Couple of questions about lager beers.

Looking to brew a few lagers for my father in law and I have a couple of questions.

1. I plan to ferment in the primary for 2-3 weeks at 46-48 F and then transfer to a keg for the cold condition lager phase. How long do you recommend keeping the beer cold for in the cold conditioning phase? 2 months, 3 months or longer? Is cold conditioning in the keg OK to do?

2. What are some great yeast strains to make a clean taste without any hints of sulfur? I could use recommendations for both dry and liquid yeast.

3. Does anyone directly pitch a new lager beer onto the yeast cake of one you have just transferred out of your primary? If yes, is there anything I need to pay very close attention to when trying this?

Thanks

 

I've had awesome results with two packs of 34/70 (rehydrated.). It's a reliable clean workhorse of a lager yeast, and you don't have to mess around with massive starters.

I let it ferment cool until activity starts to slow down (a week or so) then slowly ramp up to mid 60s, and I leave it there for a couple more weeks. After that, keg, chill, add gelatin, and lager on the gas for 3-4 weeks (months is too long, IMO.) Result is clean, crystal clear lager beer.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1461418132.897468.jpg

 

I am getting ready to do my first lager, a Czech style Pilsner. Are there any negatives to lagering for 4 weeks on gas?

My kegerator stays around 38-40 is this cold enough to lager so that I can free up space for another brew day in my fermentation chamber?

 

Here is what I do. When it comes to lagers there will be many opinions. I have found this works well for me.

Question 1. Ferment at the ideal yeast temperature. For some lager yeasts like Saflager 34/70 it is 48 to 59 degrees. Being patient during the fermentation stage is important to allow the yeast to do its thing and clean up properly.

I bottle my beer but I'm pretty sure cold conditioning in a keg is not a problem and probably ideal. Conditioning time is something that people have a lot of opinions on. Here is a quote from a BYO article.

Greg Noonan — brewpub owner and author of “New Brewing Lager Beer” (1996, Brewers Publications) — recommends 7–12 days per each 2 °Plato of original gravity. (One degree Plato is roughly equal to 4 specific gravity “points.”). For lower gravity lagers the time is reduced to 3–7 days. According to those guidelines, a 1.064 O.G. German bock should be lagered for 112–192 days, while a 1.040 American lager would be lagered 15–35 days.

2. Yeasts - I have mostly used Saflager 34/70 because I get good results and it is easy to use. Two packages for a 1.046 beer. For me 34/70 puts out some sulfur during fermentation but not in the beer. I'm sure there are plenty of other liquid options out there also.

3. I do this a lot. I don't direct pitch. I use Mr. Malty or Brewers Friend to calculate the amount of slurry I need. My father-in-law loves a light lager (1.046 OG). I make a 5 gallon batch for him. On bottling day I use the slurry for a bigger lager or have also used the slurry for a big Russian Imperial Stout.

 

I use 34/70 for my lagers now too.

Last time I used one pack per 5 gallons of oxygenated wort at 1.055.

Then I repitch that left over yeast into 2 more lagers... Brewed 2or3 weeks apart. I have now done this three lager series 3 times.

I lager on tap in a keg. I have 6 taps so no rush.

I ferment ales and lagers both for about 2-3 weeks in a temp controlled fridge before kegging. No difference in my process between ales and lagers.

I ferment at the lowest reccomended ideal fermentation temperature for the strain for 2-3 days. Then I slowly ramp up to the maximum ideal temperature (again as stated by the manufacturer) until finished. I take the temperate with a thermowell so this is wort temperature not ambient.

I watch for krausen and flockulation to judge how quick to ramp the temps. I don't take a gravity reading until I keg (mostly to know the ABV).

 

My .02:

1. I primary mine at 46 or 48 but it depends on the yeast. I've been using 2308 or 2206 from wyeast. I bring it down to 38 and then let it rise up to pitch temp. I cold crash my starter then throw it in the ferm chamber to come up to temp with the wort. After about 5 days I let them free rise to 55 ambient temp, that let's the wort get to 57 or so. I don't usually need a d-rest. I start drinking them after 2-3 weeks. .050 lagers though.

2. 2308 and 2206. Are my go to, but liquid yeast and 10 gal batches mean big starters. I haven't used 34/70 but always hear good things. I'd go with dry if you don't want to mess with starters. I don't get a lot of sulfur from those two I use.

3. I don't usually brew 2 lagers in a row but my keezer is up and running so that might change.

 

@JonM had a gorgeous photo above

Here is my photo 34/70 yeast 1.055 100% Weirmann Pils Malt - no finings / just time on tap

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1461430575.428124.jpg

 

Looks like good head retention, no Carapils? I'm brewing with 2124 Bohemian Pilsner and have been wondering where to start for fermentation temperature. Was probably going to cool it to 48F and pitch, then let it rise and sit at 50F. Of course I'll do a D rest once I hit about 1.020 and raise it up to 64-65 2 degrees a day. Does this sound like a good schedule?

 

Thanks! (And that was the one and only time I used the Waterford, which is normally just used as flower vases. The pretty beer kinda demanded it.)

I use 100% pilsner too, and it turned out great - super soft water and mashed way low, like 147. A month later I did the exact same thing with 100% Best Vienna, and I liked that one maybe just a little bit more than the pils.

 

So you guys all do single infusion mashes and not step mashes with Weyermann Pilsner with good results?

 

Yup. Excellent results. 90 minute mash, though. A 90-minute mash may not be necessary, but can't hurt.

 

My German pils is 90 min mash and boil too. Probably the only time I actually do such a long mash. Single infusion, domestic pils though...it's all my lhbs had so I guess it's not quite a proper German pils.