Anyone doing lagers in primary only?

[Bonde]

Just brewed my 3rd Doppel Bock…

And can’t help to wonder, due to all the threads about primary only, if anyone ‘round here does the same with their lager beers/high OG/FG beers.

I’m planning on maybe leaving the DB for 3 weeks primary at 8-11c and then during the next week lower the temperature by 1c a day ending up at 0-2c for another 5 weeks.

Do this sound off for a Doppel bock (1078 OG and Wyeast Bavarian lager yeast).

 

[jjones17]

I brew my Doppel Bocks like this, using Munich Lager yeast:
- 3 weeks primary at 50F (Note, I do a 3 day D-rest when vigorous fermentation starts to slow a little)
- Bottle
- Wait a month or more
- Drink

I honestly cannot yet tell the difference between a doppelbock 'lagered' or not (have tried many store bought doppels, mine is as good as most if not better than some). I doubt with that style it even matters - I know I just painted a target on my back for some flaming, but this is my experience. Your system sounds just fine.

 

[Yooper]

Just brewed my 3rd Doppel Bock…

And can’t help to wonder, due to all the threads about primary only, if anyone ‘round here does the same with their lager beers/high OG/FG beers.

I’m planning on maybe leaving the DB for 3 weeks primary at 8-11c and then during the next week lower the temperature by 1c a day ending up at 0-2c for another 5 weeks.

Do this sound off for a Doppel bock (1078 OG and Wyeast Bavarian lager yeast).

I wouldn't. I mean, primary of 3 weeks or so is fine for ales. Probably also for lagers, but I wouldn't leave the beer (lager OR ale) on the yeast for upwards of 7-8 weeks like you're proposing. Lagers are much "cleaner" tasting without yeast character, and my practice is to get the lager off of the yeast cake right after it's finished and the diacetyl rest is done.

 

[remilard]

I ferment lagers at about 48 (WLP833 mostly) from a pitch at about 44. When the krausen starts to drop (by the end of the first week normally), I start to ramp the temp up a couple of degrees a day to about 60 by the end of the second week and leave it there a week (doppelbock may be 4 weeks total not 3). It then goes in a keg and I find most of them taste great after 2 weeks cold (except doppelbock which likes some age) and really good at 6 weeks cold. This is not entirely different other than length and temperature in primary to how I brew ales.

I think Jamil Z used to say that he did like 6 weeks for lagers at 48-50, so more fermentation than me because he wasn't ramping and that they were ready to go without any cold storage.

In any case, I only rack off the yeast to go to the keg, just like an ale. I wouldn't do 3 weeks of fermentation and 6 of lagering all in the primary.

 

[Bonde]

The idea of an early bottling sounds interesting… and i have often wondered what the difference between lagering in the bottle vs. secondary is, when brewing with a 3 weeks primary and D-rest. As I see it, the active days, or at least, the co2 developing fase is over with the yeast. A bottle could/should be as good as a keg right?

Maybe I should try bottling after 6 weeks or so and it should give me no problem with carbonation without adding additional yeast for carb. Will there be any downside to bottling this “early” with a doppel bock.

 

[kanzimonson]

If you are lagering really cold (is that redundant?), I don't see a problem lagering in the primary. The cold temps will keep the yeast at bay. Yes, I do think that you'll get a cleaner beer if you transfer, but I'm 1) lazy 2) scared of contamination/oxidation during transfers, so I say go for it.

It's not a question of ruin vs. good... it's probably more like great vs. pretty damn great

 

[Bonde]

Just for the curious i took a few pictures today.

Fermentation startet fast, though I cooled it down to about 12-14 before pitching, and then again cooling fast to 9c.

These pictures taken 24 hours after pitching, is it too vigorous for a lager? Or just a sign of everything being very healthy.

I used a 5 gallon starter, and air for 10 minutes with a aquarium pump, plus a lot of shaking. 2-4 minutes.