"Ghetto Lager"

[pdog44450]

Trying to brew my first lager next week. I ordered a fridge temp controller that hasn't shipped yet and am considering cancelling because I'm not sure I need it for the following reasons.

I am using W-34/70, suggested ferm. temp 48F-59F

My garage in the winter is like 52-56F at the bottom of my stairs leading into the basement which I was going to use for primary fermentation

My basement is 57-59F, was going to use for a diacetyl rest. I could also use upstairs which is usually 60-64F for this step, either or.

Fridge is 33-34F, for secondary. I could adjust the temp slightly warmer around 38F to start secondary. Fridge would also be used for lagering.

Since I've never done a lager, please input some of your lager procedures, primary time, secondary time, and lager time. OG is only 1.047. Am also bottle conditioning so it'd be great if someone could explain the procedure with bottling included. Thanks so much.

 

[Michigan_Wolfman]

Based on what little bit I do know about lagers, for a diacetyl rest you want to gradually raise the temperature to at least 65 degrees for a few days to allow the yeast to finish up, before cold crashing the beer back down to lager temperature.

 

[pdog44450]

Based on what little bit I do know about lagers, for a diacetyl rest you want to gradually raise the temperature to at least 65 degrees for a few days to allow the yeast to finish up, before cold crashing the beer back down to lager temperature.

Not a problem. I can go from basement to first floor to second floor which would be 58F-62F-65F over the course of 3 days

 

[Kwitty]

It'll get you close but it is unpredictable. To start with.... Temp changes outside can swing quite a bit between night and day. Is it truly a constant 52°f? Also if you have a warm snap in the weather it could be a bad thing. But let's assume it is a constant 52°f. The yeast may have that fermenter 5°f to 15°f warmer! Now the inside of the carboy could be 57°f to 67°f! That's bad news for a lager! I'd be patient. Brew an ale now if you NEED to brew something and wait for the controller. The quality of my ales improved dramatically when I started temp controlling. You almost need to have it to be consistent and make good lager. Not saying it will be horrible but I think you'll be happier with the results if temp control your lager.

 

[Gavin C]

Here are two lager recipes with some methods/ideas that you might find helpful and be able to incorporate into your own approach. Best of luck.

Munich Helles

Munich Dunkel

I primary till FG is reached and then keg. Carbonating and lagering the beers in the keg till ready at ~34F

 

[bkboiler]

from what I understand, lagers are more temperamental to fluctuations in temperature and instead of throwing fruity esters will throw sulfur and other pretty nasty smelling compounds.
I'd wait for that temp controller to come in and brew a cider or ale in the mean time.

 

[pdog44450]

It'll get you close but it is unpredictable. To start with.... Temp changes outside can swing quite a bit between night and day. Is it truly a constant 52°f? Also if you have a warm snap in the weather it could be a bad thing. But let's assume it is a constant 52°f. The yeast may have that fermenter 5°f to 15°f warmer! Now the inside of the carboy could be 57°f to 67°f! That's bad news for a lager! I'd be patient. Brew an ale now if you NEED to brew something and wait for the controller. The quality of my ales improved dramatically when I started temp controlling. You almost need to have it to be consistent and make good lager. Not saying it will be horrible but I think you'll be happier with the results if temp control your lager.

I doubt that a fermenting a 2.5 gallon 1.047 batch at low 50's will generate more than a few degrees of heat during it's most active stage of fermenting. If anything the 52F will be lower than 52 depending on how much the garage is opened, but a wall is in front of the stairs so it doesn't change temps as much as the garage.

 

[pdog44450]

from what I understand, lagers are more temperamental to fluctuations in temperature and instead of throwing fruity esters will throw sulfur and other pretty nasty smelling compounds.
I'd wait for that temp controller to come in and brew a cider or ale in the mean time.

Just brewed a pale ale yesterday

 

[Kwitty]

Its true lagers arent as active as ales. It probably wouldnt be a huge issue unless it was a runaway ferment in a warm room with a high gravity. But with lagers temp fluctuation is also a factor. Temp consistency helps control off flavors. You could make a lager the way you're planing. Germans made excellent lagers for generations before refridgeration. They also lagered in caves with consistent cool temp year around. If your diligent about watching the temp I'm sure you can make an excellent lager the way you described. Refrigeration just helps with consistency.

 

[gbx]

I doubt that a fermenting a 2.5 gallon 1.047 batch at low 50's will generate more than a few degrees of heat during it's most active stage of fermenting. If anything the 52F will be lower than 52 depending on how much the garage is opened, but a wall is in front of the stairs so it doesn't change temps as much as the garage.

I've done ambient temperature fermented lagers in the crawl space under my house every winter for the last 4 years. Its between 8 and 12C down there and they ALL have turned out ok - some of been great others have been meh but all were drinkable. This year's have all been great because I started making a bigger starter and the splitting the 5 gallon batch into 2 half full carboys - this makes it easier to carry under the house but a smaller batch doesn't have the critical mass to drive the temperature more than a degree above ambient.

 

[specharka]

Trying to brew my first lager next week. I ordered a fridge temp controller that hasn't shipped yet and am considering cancelling because I'm not sure I need it for the following reasons.



I am using W-34/70, suggested ferm. temp 48F-59F



My garage in the winter is like 52-56F at the bottom of my stairs leading into the basement which I was going to use for primary fermentation



My basement is 57-59F, was going to use for a diacetyl rest. I could also use upstairs which is usually 60-64F for this step, either or.



Fridge is 33-34F, for secondary. I could adjust the temp slightly warmer around 38F to start secondary. Fridge would also be used for lagering.



Since I've never done a lager, please input some of your lager procedures, primary time, secondary time, and lager time. OG is only 1.047. Am also bottle conditioning so it'd be great if someone could explain the procedure with bottling included. Thanks so much.

Just brewed a doppelbock with this yeast. Spent 10 days at 48F, gradually ramped up to 65F over 5 days for a 3 day diacetyl rest, and then gradually ramped down to lagering temperatures over another 5 days. Been lagering for about 6 weeks now at 34F.

The issue is that if you don't use a fermentation chamber of some sort (CoolBrew makes an affordable jacket), then you are risking development of some off flavors from fruity esters, similar to a California Common. The yeast will ferment well past 60F if your ambient temperature is 55F.