Cool the beer to lager temp, THEN pitch the yeast?

I was hoping someone can help clear up some confusion I had regarding pitching lager yeast. Can I pitch the lager yeast at room temperature and then cool the wort down to 50 degrees, or should I cool both the wort and the yeast to 50 degrees and then pitch?

Cool it to the temp at which you want to ferment it, then pitch. It may be sluggish at first, but be patient. It will take off, even if it takes several days.

The debate that raises more opinions than the "secondary or no secondary" debate. There are more reasons to cool wort to fermenting temperature and then pitch than there are to pitch in the 70s and then cool, but chilling wort to 50 degrees isn't the easiest road in the world to take. If you can chill to fermentation temperature (no more than 55 degrees) and then pitch, then do that. If you can't, then don't. But cool the wort as much as you can and get it down to fermentation temperature as fast as you can. Off flavors for lagers, including diacetyl, will be produced during initial fermentation if the wort temperature is in the high 60s / low 70s.

I've cooled in the ferm chamber whenever I did lagers, then pitched. I know that infection can invade the longer you wait but I've never had an issue, personally. YMMV. Next step is getting a pond-pump for my IC so I can truly chill to lager temps in a hurry.

I use a sump pump I submerge in ice -- chill to 90-100 degrees and then switch the inlet on the chiller from the hose to the sump pump. Recirculate the water back into the bucket. Add more ice around 65 degrees.

I tried this once before first cooling the wort to below 100 degrees and ended up with warm melted ice water and 110 degree wort.

WhiskeySam said:

I use a sump pump I submerge in ice -- chill to 90-100 degrees and then switch the inlet on the chiller from the hose to the sump pump. Recirculate the water back into the bucket. Add more ice around 65 degrees.

I tried this once before first cooling the wort to below 100 degrees and ended up with warm melted ice water and 110 degree wort.

Click to expand...

My plan is to NOT recirc the water into ice bucket until the wort temp is around 100. I'll save the hot water for cleaning, etc.

Pitching at fermentation temps is best practice. You need to make sure you have the right amount of yeast to do this.

+1 to pitching proper amount of yeast. Make sure you build a good starter for any lager. If you pitch the right amount you should never have to wait several days for activity to start. The proper amount of yeast pitched at fermentation temps should show activity within the first 24 hours.
This is a pic of the bock and pilsner after about 48 hours after pitch. Activity started at about 16 hours, white lacy foam started to appear. Stepped up a starter 4 times at 1.5 qts each time and pitched at 44 degrees.

And now the pic.

Lol