Steam Beer/ CA Common Question

I am making my friends steam beer recipe, but where he used WL CA Ale at low fermentation temps, I wanted to stay true to the style and use WL CA Lager at a temp around 60F. How long should I plan on leaving it in the primary and secondary? I plan on lagering it in a keg after fermentation is complete.

Primary until fermentation is complete and secondary until it is clear. Then, into the keg.

Well that is the obvious answer, but I was looking for how long it takes for a lager yeast to ferment at a higher temperature (kind of like an ale yeast takes a week for primary). I don't take gravity readings.

Should ferment in 4 days to a week at 64 or so. Air lock activity should be a decent indicator. The speed of fermentation is really determined by temperature so expect a fermentation similar to ale. Of course, an hydrometer would be a good idea.

Thanks, that was the info i was looking for. I do have a hydrometer, but never really used it before.

Drunk Monkey said:

Thanks, that was the info i was looking for. I do have a hydrometer, but never really used it before.

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If you learned how to use it you wouldn't have asked that question.

There's nothing special about steam beer except for using a lager yeast at ale fermenting temps.

Drunk Monkey said:

Thanks, that was the info i was looking for. I do have a hydrometer, but never really used it before.

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Happy to help out.

The best way to use your hydrometer is to draw a little beer out of your fermenter and put it in a tall skinny tube/glass. Just float you hydrometer in the beer and see where it floats. You read the number at the water-line (beer-line in this case.)

I have a $4 tube from the LHBS used specifically for the purpose but you can use the tube the hydrometer came in if you have that. You can use a tall glass but you can't put the beer back into the fermenter once you test. (Too much risk of contamination)

You can use beersmith or any of the other software packages out there to adjust your reading for temperature but that will really won't matter here, we're just trying to see if you had fermentation.

Finally, drink your sample! That's really the best part.

Feel free to post your current hydrometer reading (specific gravity) along with your recipe and you'll get feedback on how the beer is doing.

You can also read more about using a hydrometer here: http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html

I'd give the primary at least a week, if not two. I did a steam beer way back in february, since that was the only time it was cold enough to do it at ambient temps. I let mine ferment a while, probably close to two weeks, and did a secondary with it. Even with all of that time it may have stalled a little on me because the last of the bottles I drank were really carbonated. I'll chalk that one up to not having control over the temperatures.

Thanks for all the info. I think the main reason i never take gravity readings is because I am worried about contamination. I have also read a lot of advice to not worry about it. When i start making my own recipes, hopefully sometime in the next couple months, i will start using it.

What's a hydrometer? There was a thread the other day about dirty brewing secrets. I forgot to put in my response that I never use one. In fact, I don't even have one. Maybe I should put that on my Xmas list.

I never return my hydrometer samples for risk of contamination. Drink 'em instead! How else are you really going to know how things are coming along?!

I did a Steam/CaC that really turned out well and I plan to brew it again in another month or two. IIRC, it was in prinary for 6-7 days and in secondary for 14 days.

I've done some batches using that yeast strain in the low end of the temp range (58-60). I find that they ferment at about the same range as ales, maybe a touch slower. I think I have usually had primaries of about 7-9 days.

Hydrometers are overrated. The only reason I use one is so I have an excuse to taste my beer as it moves on through its process. I rely on the All Good Method.

As long as it looks good, smells good, tastes good, and after a few it makes you you feel good, then its All Good.

- WW

Drunk Monkey said:

Thanks for all the info. I think the main reason i never take gravity readings is because I am worried about contamination. I have also read a lot of advice to not worry about it. When i start making my own recipes, hopefully sometime in the next couple months, i will start using it.

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I'm with Roobarb on this one- I always drink my hydrometer samples. I like to think of it scientifically- how my beer is coming, what the s.g. is, etc. But the truth is I'm just doing it for a taste!

Actually, a hydrometer is a great tool. I use mine to see how I'm doing on hitting my og (not hard since I'm only doing partial mashes to date), if I'm close on f.g., and if it's time to bottle. It helped once when I had a stuck fermentation but didn't know it- the f.g. was 1.022 and I stopped myself from bottling and let it finish. But it is only a tool- not a rule. I still use mine when I put it in primary, when I stick it in secondary, and when I bottle. I don't obsess, but I do use it as a tool.

Lorena

lorenae said:

I'm with Roobarb on this one- I always drink my hydrometer samples. I like to think of it scientifically- how my beer is coming, what the s.g. is, etc. But the truth is I'm just doing it for a taste!

Lorena

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I agree also, it is essential to taste to ensure that the fermentation evolution is processing. Plus I normally cannot be arsed to keep the hydro and tube sterile and just slug it down the gullet.