How should I store bottles of lager?

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JBrady

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Hey guys I brewed a New Belgium 1554 clone which happens to be my first brew using a lager yeast. The beer isn't really a lager I don't think, it uses Wyeast Bohemian lager yeast but its fermented at 65 degrees. My question is how should I store the bottles? Right now the beer has been bottled for 11 days at 67 degrees, I'm not sure if I need to go ahead and move the bottles into the beer fridge to live until consumed or leave them at room temp longer. When bottling ales I leave the beers at room temp for 14 days and then move them into the fridge permanently until they get consumed. Should I do the same thing with a lager yeast beer? Thanks for any info.
 
You aren't really "lagering" just cause it's in the fridge. You are just chilling them - there needs to be a lot more temp. control to lager and it needs to be done before you bottle - I suspect you already knoew this, but just in case.....

You are making a "steam beer" - basically an ale with lager yeast. Anchor Steam does this. If they aren't carbed by now and you put them in the fridge, it's going to be tough to get them to bottle condition.

I would personally just use the same methods you have in the past for an ale. Steam beers are yummy!
 
You aren't really "lagering" just cause it's in the fridge. You are just chilling them - there needs to be a lot more temp. control to lager and it needs to be done before you bottle - I suspect you already knoew this, but just in case.....

You are making a "steam beer" - basically an ale with lager yeast. Anchor Steam does this. If they aren't carbed by now and you put them in the fridge, it's going to be tough to get them to bottle condition.

I would personally just use the same methods you have in the past for an ale. Steam beers are yummy!

Thanks for the info, I know its not really lagering, I just didn't know if the lager yeast needed any special treatment to carbonate and condition. I understand that moving to the fridge would hinder carbonation if the beer still wasn't carbed where it needed to be, but this one has already reached the carbonation that it needs. I was just wondering if moving to the fridge would help the flavors mature better.
 
You aren't really "lagering" just cause it's in the fridge. You are just chilling them - there needs to be a lot more temp. control to lager and it needs to be done before you bottle - I suspect you already knoew this, but just in case.....


Really? Lagering is more than lowering the temperature? Can you elaborate, because all literature I have ever read about lagering it involves a long cold temperature storage to allow the beer to condition properly.....:D

I am going to go ahead and say - you CAN lager in the bottle, or before the bottle. So many people make the lager beer seem like some HUGE mountain to climb, or that by doing anything other than old school bulk lagering is the 'bogeyman' that will ruin your beer. RDWHAHB. I have done both, and have obtained the exact same taste results. The only difference is, if you lager in the bottle you will get more sediment in your bottle. I personally do not mind that, you might differ.

Happy brewing!
 
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