Do you 'lager' a Steam beer

[math]

...or a 'California Common' beer, as certain copyright holders might prefer we called it

So, anyone know - do I need to lager a steam beer?

[duffymoon]

My take would be that if you use lager yeast then lagering will improve it. Not brewed a steam beer though.

[bazookajoe]

I'd have said no lagering, I didn't when making the BOTW one, and the instructions certainly didn't suggest it - and historically it was made without refrigeration, they were just making do with what they had to go with. Wiki says "Steam Beer uses bottom fermenting lager yeasts at ale temperatures, which results in a very distinctive flavor profile that includes both ale and lager characteristics".

[math]

Thanks guys. You're right of course bazookajoe, of course they couldn't have had a means of reaching lagering temperatures, or they wouldn't have been fermenting at those temps in the first place Silly me!

[bazookajoe]

I've been thinking some more on this but from the other direction. I've not brewed a lager or pilsner as I wouldn't have a way to keep brewing temp in the right range. However, would it follow that brewing a lager or pilsner kit at normal temp would create a steam beer? Might have a crack at that.

[math]

Yeah that's the idea - so far as I understand it just comes down to brewing with a lager yeast at ale temperatures. There's a Steam Beer recipe on the Coopers site, though it uses a draught kit with a lager yeast, I guess for a bit more flavour.