problem with my extract bock

hopsalot · 11-19-2007, 06:58 PM

I brewed an extract bock, the brew kit was from Brewers Best, and I am sorry but I do not remember the kind of yeast it is, although I am finding out that recording every peice of information you can is crucial in beer brewing. It probably was ale yeast seeing that the kit said nothing about being lagered, but here is the problem I have been lagering it for 2 weeks now(after finding out on-line that a bock is a lager and should be lagered). Will this ruin my beer, it is a 50 degrees F, is the yeast going to react at this temp, should I take the carboy out of the fridge immediately or leave it in?

Scimmia · 11-19-2007, 07:10 PM

Well, if it is an ale yeast, it'll go dormant at those temps and not finish your fermentation. Has your SG been going down while it's been in the fridge?

**Yooper** · 11-19-2007, 07:22 PM

Did you have it at 50 degrees the whole time, or after you finished fermentation? Regardless, you don't need to lager ales. 50 degrees is fermentation temperature for lager yeasts, with 34 degrees or so being the temperature you lager at. If you used ale yeast, you should ferment at around 66-68 degrees until done. 50 degrees really isn't a good temperature for storage or for lagering, though.

If it's not done fermenting, just bring it to room temperature and leave it. If it's done, you can bottle it.

You can always "cold condition" ales, too, but I usually do that in the bottle after they are carbed up.

hopsalot · 11-19-2007, 07:26 PM

thanks brew meisters

old_townie · 11-20-2007, 01:16 PM

I'm enjoying a bottle of the Brewer's Best Bock right now.
I have found that Ales are almost idiotproof. I think this is one of the reason most of the "boxed" kits are ales.
Lagers tend to be more cranky.

Let that bock condition in the bottle for at least 3 weeks....

Chad · 11-20-2007, 02:16 PM

Just out of curiosity, don't Brewer's Best kits come with everything needed to make the beer? I haven't make a kit from them, but I'd have to assume that if you bought a bock kit, it would come with appropriate, i.e. lager, yeast (or at least an ale yeast that tolerates lower temperatures well).

Or am I being too logical again?

Chad