lagers as ales

bwookie · 01-01-2012, 04:25 PM

I picked up a rauchbier kit from brewers best cuz I wanted to try something I've never had. Realized when I got home that its a lager recipe and my capabilities/equipment won't let me do that. The instructions say it can be done as an ale for fermenting.....

The way it says is to ferment is 2 weeks then rack to secondary and go another week or two (not worrying about cooling too much as if it were a lager) . Is that necessary? Or could I leave it in the primary for longer? Or just bottle after 2-3 weeks as a normal ale?

Thanks!

boo boo · 01-01-2012, 04:35 PM

I would probably change the yeast over to an ale yeast, not knowing what type of yeast you have and if it would make any difference in a Rauchbier or not.
I like to do ales with ale yeast and lagers with lager yeast even though sometimes it may not mean much to use a lager yeast in a ale for a certain type.

**noodle23** · 01-01-2012, 04:43 PM

I would stick with there time tables. Just give it a good stir every once in a while in the primary. It should be fun to see how it turns out. experimenting can be quite fun.

**Yooper** · 01-01-2012, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boo boo

I would probably change the yeast over to an ale yeast, not knowing what type of yeast you have and if it would make any difference in a Rauchbier or not.
I like to do ales with ale yeast and lagers with lager yeast even though sometimes it may not mean much to use a lager yeast in a ale for a certain type.

I agree with using an ale yeast instead of a lager yeast for the rauchbier. A lager yeast at ale temperatures can taste pretty funky, while a "clean" well attenuating ale yeast fermented at cool room temperature (say 62-64 if you can do it) can be very crisp and lager-like. I'd suggest pacman yeast if you can find it, or nottingham dry yeast.

It can be kept in primary and bottled in 3 weeks-ish.

bwookie · 01-03-2012, 02:06 AM

Ok, I don't remember what the name of the yeast was, saflager somethin I think, already had pitched it so too late to change it now, think stiring the primary will be a good thing to do? And yeah I can get it to 62ish on the temp.

**Stauffbier** · 01-03-2012, 02:29 AM

Do this...
[IMG]

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I made the same mistake as you, so this is how I'm lagering. Ice bath and as many frozen jugs as I can pile on. It stays at a cool 39F..
I swap out frozen water jugs every 12 hours.

bwookie · 01-03-2012, 02:58 AM

Don't you gradually cool it? Or would it be fine to just ice bath it? That's a great idea too!

**Stauffbier** · 01-03-2012, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwookie

Don't you gradually cool it? Or would it be fine to just ice bath it? That's a great idea too!

I did it gradually. I started with the water bath and 2 milk jugs. Every 2 or 3 days I added another jug until I got the mountain you see in the pic. I started this on 12-10-2011...

Oh, and a rolling ice chest works great for transporting jugs back and forth from the freezer...

bwookie · 01-03-2012, 03:19 AM

I like that idea, I'm gonna try it, 5 days in primary so far, ill let it go another 5-10, then ill go secondary and gradually ice bath it.....wish me luck!!

**Stauffbier** · 01-03-2012, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwookie

I like that idea, I'm gonna try it, 5 days in primary so far, ill let it go another 5-10, then ill go secondary and gradually ice bath it.....wish me luck!!

Watch your gravity.. You're going to need to do a Diacetyl Rest towards the end of fermentation. My Oktoberfest in this photo was in the primary for 21 days at about 55F (I did a D-rest at 65F for 2 days when I was about .008 away from FG) then I racked to secondary and started lagering after I hit my FG..