A little help please!

[Kendo2gz]

Ok here is my problem.
i just got an extract/specialty grain oktoberfest brew kit from northern brewer it contains liquid malt extract and dry malt extract specialty grains hops and yeast with some dextrose tabs for carbonating, and if you got a kit from them you know they always send a general set of instrutions. The problem im having is on the kit it says that the brew will be ready in 3 months but the general instructions read for a 2 week fermentation and a 2 week conditioning phase. being that this is a lager the only conclusion i can come up with is a secondary fermentation or ( a lagering phase ). How long should the secondary phase be and would you recomend using yeast sediment from the fermentor for conditioning in bottles or just use a new yeast pack. Ive made a few all extract batches to get the fermenting down but havent ever used a second phase any advice will help.
Thanx guys and happy brewing

 

[Scooby_Brew]

Many times kits like this one use ale yeast in a "lager" beer, so what you really get is a pseudo lager, not a real one. Check the fermenting temperatures in the instructions, if they suggest room temperatures then you are making an ale, and I would follow the ale procedures.

 

[scrambledegg81]

Sounds to me like they didn't proof-read their own material very well...do you have the recipe handy so the beer-mongs on here can give it the once over? As a general rule of thumb, primary and bottle conditioning get 3 weeks each (providing your gravity readings show that fermentation is complete). Do a taste-test at the 6 week mark, and if there's any off-flavors, give it another week or two.

Definitely a hobby where patience really is a virtue.

 

[Kendo2gz]

The recipe reads as follows:
Specialty grains: 1 lbs Weyermann
Fermentables:2 lbs pilsen dry malt extrack (boil for 60 min) and 6 lbs amber LME (boil for 15 min) times r T-minus
Boil additions: 1 oz. german hallertau (boil 60 min)
Yeast: i went with a Saflager w-34/70
Priming: muttons carb tabs
It says its ready in 3 months and in the general instrutions the only give me instrutions on a 2 week fementation and 2 week conditioning.
i just dont want to mess it up.

 

[elmetal]

saflager is a lager yeast if I'm not mistaken. with that, you'd have a hard time drinking unless you actually fermented cold and lagered...

 

[Scooby_Brew]

With Saflager W34/70 I would go 2-3 weeks in a primary at 50-55'F, 3-4 weeks in a secondary at 55-60'F,and then bottle condition for 1-4 months at 55-60'F.

Or, if you don't have a fermenting fridge, do 5 weeks in cool temps (50-60F ideally) and then bottle condition for a couple of months.

http://www.fermentis.com/FO/pdf/HB/EN/Saflager_W-3470_HB.pdf

 

[elmetal]

I would do 3 weeks 54 degrees, 5 weeks at 34 degrees and then bottle and condition as normal.