A crispy rice lager with a dry finish and clean malty aroma and minimal hop character.

Rice lagers trace their origins to Japan in the late 19th century, when German brewers introduced lager brewing techniques. Local brewers adapted these methods by incorporating rice alongside malted barley. The goal was to create a lighter, crisper beer suited to Japanese taste. This approach spread across Asia and influenced international brewing, with major Japanese breweries refining the style throughout the 20th century.

A rice lager is a pale, highly attenuated lager brewed with a portion of rice in the grist. The rice contributes fermentable sugars without adding heaviness, resulting in a clean, dry finish. The style is defined by light body, subtle malt sweetness, restrained bitterness, and high drinkability.

Vitals

Original Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity: 1.007
IBU (Tinseth): 18
BU/GU: 0.41
Colour: 5.3 EBC 

ABV: 4.9%
72% efficiency
Batch Volume: 23 L
Boil Time: 60 min

Mash Water: 17.6 L
Sparge Water: 13.79 L
Total Water: 31.39 L
Boil Volume: 28 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.040

Mash

Sacc Rest — 66 °C — 60 min
Mash Out — 75 °C — 15 min

Malts (4.7 kg)

3.2 kg (68.1%) — Weyermann Pilsner — Grain — 3.3 EBC
1.5 kg (31.9%) — Blue Lake Milling Rice, Flaked — Grain — 2 EBC

Hops (20 g)

20 g (18 IBU) — Perle 8% — Boil — 60 min

Miscs

2.2 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Mash
0.73 g — Epsom Salt (MgSO4) — Mash
2.57 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Mash
1 ml — Phosphoric Acid 85% — Mash
0.7 ml — Phosphoric Acid 85% — Sparge
1 items — Whirlfloc — Boil — 15 min

Yeast

2 pkg — Fermentis S-189 SafLager German Lager 84%
2 pkg - Lallemand (LalBrew) Diamond Lager
1 pkg - Lallemand (LalBrew) NovaLager
2 pkg - Cellar Science German
2 pkg - Saflager W-34/70
2 pkg - Bluestone Frieburg

Fermentation

Pitching Temp — 11 °C — 1 days
Main Ferment — 12 °C — 6 days
Main Ferment — 14 °C — 3 days
Diacetyl Rest — 18 °C — 2 days

Carbonation: 2.7 CO2-vol

Water Profile

Ca2+: 39
Mg2+: 2
Na+: 8
Cl-: 38
SO42-: 56
HCO3-: 16

If you are milling your own grain ensure the flaked rice doesn’t get milled. These are already processed and can lead to a stuck mash/sparge.