Baltic Porter lagering and aging help.

[Ramitt]

I just brewed a Baltic Porter using a lager yeast. saflager w-34/70 and I am a bit usnsure of when to Lager/ Bulk age before kegging.

It is mostly UK Pale Malt with 1 lb brown malt 1 lb Midnight Wheat 1/2 caramunich 1/2 special B 12 oz molasses.

I plan to ferment about 3 wks @54 deg. I was thinking I could get away with transferring to secondary and store in basement ( ave temp ~65 in winter) instead of a diacytel rest and to bulk age a few months before kegging and lagering in keezer.

Does this sound sane, or should I lager before bulk aging. I am tight on kegs and keezer space so I really would prefer to age it in my cellar in a carboy for a few months.

 

[pjj2ba]

You could do that if kegs are in short supply. How big is this beer? If it is not a monster ABV brew, then I don't think it should need more than 3 months (if that) to be ready to pour. I typically ferment lagers 2-3 weeks, then I keg them and into the larger fridge they go. After a week or two, I'll hook up the CO2. Usually by 4 weeks after kegging I'm ready to start tapping into them

 

[Ramitt]

It is on the lower end of Baltics @ 1.071 OG

 

[pjj2ba]

Aerated and pitched properly, I'd say you could have the beer ready to drink in 10 weeks, 12 tops.

 

[Ramitt]

Aerated and pitched properly, I'd say you could have the beer ready to drink in 10 weeks, 12 tops.

That is what I like to hear, it was a large pitch of 2nd gen yeast and aereted with pure o2 and a stone.