Single Stage Lagering

Has anyone tried making a lager with a single fermentation vessel? Would the beer have to sit too long on the trub? If I were to do it, do you think a 6 gallon carboy would be the optimal vessel for a 5 gallon batch?

Thanks

My opinion is that it would be too long on the trub. If you can only do single stage, you can "lager" in the bottle. That's just my opinion, though.

I don't know the science, but in my experience it seems, lager yeast is more likely to experience autolysis, or the strong yeast cells eating the dead or weak yeast cells. I think it might have something to do with the yeast being bottom fermenting, so the acive cells sit next to the dead ones, where as ale yeast is top fermenting and settles out when done.

I have problems brewing lagers in that I am on a only brew on the weekends schedule, and if my beer doesn't comply with that schedule, it can spend 2 weeks or more in primary. You have to work your schedule around the lager, rather than working the lager around your schedule, they are less forgiving than ales.

I've left lagers in the primary for 3-4 wks, then gone directly to bottles. IIRC, the propensity for autolysis is dependant on temperature (among other things). So, as long as the temp remains stable and below 40*F, a month on the primary yeast shouldn't be too risky.