Pilsner questions

[East]

This is my third batch so I am still very new at this, I followed a recipe for a pilsner,

6 lbs light lme
1 light DME
.5 chinook 60 min
1 oz Saaz 15
1 oz Saaz 5 min

1 oz saaz dry hop

I used wlp 838 yeast

I kept the primary in a room in the basement where it was a constant 54 deg.
No signs of fermentation for almost three days, then there was slow but constant airlock activity for 4 or 5 days or so. It has been three weeks and I have decided to transfer to secondary to dry hop. There was still a good amount of what appears to be krausen on top and seemed to be alot suspended in the beer. I filtered it through a hop bag when I transferred, the gravity was around 1.010 it started at 1.058. Now there are bubbles in the airlock on the secondary?? Does any of this sound odd or am I just being paranoid??

 

[Malticulous]

My Dunkel was a month in primary and still had some kraeusen when I racked it.

There is a lot of residual CO2 in a lager and it will come out. Don't worry about the air lock.

 

[zacster]

If your gravity is 1.010 you should be OK. Just let it lager.

 

[East]

I have put the secondary in the garage where it is around 40 and may go lower, read up a little after the fact and I have seen that it is recommended to lower the temperature in stages. Lets just say i didn't do the stages part what kind of problems will I run into?

 

[mosyslack]

The delayed fermentation is/can be normal, especially with lagers. Did you make a starter? I have recently started doing this and most of my beers (lagers included) start going after only 8 hours in the primary. Nothing to worry about.

 

[East]

I didn't do a starter but plan on making one for my next lager attempt!
Is there a recommended time for the secondary to condition in the cold?
I need to add the dry hops but I'm thinking I will wait a week or so and then add them and let sit for a week?

 

[zacster]

4 weeks or so should do it in the secondary.