Hey all,
Thanks for the help on my first batch, it is currently clearing in my secondary, final gravity was hit after about 5 days. Tastes good, letting it sit for another week and I'll bottle. If I had more time I'd probably just bottle it now, but everyone tells me the longer I wait the better. So, thanks again.
Onto batch #2, gotta get that pipeline full!
I purchase an Oktoberfest kit from The Home Brewery, thinking it was a bastardized one (Ale instead of lager). However, when I got the kit in the mail I realized it was a lager kit. My main concern is keeping it cool...so, I bought a beer fridge
Unfortunately, the instructions contain NO temp info. Not for pitching temp, fermenting temp, conditioning temp and so on. With this being my second ever batch, I'd like to have some more info than was provided.
In order...
EDIT: Found the WIKI, has a ton of good info
1. What is the best pitching temp? I'll double check, but I believe the yeast packet said 55-59, although it could handle up to 75 (Seems like a crazy broad range to me, but again, newbie) The Wiki recommends a starter, but my kit came with dry lager yeast. Any thoughts/tips?
2. What temp should I ferment at? Because I now have a fridge/temp control, I have a lot more options. Wiki says as soon as you see fermentation activity, move pail to someplace between 48F-52F for 3ish weeks
2.1 Are there any steps between fermenting/bottling you guys recommend? I've read a bit about "cold crashing", raising/lowering the temp and so on. Interested in your expertise The Wiki stated that the beer should be racked to a secondary after 3ish weeks at 48F-52F, and the secondary should be kept at 32F-38F for another 3ish weeks.
3. What temp should I keep my bottles at? Again, per the Wiki, if I'm going to lager it in my secondary for the 3ish weeks, then I really just have to condition the bottles at room temp, as lagering has been done already. This isn't really clear to me, keep it at 32ish degrees for a month, then let it come back to room temp in the bottles? Also, the Wiki noted that I would need to add some yeast (1/4 packet) when I bottled because the yeast used in fermenting would be used up.
My hope is that I can brew early this week, let it ferment until September (About 3 weeks, ish) then keep it in bottles for at least a month.
Even though I wasn't planning on trying my hand at a lager this soon, I'm excited to get a brew going. It's been a week since my first, and I'll I've wanted to do was get back to it!
Thanks for any help you guys can offer!
Thanks for the help on my first batch, it is currently clearing in my secondary, final gravity was hit after about 5 days. Tastes good, letting it sit for another week and I'll bottle. If I had more time I'd probably just bottle it now, but everyone tells me the longer I wait the better. So, thanks again.
Onto batch #2, gotta get that pipeline full!
I purchase an Oktoberfest kit from The Home Brewery, thinking it was a bastardized one (Ale instead of lager). However, when I got the kit in the mail I realized it was a lager kit. My main concern is keeping it cool...so, I bought a beer fridge
Unfortunately, the instructions contain NO temp info. Not for pitching temp, fermenting temp, conditioning temp and so on. With this being my second ever batch, I'd like to have some more info than was provided.
In order...
EDIT: Found the WIKI, has a ton of good info
1. What is the best pitching temp? I'll double check, but I believe the yeast packet said 55-59, although it could handle up to 75 (Seems like a crazy broad range to me, but again, newbie) The Wiki recommends a starter, but my kit came with dry lager yeast. Any thoughts/tips?
2. What temp should I ferment at? Because I now have a fridge/temp control, I have a lot more options. Wiki says as soon as you see fermentation activity, move pail to someplace between 48F-52F for 3ish weeks
2.1 Are there any steps between fermenting/bottling you guys recommend? I've read a bit about "cold crashing", raising/lowering the temp and so on. Interested in your expertise The Wiki stated that the beer should be racked to a secondary after 3ish weeks at 48F-52F, and the secondary should be kept at 32F-38F for another 3ish weeks.
3. What temp should I keep my bottles at? Again, per the Wiki, if I'm going to lager it in my secondary for the 3ish weeks, then I really just have to condition the bottles at room temp, as lagering has been done already. This isn't really clear to me, keep it at 32ish degrees for a month, then let it come back to room temp in the bottles? Also, the Wiki noted that I would need to add some yeast (1/4 packet) when I bottled because the yeast used in fermenting would be used up.
My hope is that I can brew early this week, let it ferment until September (About 3 weeks, ish) then keep it in bottles for at least a month.
Even though I wasn't planning on trying my hand at a lager this soon, I'm excited to get a brew going. It's been a week since my first, and I'll I've wanted to do was get back to it!
Thanks for any help you guys can offer!