Should I move my Bock from its primary?

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DutchK9

DutchK9

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I bought a Northern Bock Extract Kit and brewed it up two weeks ago. Last night I checked the gravity and got a reading of 1.042. It has been fermenting at 50*.

The OG was 1.066 (forgot to put the temp in my notes, but it was around 60*-65* at time of reading).

One of the employees at Northern told me to transfer it to the secondary at 1.025. At this rate it will take a month or more to get to that when everybody else I asked, said to transfer to the secondary after two weeks.

Anybody have any suggestions? Should I stay or should I go now? :D
 
Let it go. Lagers take a little while, moreso depending on how much yeast you pitched. Give the fermenter a swirl and forget about it for another week or two.
 
When you took the latest reading, did you let the sample warm to 60*F-ish and/or factor in the temp adjustment for the hydrometer?

I transfer my lagers from primary to secondary when it's about 90% from OG to FG.
If you're looking at 1.010 for the FG, then I'd transfer around 1.014-10.18.


But as was said, lagers take longer and especially if you under-pitched.
 
I let my lagers in the primary through the end of primary fermentation... including diacetyl rest. This way the greater amount of yeast can clean up the beer a bit better before transferring to secondary. Plus the amount of yeast that will fall out in secondary/lagering will be reduced, so that there is less dead yeast to contribute to off-flavors during lagering. (For this reason, I rack it soon after primary fermentation is complete.) It would be fine to rack to secondary before primary fermentation is complete if you were going to rack it again to a third lagering vessel. But if you're going to use your secondary as your lagering vessel, it's better to keep it in primary until it's finished. Then, during lagering, you should lose another point or so of gravity.
 
menschmaschine said:
I let my lagers in the primary through the end of primary fermentation... including diacetyl rest. This way the greater amount of yeast can clean up the beer a bit better before transferring to secondary. Plus the amount of yeast that will fall out in secondary/lagering will be reduced, so that there is less dead yeast to contribute to off-flavors during lagering. (For this reason, I rack it soon after primary fermentation is complete.) It would be fine to rack to secondary before primary fermentation is complete if you were going to rack it again to a third lagering vessel. But if you're going to use your secondary as your lagering vessel, it's better to keep it in primary until it's finished. Then, during lagering, you should lose another point or so of gravity.
Click to expand...

What temps are you doing your diacetyl rest at. I have pitched 2 different yeasts, a San Fransisco lager and wlp001 both I fermented @ 61degF I want to do a rest on both @ the same temp I will rais the temps 2-3 deg a day untill I hit rest tamp... What is that rest temp?
Cheers

JJ
 
Jaybird said:
What temps are you doing your diacetyl rest at.
Click to expand...

I do my diacetyl rests about 10-15 degrees (F) higher than primary fermentation temps. So, I usually ferment lagers around 50... I'll do the diacetyl rest at 62, e.g. As you know, the purpose of diacetyl rests is to reinvigorate the yeast to clean up (reabsorb) compounds they might not normally do at primary temps. You just want to make it a little warmer in there for them.

But if your primary fermentation temps are 61 degrees, you might not need to raise it that high for a diacetyl rest... maybe the upper 60s to 70-ish.
 
menschmaschine said:
I do my diacetyl rests about 10-15 degrees (F) higher than primary fermentation temps. So, I usually ferment lagers around 50... I'll do the diacetyl rest at 62, e.g. As you know, the purpose of diacetyl rests is to reinvigorate the yeast to clean up (reabsorb) compounds they might not normally do at primary temps. You just want to make it a little warmer in there for them.

But if your primary fermentation temps are 61 degrees, you might not need to raise it that high for a diacetyl rest... maybe the upper 60s to 70-ish.
Click to expand...

Thanks!! I will shoot for 70 in 4 days then let them rest there for, how long 4 days or so?
JJ
 
DaleJ said:
When you took the latest reading, did you let the sample warm to 60*F-ish and/or factor in the temp adjustment for the hydrometer?

I transfer my lagers from primary to secondary when it's about 90% from OG to FG.
If you're looking at 1.010 for the FG, then I'd transfer around 1.014-10.18.


But as was said, lagers take longer and especially if you under-pitched.
Click to expand...

No I didn't let it warm up, but at 50* it should read around 1.041 or so. I did make a starter for it, but I only made it for two days when I usually make it for three days. I did swirl it a bit and got the fermentation going again, so I will check it again in a week or two. Thanks everyone.
 
That sounds good, but I think 70 is higher than it needs to be. 60-65 is fine. Plus it will save a little time with warm-up and cool-down (to lagering).
 
Room temp, or 60-70° is fine. Usually takes 2-5 days, depending on the health of the yeast (and of course, how much you pitched) Take a sample, taste it. If it tastes like butter or butterscotch, give it another day or two. :mug:
 
From Greg Noonan's New Brewing Lager Beer:

If a diacetyl rest is being employed, force the temperature of the post-krausen ferment to rise to 55 to 60 degrees F. After two days, lower the ambient temperature again, bringing the beer down to 38 to 40 degrees F at 3 to 5 degrees F per day.
Click to expand...
 
menschmaschine said:
From Greg Noonan's New Brewing Lager Beer:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have that book too, along with How to Brew and Brewing and Malting Science that echo the same recommendation. Those guidelines are assuming the correct amount of yeast was pitched and primary fermentation occurred quickly. Under optimal conditions, 55-60° is recommended, 24-48 hours. However, I'd had diacetyl after 48 hours---hence why I say taste it. Noonan also says:

Five to twelve days may elapse from the time yeast is pitched until vigorous fermentation abates; six or seven days is usual.
Click to expand...
Per the OP, that's not happening here either.
 
Obviously, one would want to do a diacetyl rest until the diacetyl is gone (time). (However, keeping in mind that more diacetyl is reduced during lagering.) But you're saying that the more potential for more diacetyl (under-pitched yeast, warm starting temperature), the higher one should raise the temperature for the diacetyl rest?
 
menschmaschine said:
But you're saying that the more potential for more diacetyl, the higher one should raise the temperature for the diacetyl rest?
Click to expand...

No, I'm saying that while 55-60° is recommended, a few degrees more isn't going to hurt. Especially in the face of what's already transpired.
 

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