Brewing a lager for the first time - advice please.

[CDS]

I've brewed a bunch of pale ales, stouts, kolsch, etc. but haven't attempted a lager yet. I have a dedicated cooler to ferment in, so temperature won't be a problem, but I do have a couple questions, so if anyone has some advice, I'd appreciate it.
I'm planning on brewing a Czech-style Pilsner. I'll be using Wyeast 2278, and I notice the profile notes on the Wyeast website states "Sulfur produced during fermentation can be reduced with warmer fermentation temperatures 58 °F (14 °C) and will dissipate with conditioning."
I had been intending to ferment at ~50°F, but that note gave me pause. So first question is:
1) Anyone with experience using this strain? Would you ferment at 58 rather than 50?
2) When preparing a starter, would you start it at the target fermentation temperature and keep it at that temp until time to pitch?
Thanks!

Additional Details if interested:

Equipment profile: BIAB
Batch size 5.5 gallons

Recipe:
10 lbs Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner
.5 lbs caramunich

Using Saaz hops only

OG: 1.049

 

[gabrielrskin]

No need to ferment above 10ºC. Will probably turn out clean and crisp. Just make sure you slowly raise the temperature towards the end of fermentation (1ºP to 2ºP left to your target FG) and give it some time conditioning til it cleans the sulphur, acetaldehyde and especially diacetyl. How long? Only tasting will tell. I got a German Pils which is currently sitting at 19ºC and although it hit FG 10 days ago I still taste some diacetyl in it, so it'll sit a little longer on that temp before lagering. All the sulphury is long gone, though.

Regarding starters: you can leave it at ambient, no problem. If it's a huge starter (above 10% of your wort volume), you can let it sit on the fridge for a couple hours after propagation so the yeast decants. Then you can carefully discard the supernatant (and all the bad flavors alongside of it) and pitch the bottom. If it's not that big, go ahead and pitch the whole of it (never had any problems with that). Just make sure the starter is within 8ºC of your wort temperature by the time you pitch, or the yeast will stress out.

There's no mystery on brewing lagers. It's all about temperature control, yeast pitch rate and patience. Make sure you don't skip or shorten any steps, and keep in mind time will (most likely) only make your beer taste better.

 

[jbschuyler]

Following - getting ready for my first lager too.

 

[cactusgarrett]

1) Would you ferment at 58 rather than 50?
2) When preparing a starter, would you start it at the target fermentation temperature and keep it at that temp until time to pitch?

1 - I've probably used this, but it doesn't stand out. I would treat it like any other lager strain (except for 34/70 if you're pushing it warmer): ferment around 50F, the with 25% remaining raise the temp for a diacetyl rest. Doing this temp rise is sufficient to blow any sulfur that remains after fermentation. Fermentation and time will clean up sulfur. No need to slowly ramp it up either - if you just let it come to room/warm temp by removing from your chilled environment, that should suffice. You're already past the period of off-flavor generation, so a quick temp rise won't impact the batch.

2 - Starters are done at ale temps. You're going for yeast growth and health, which is best done at warmer temps. Cooler temps are to avoid off-flavors during full scale fermentation. Once it's done (whether decanting or pitching the whole thing), you can pitch at warm temps (the starter) into a cooler wort.

 

[Bramling Cross]

Since this is your first lager, it might make sense to limit the moving parts in your process. Specifically, 2278 has a reputation for being a bit cantankerous. It's a great strain, but it will often produce copious sulfur and that sulfur can linger for a solid month in the keg. This is your first lager, so you're going to be eager to sneak a few early pints to gain confirmation that you pulled it off. You don't want to spend a month waiting for your beer to stop smelling like rotten eggs.

Moreover, while there certainly is variation between lager strains, it's nowhere near as dramatic as the differences between ale strains. One lager strain is much the same as any other. There certainly are differences, but they're slight.

I get that you want to take a proper stab at making an authentic Czech pils, but I would argue that using 2278 isn't a vital part of that process. I would pitch two packs of S-189 at 48F and let it ferment at 50F, raising to 54 at half gravity and 56 at three-quarters gravity. You'll hit terminal gravity in about a week and you'll be able to start gleaning some tasty data from your first lager at the two-week mark. This will allow you to start iterating your process and your recipe and give you an open fermenter and fridge in which to do so. Process and recipe are the areas where you make big strides in lager brewing. Assuming you're pitching adequately, the gains that you'll get from your yeast are comparatively small.

I know this wasn't the answer you were looking for, but it is an answer informed by experience.

Good luck, you're going to do great!