Would you rack to the secondary now?

Hello,

I am new to lagers. Two weeks ago today I brewed a Dopplebock (OG 1.084) and pitched two wyeast smack packs. I had an explosive fermentation and it has been in my heated garage at 52 degrees ever since. The blow off tube was switched to an airlock a week ago, and it has been bubbling away since. After 12 days (2 days ago now) I moved it inside to do a diacetyl rest. After 2 weeks I am still getting 5 bubbles a minute or so. I have not taken a gravity reading (I don't like messing with it till I rack) so I dont know exactly where I'm at. Would you either: take a gravity reading, just rack it, or RDWHAHB?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Jeff

RDWHAHB, leave it alone for another two weeks, then rack it to keg/bottles.

I usually do an SG reading before the diacetyl rest- to see if I'm 75% of the way to FG. If you're already done the diacetyl rest, might as well check the SG and rack it now (assuming it's finished) and start the lagering process.

thanks sloop. Would you bring it back to 52 degrees in the garage in the meantime?

Yoop,

I checked the gravity. I'm at 1.026 (need to be at 1.021 to be 75%) and I have a little krausen now that I'm at 70 degrees (it had gone away at 52 degrees). Close enought to rack? Or would you do as Sloop suggests and let it keep going back at 52 degrees?

Jeff

Tetonmtnbiker said:

Yoop,

I checked the gravity. I'm at 1.026 (need to be at 1.021 to be 75%) and I have a little krausen now that I'm at 70 degrees (it had gone away at 52 degrees). Close enought to rack? Or would you do as Sloop suggests and let it keep going back at 52 degrees?

Jeff

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I wouldn't do either. (For the next lager, wait until you're at 75% of the FG before doing the diacetyl rest- it's important that most of the fermentation takes place at the correct fermentation temperature. Some strains don't even require a d-rest).

Don't rack until you're at FG, which may be closer to 1.016-1.018, depending on the yeast strain and the OG.

If you're at 70 degrees now, you might as well keep it there until it finishes. There would be nothing to be gained by yo-yo-ing the temperature up and down. Otherwise, you'd lower the temperature to 52 degrees, then bring it up for the diacetyl rest when it's done, and then rack and lower it again.

Not sure about the temp but I would definitely wait to rack it until it reaches FG.

thanks for the quick responses. I'll quit thinking about it, let it just sit there, and have a beer.

Take Care,
Jeff

Lager fermentations are a bit different than ales. They take longer in primary (as you know!) and are more temperature dependent. Some strains produce quite a bit of sulfur and some don't, some strains are diacetyl bombs, and some aren't. If a large lager starter is pitched at fermentation temperatures, oftentimes a diacetyl rest isn't even needed. If one is done, though, it should be done at the very tail end of fermentation, or after fermentation is finished. If you're not into check SGs, then next time wait until it's finished before attempted a diacetyl rest.

It sounds ok so far, though, so not worrying about it seems like a good idea!