First time lager questions...

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kingmatt

kingmatt

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I just got my ingredients to make my first beer that requires lagering..a Czech Pilsner. Normally, I make a 1000ml starter for my yeast about 24 hours prior to brewing but I don't think that is going to cut it for a lager...

Will 1000ml be sufficient for lagering or do I need to step up my starter?

If so, how big do I need to make it and how long/what temp do I need to let my starter floc out?

Should I decant or pitch the entire starter?

I am brewing extract and making a 5 gallon batch. Also, any tips/techniques about successfully lagering would be helpful as I have read about a lot of different techniques and am a little confused.

Thanks in advance :mug:
 
I would step up your starter to about a gallon or so and decant off of that to pitch. If you keep it at room temp for a couple of days before brewing it will settle out.

I would lager that beer for at least 2 weeks, preferably up to 4, to enhance the flavors. Lager at around 30, or as cold as you can go.
 
Kingmatt:
I am assuming you have a dedicated cooler. It will requie about 15 million cells/mL to ferment a pilsner for a clean crisp taste. to achieve this pitch rate with one activator pack, put your wort in the cooler and bring down to 48*F. You will need a two step starter. It can be made from your wort (preferable), or dme. The dme residue will need to be discarded. Begin with one liter of what you choose and pitch in the contents of your expanded yeast pack. If you do not have a stir plate (no big deal), then shake the starter whenever convienient. when it's settling down, pitch it to 2 L. when that settles down, pitch the 3 L to your main wort if using your wort, or decant the liquid and pitch the yeast slurry if using dma. You will have about 15 miiion cells/mL in your 5 gal fermenter.
 
+1 to that.
I brewed my first second and third lager this summer just like that with good success, with the exception that I lagered mine for at least 4 weeks. Good Luck! :mug:
 
If you make a starter big enough to do a 5 gallon lager according to Mr Malty you will have a total of nearly seven gallons of wort, two of which you will decant down the drain. That seems ridiculous to me.

It may not be the proper way but I make 1.040-1.050 - 1500 ml starters for 1.040-1.060 wort and sometimes I decant and sometimes I pitch the whole thing. I've never had a problem except with WL-830 (I'm giving that another try with a new vial but same size starter). I've done lagers that way for 2 years, probably a 100 gallons, maybe more. It may be under pitching according to the experts but the beer keeps getting better as my technique improves.
 
sudbuster said:
Kingmatt:
I am assuming you have a dedicated cooler. It will requie about 15 million cells/mL to ferment a pilsner for a clean crisp taste. to achieve this pitch rate with one activator pack, put your wort in the cooler and bring down to 48*F. You will need a two step starter. It can be made from your wort (preferable), or dme. The dme residue will need to be discarded. Begin with one liter of what you choose and pitch in the contents of your expanded yeast pack. If you do not have a stir plate (no big deal), then shake the starter whenever convienient. when it's settling down, pitch it to 2 L. when that settles down, pitch the 3 L to your main wort if using your wort, or decant the liquid and pitch the yeast slurry if using dma. You will have about 15 miiion cells/mL in your 5 gal fermenter.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am using my kegerator as a fermenting chamber and have a temp controller.

I only have a 1000ml flask so what do you think I should use to hold 3L? Would a milk jug work?

When I pitch should I pitch cold or at room temperature? I will probably just make my starter using DME because I would be worried about possible contamination of my wort if I left it for days without pitching while waiting on my starter...

Thanks for the advice!
 
kingmatt said:
Yes, I am using my kegerator as a fermenting chamber and have a temp controller.

I only have a 1000ml flask so what do you think I should use to hold 3L? Would a milk jug work?

When I pitch should I pitch cold or at room temperature? I will probably just make my starter using DME because I would be worried about possible contamination of my wort if I left it for days without pitching while waiting on my starter...

Thanks for the advice!
Click to expand...

I use a 1 gallon glass wine jug for my starter, i just dont like the idea of using plastic.
as for pitching cold or room temp, I went with pitching cold for this reason; your making a lager. If you pitch at ~70 wait for signs of fermentation and start bringing down your temp to ~50 then most of your fermentation is going to take place at too high temps because you dont want to shock the yeast by bringing it down too fast.
 
kingmatt - to use your 1000ml flask - wait 'till the starter has finished fermenting, cold crash it (in the fridge overnight), the yeast will settle at the bottom, pour off the "beer" and pour another 1000ml fresh, cooled wort ontop of the yeast in the flask. Repeat untill you have enough yeast.

As for pitching: I cool the wort (in fermentation bucket) down to 46F overnight (flask with yeast is cooled to the same temp) When its down to 46F I pour the beer off the starter and pitch the yeast.
 
Bru said:
kingmatt - to use your 1000ml flask - wait 'till the starter has finished fermenting, cold crash it (in the fridge overnight), the yeast will settle at the bottom, pour off the "beer" and pour another 1000ml fresh, cooled wort ontop of the yeast in the flask. Repeat untill you have enough yeast.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea, I never thought of that. Thanks!
 

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