New brewer to Bock beer has a question

[gregflwi72]

I am a new brewer and figured I would try a few kits first to get the logistics of the process. I have purchased a American Bock kit from True Brew. I have been reading a lot about Bocks and it seems to be the concensus that this beer should ferment for 4 weeks or more. In the instructions for the kit they call for it to ferment for one week then go straight to bottling or kegging. I am looking for some advice on this matter. Should I follow the instructions and bottle it now? Or should I move it to a secoundary fermentator and ferment it at 36 degrees and wait another 4 weeks before kegging it?

 

[TipsyDragon]

your starting with a lager?? ales are WAY easier to start with. well i would raise the temp by 10 degrees for a week. then rack and lager at 40 for a month.

 

[McGarnigle]

Oy, one week then to bottle or keg? No way would I do that.

I don't know how 'big' their bock kit is (I'm guessing it's not a lager yeast). I might say 4 weeks in primary, then bottle/keg. Or maybe 2-3 primary and about the same amount secondary. I honestly don't know what's considered best practice for a cold secondary if you have an ale yeast. The yeast presumably just zonks out and falls out, so you get clarity but not really conditioning at 36 degrees.

ADD: Tipsy thinks it's lager yeast, and maybe he's right.

 

[TipsyDragon]

a bock is a lagger. so presumably the kit would have lager yeast.

 

[MarsColonist]

Wait til bubbling stops, sanitize your wine thief/turkey baster, take a sample, test with hydrometer/refractometer, monitor for expected final gravity, bottle when gravity doesnt move for three days. One week, four weeks, doesnt matter, these are typical times, not hard and fast. Too many variables; you rack or package when its done. If you keg, rack from primary when gravity is complete. Lager in the keg and free up your primary.

 

[malkore]

I'm betting the kit has an ale yeast, thus the 1 week ferment time.

Please post specifics...who made the kit and what kind of yeast is in the kit?

 

[squeekysheep]

kits will often say 1 week, don't listen. even if the kit has ale yeast give it at least 2 weeks.

 

[gregflwi72]

The kit is from True Brew. It has a lager yeast with it. I thank everyone for there responses so far.