MikeFlynn74

Recipes 

So I will be biteing the bullet and getting a chest freezer so I can keep my kegs cold and do some lagering.

What temps are normal for lagering? I cant seem to find any real info on this.

Maybe I am not using the ouija search correctly

__________________

Bromley

Recipes 

I believe 34F is the magic number for the lagering process. We push the temp as low as we can without seeing any ice crystals forming. We've had a couple batches get as low as 30F. Of course, your actual fermentation temperature depends on which lager yeast you're using.

__________________

Next Up: American IPA, Bock, Belgian Blond Ale
Primary: Saison
Secondary: Bohemian Pilsener
Bottle Conditioning: Dragon's Milk (100% Maris Otter and Kent Goldings, 1.084) and subsequent small beer, Berliner Weisse
Drinking: Spiced Pumpkin Ale, Maibock, Bourbon Barrel Porter, Hefeweizen, Weizenbock, Kolsch, The Bitter Truth, Altbier, Special Bitter, EF Clone

MikeFlynn74

Recipes 

interesting- and with lagering it takes longer to ferment?

__________________

Yooper

Recipes 

Well, not exactly. You finish the fermentation before you begin the lagering process.

I ferment most of my lagers (depending on the yeast strain) at around 50 degrees until they are finished which might take 10 - 14 days or so. I taste for diacetyl (and John Palmer has a great read on testing for diacetyl in How to Brew) and if I need a diacetyl rest I do one then, or when it's about 75% done fermenting. I usually do NOT need a diacetyl rest, because I pitch cold and let it finish up, and it cleans up the diacetyl just fine, plus some yeasts don't produce much diacetyl. If you need one, though, you can bring it up to room temperature for 48 hours or so to make sure. I think Kaiser talks about this in some of his posts- if you leave it to ferment long enough at 50 degrees, that should also clean up any diacetyl.

After that, I rack to secondary and slowly drop the temp 5 degrees per day until I'm lagering at 34 degrees for about 6 weeks or so.

__________________
Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006

MikeFlynn74

Recipes 

wow- what a pain. Hrmm.

__________________

Yooper

Recipes 

Oh, no it's not a pain at all! I didn't mean to give you that impression. It's just as easy to set it at 50 degrees and leave it alone as it is at 65 degrees for ales!

It's a little more involved, but in a good way. I don't make a ton of lagers, a little because of the "babying" I have to do, and because they aren't my favorite styles, but I enjoy making them and will continue to make them. It's not that bad. They key is to make sure it finishes up before you start lagering, and taste for diacetyl before you lager, too. It's really not much more difficult than a typical ale.

__________________
Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006

Bromley

Recipes 

As the mistress said, it's really not any more involved than an ale. It does require additional equipment that your typical ale brewer might not have on hand. It's alot longer from brewing to drinking also, but worth the wait!

__________________

Next Up: American IPA, Bock, Belgian Blond Ale
Primary: Saison
Secondary: Bohemian Pilsener
Bottle Conditioning: Dragon's Milk (100% Maris Otter and Kent Goldings, 1.084) and subsequent small beer, Berliner Weisse
Drinking: Spiced Pumpkin Ale, Maibock, Bourbon Barrel Porter, Hefeweizen, Weizenbock, Kolsch, The Bitter Truth, Altbier, Special Bitter, EF Clone

Bernie Brewer

Recipes 

It's really not difficult. And you'll be blown away by the results!

__________________
I like to squeeze the nickle until the buffalo craps-mt rob

"Why don't we get drunk and screw?" Jimmy Buffett

MikeFlynn74

Recipes 

What does it do thats so appealing?

__________________

Yooper

Recipes 

Well, the lagers are "smoother" than ales. They tend to be crisp and not fruity like an ale. If there is some fruitiness, it's considered a flaw.

__________________
Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006