authentic Mexican Lagers

12min

Sponsor Ads and Designing a Brewhouse for Lager Brewing

2min

Key Elements for Making Great Beer

17min

Characteristics of Augustiner yeast and managing sulfur in fermentation process

3min

Fermentation Process and Yeast Health

14min

Brewing Dark Lagers: Techniques and Styles

9min

Discussion on Lager brewing and promotion of various beer-related sponsors

3min

This week’s episode is a panel discussion on lager brewing, recorded in front of a live audience late one night on the patio of Cerveza Fauna after a full day of judging for the Copa Baja beer festival in Mexicali, Mexico, in late 2023. Joining the discussion are three prominent lager brewers—Ashleigh Carter of Denver’s Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Ryan Brooks of San Diego’s SouthNorte, and Jeff Bagby (who, earlier this week announced that he was joining Green Cheek Beer as they acquire Bagby’s brewery in Oceanside, California).

The location in Mexico provides the perfect backdrop for diving into Mexican, Mexican-style, and adjunct lagers, and the discussion also focuses on dark lagers. Along the way, they cover creative and technical points such as:

the challenge of brewing great lager in smaller batch sizes
understanding other brewers’ commercial approaches through lab analysis
priorities for gear and process
techniques for brewing better lager on systems designed for single-infusion ale
understanding the impact of water on lager brewing
selecting yeast for Mexican-style lager
approaches to natural carbonation
brewing with corn via cereal mash versus pre-gelatinized products
making specialty beer with popcorn
clever approaches to building color without intense dark malt flavor

And more.

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