lagering?

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william2010

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I have a maibock lager, and I wanted to know how you prevent suckback when you lager? I havent put it in my fridge yet because I wanted to ask first. Is it better to have a blow off tube? Or just a airlock
 
william2010 said:
I have a maibock lager, and I wanted to know how you prevent suckback when you lager? I havent put it in my fridge yet because I wanted to ask first. Is it better to have a blow off tube? Or just a airlock
Click to expand...

I don't use an airlock at all. I either use a lid with no hole, or a solid bung plug.
 
bottlebomber said:
I don't use an airlock at all. I either use a lid with no hole, or a solid bung plug.
Click to expand...

A lid? What kind of lid, I think I might have a no holed bung. But I guess it makes sense if its not fermenting. It won't create to much pressure? Or am I just dumb.
 
william2010 said:
A lid? What kind of lid, I think I might have a no holed bung. But I guess it makes sense if its not fermenting. It won't create to much pressure? Or am I just dumb.
Click to expand...

No pressure, it's done fermenting. I mean a bucket lid if you're using a bucket, or a solid bung if you're using a carboy.
 
bottlebomber said:
No pressure, it's done fermenting. I mean a bucket lid if you're using a bucket, or a solid bung if you're using a carboy.
Click to expand...

Gotchya, makes sense. Sweetness. Thanks a lot.
 
bottlebomber said:
No pressure, it's done fermenting. I mean a bucket lid if you're using a bucket, or a solid bung if you're using a carboy.
Click to expand...

What about when I'm fermenting at 50 degrees how do I prevent suck back then ???
 
william2010 said:
What about when I'm fermenting at 50 degrees how do I prevent suck back then ???
Click to expand...

I've never noticed suck back while cold fermenting. It shouldn't be a big deal of a little sucks back, just use Starsan in the airlock.
 
When I move my beer to the fridge to lager (or for cold crashing), I replace the bung/airlock with sanitized foil to prevent suck back. It's the cooling of the liquid that causes the vacuum, so if you just replace the airlock/bung with a solid bung or with some sanitized foil, that would be fine. You can always put the airlock back on after the temperature is stable, if you're worried about not having an airlock during lagering. (Although sanitized foil with a rubber band hold it down to cover the fermenter is absolutely fine).
 
Yooper said:
When I move my beer to the fridge to lager (or for cold crashing), I replace the bung/airlock with sanitized foil to prevent suck back. It's the cooling of the liquid that causes the vacuum, so if you just replace the airlock/bung with a solid bung or with some sanitized foil, that would be fine. You can always put the airlock back on after the temperature is stable, if you're worried about not having an airlock during lagering. (Although sanitized foil with a rubber band hold it down to cover the fermenter is absolutely fine).
Click to expand...

What would be better, foil or solid bung?
 
Use this...

s-type_airlock.jpg
 
william2010 said:
How can I get down to 55 for fermenting, my fridge doesn't go that high
Click to expand...

I don't know what your situation is, I personally can only ferment lagers in the winter and spring. What I've done is put the fermenter of wort in an ice bath in an ice chest and let it hit 50, then pitch. In the winter the garage is about 50, so I don't meet to add ice once I get it there, and the water bath keeps temps stable. In the spring I swap out 1 frozen liter bottle of water every day to keep it maintained. If your doing the same thing that may change to 2 pints a day. Who needs a fermentation chamber? ;)
 
bottlebomber said:
I don't know what your situation is, I personally can only ferment lagers in the winter and spring. What I've done is put the fermenter of wort in an ice bath in an ice chest and let it hit 50, then pitch. In the winter the garage is about 50, so I don't meet to add ice once I get it there, and the water bath keeps temps stable. In the spring I swap out 1 frozen liter bottle of water every day to keep it maintained. If your doing the same thing that may change to 2 pints a day. Who needs a fermentation chamber? ;)
Click to expand...

Are you talking like a box that you built for putting ice in to keep it cool?
 
william2010 said:
Are you talking like a box that you built for putting ice in to keep it cool?
Click to expand...

Just simply an ice chest. I use a cube type chest and that seems to work well. I used to use a Rubbermaid tub as an ice bath and that was hard to keep stable temps in, but an ice chest works great. Someone on the forum has even rigged one up with a foam lid to put over the fermenter to hold in the cold. I think it was Yooper actually. I have no plans to ever build a ferm chamber. It's just too unipurpose.
 
bottlebomber said:
Just simply an ice chest. I use a cube type chest and that seems to work well. I used to use a Rubbermaid tub as an ice bath and that was hard to keep stable temps in, but an ice chest works great. Someone on the forum has even rigged one up with a foam lid to put over the fermenter to hold in the cold. I think it was Yooper actually. I have no plans to ever build a ferm chamber. It's just too unipurpose.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, I'm just having a brain fart. Ice chest is to small?
 
william2010 said:
Hmmmm, I'm just having a brain fart. Ice chest is to small?
Click to expand...

Most chests will fit a bucket or carboy. I like the cube style ones because the water comes up higher on the bucket.

So to recap, you put your fermenter in the chest, and fill with ice and water. When it's chilled, you maintain that temp by adding frozen bottles of water as necessary. It's surprisingly easy.
 
bottlebomber said:
Most chests will fit a bucket or carboy. I like the cube style ones because the water comes up higher on the bucket.

So to recap, you put your fermenter in the chest, and fill with ice and water. When it's chilled, you maintain that temp by adding frozen bottles of water as necessary. It's surprisingly easy.
Click to expand...

Is it to cold to ferment at 45 degrees???
 
bottlebomber said:
I don't know what your situation is, I personally can only ferment lagers in the winter and spring. What I've done is put the fermenter of wort in an ice bath in an ice chest and let it hit 50, then pitch. In the winter the garage is about 50, so I don't meet to add ice once I get it there, and the water bath keeps temps stable. In the spring I swap out 1 frozen liter bottle of water every day to keep it maintained. If your doing the same thing that may change to 2 pints a day. Who needs a fermentation chamber? ;)
Click to expand...

I can vouch for that. I am fermenting a cream ale at the moment and am keeping the temp at 58 no problem. The ice chest works great!! And am sitting at ambient temps of over 90 degrees here in socal. So am sure as soon as temps drop a bit keeping at lagering temps would be no problem.
 
Yes, I love it. Plus, after you've fermented your beer, and bottled it, you can take that same ice chest, fill it with ice and beer, and go to the river. No single purpose freezer taking up space in the garage. ;)
 
worksnorth said:
+1 fill it with cheap vodka
Click to expand...

Nah, use water. Cheaper than vodka, equally as effective, and wouldn't make your beer taste funny even if the entire thing got sucked in.
 
SpeedYellow said:
Nah, use water. Cheaper than vodka, equally as effective, and wouldn't make your beer taste funny even if the entire thing got sucked in.
Click to expand...

Whatever, I'm sticking with Vodka
 
bratrules said:
I can vouch for that. I am fermenting a cream ale at the moment and am keeping the temp at 58 no problem. The ice chest works great!! And am sitting at ambient temps of over 90 degrees here in socal. So am sure as soon as temps drop a bit keeping at lagering temps would be no problem.
Click to expand...

48 degrees to cold for fermenting?
 
william2010 said:
48 degrees to cold for fermenting?
Click to expand...

Depends what lager yeast strain your using. 48 degrees seems good for most lager strains. As most state that 50-55 is the optimal temp for lager fermentation.
 
For suck back prevention, just take your airlock off every 15 minutes or 20 minutes as you are cooling down your fermenter to equalize the pressure. Don't be anal about contamination. Once it gets down to temperature you'll be good.
 
And I'm not so sure the solid bung would be a good idea with a glass carboy. Vacuums are more dangerous than being pressurized.

If you already have the fridge and want to use it for fermenting, you can a) purchase a Johnson controller, b) search for Ebay aquarium controller, c) modify your fridge's thermostat to work at a higher temp, or d) program and wire up an arduino to control it
 
Erroneous said:
And I'm not so sure the solid bung would be a good idea with a glass carboy. Vacuums are more dangerous than being pressurized.

If you already have the fridge and want to use it for fermenting, you can a) purchase a Johnson controller, b) search for Ebay aquarium controller, c) modify your fridge's thermostat to work at a higher temp, or d) program and wire up an arduino to control it
Click to expand...

You're right, but I don't think that would come into play unless you're talking at least 80 or so degrees of temperature change, not 15.
 
Erroneous said:
And I'm not so sure the solid bung would be a good idea with a glass carboy. Vacuums are more dangerous than being pressurized.

If you already have the fridge and want to use it for fermenting, you can a) purchase a Johnson controller, b) search for Ebay aquarium controller, c) modify your fridge's thermostat to work at a higher temp, or d) program and wire up an arduino to control it
Click to expand...

I think ill come down from temp. Get down to 60 and pitch my yeast. Let it sit for 24 hours at 60 until it starts going good and then throw it in the fridge at 48. Any objections?
 
Erroneous said:
Should be fine
Click to expand...

So I put it in the fridge. And it stopped bubbling out my bubbler but is still bubbling inside. Will my fermentation stop ?
 
What do you mean? You mean the airlock stopped bubbling but the beer still has bubbles?
 

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