Question on lager fermentation

I purchased an Octoberfest kit from Austin Home Brew (with the alcohol boost).

I made a starter (used the Wyeast Octoberfest smack pack).
2 weeks ago, I brewed.

When I poured the starter into the primary, fermentation took off within 24 hours. After about 3 days, things started slowing down.

I kept the temp between 48-52 degrees.

After 12 days, there was no sign of fermentation and directions said to warm to 70 for 2 days. I turned off the fridge. Several hours later the air lock started going again. Lock is going about once every 11 seconds today (2 days later at room temp).

My plan is to let it keep going until air lock stops, then check to see if fermentation has stopped or not. If it has, transfer to secondary and lager it.

Does this sound like a good plan or is there something else I should do?

Sounds fine to me. You raised the temperature for a diacetyl rest, so when it's all finished fermenting, you can rack it. It sounds like it's all going according to the way it should.

Thanks for the reply Yooper.

It's my first time lagering, so I had no idea what to expect.

Time to RDWHAHB.

Most of that airlock activity was CO2 coming out of solution from your beer - not new fermentation. The amount of gas a liquid can have dissolved in it is highly temperature dependant. As the beer warmed from 52 to 72 that gas had to escape. Also FYI if you pitch cold - around 44F - and gradually raise the temp to 50-52F you don't need to do a diacetyl rest.

GT

When pitching cold, should the starter also be lowered to the 44 temp to prevent yeast shock?

Yes. I make my starter in advance, then chill it in the fridge. On brew day, I decant the spent wort covering the starter, then let it come up to 48 degrees. I then pitch it in 50 degree wort. Someone much more intelligent than me (Kaiser, maybe?) said that pitching slightly cooler yeast into slightly warmer yeast gives the yeast the best wake up call. A larger temperature difference would shock them, though, and not be good.

Thanks Yooper.

I might have to get another secondary carboy so I can keep brewing at least one batch a month.

DanInMadison said:

Thanks Yooper.

I might have to get another secondary carboy so I can keep brewing at least one batch a month.

Click to expand...

You can never have too many carboys! (or fermenters, or kegs, etc!)

DanInMadison said:

Thanks Yooper.

I might have to get another secondary carboy so I can keep brewing at least one batch a month.

Click to expand...

I don't know if you keg or not, but if you're running short of fermenter space, you can lager in a keg (or bottles for that matter) to free up fermenter space. I have also used kegs as secondaries, too.