Did I mess up my first Lager?

[smf]

Brewing a Dunkel, my first lager (several ales without any problems)

7 lbs light malt extract

3/4 lb Belgian cara 45
1/2 lb crystal 80L
3 oz chocolate malt
2 oz German hersbrucker hops 7 HBU (bittering) 1 hour

Irish Moss - Last 15 minutes

WLP830 German Lager liquid yeast

Pitched yeast (no starter made - will make starters from this point forward) at 70*F.
Active (not excessive) fermentation 24 hours later and moved to 55*F room.
12 hours later, no visible fermentation. 24 hours...still no signs of life.
Current temp of brew (according to my super accurate stick on thermometer) is 56*F.

I haven't checked gravity yet (tend to leave it alone unless necessary)

Is it possible it's completed primary fermentation already? Have seen some posts say it's fine to start at room temp and others have said never do it this way.

Any harm to leave it sit for 2 week?

Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[dave5155]

First of all, you way underpitched if you only used 1 vial of yeast. for a lager you should have pitched around 4 or more vials without a starter. you will get a fermentation but it will probably take awhile for the yeast to get started. secondly, you can't go by the airlock. when the wort/beer is cold it can hold alot more co2 so you may not see bubbles get released in the airlock at all. I've only done a couple of lagers myself, maybe someone with more knowledge will have something for you to do. Part of me wants to say to warm up fermentor until you see some activity but i don't know for sure.

 

[smf]

Thanks Dave1550...I did have active fermentation less than 24 hours after I pitched the yeast (while at room temp). Activity stopped after I moved the fermenter to my 55*F closet.

Right now my only gauge is looking at the airlock - since I'm in a plastic bucket - so I'm a little optimistic regarding your "lack of bubble" airlock comment.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Khan]

I'm by no means an expert, but I pitched one package of yeast into my lager and it turned out fantastic. In fact, got another one I just racked to secondary today. I would guess that you're fine, let it sit for two weeks or so, but I wouldn't worry about it.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[dcp27]

moving active yeast from 70F room to a 55F room will certainly shock the yeast and stall fermentation. why did you wait to move it? theres no way lager yeast is done yet.

definitely no harm in leaving for 2 weeks, its a lager, it shouldnt be bottled for 6+ weeks

 

[smf]

dcp27....I waited to move to 55F for a couple of reasons:

1 - my LHBS "easy lager" instructions said to do it this way
2 - I assumed that following these instructions were a means get the yeast going quickly then move them to their natural environment.

I haven't spent a a lot of time learning about the behavior of yeast. My only experience has been with ale yeast. Based on the posts above, I seems lager yeast acts quite differently...especially when you mess with it's normal environment.

Every batch is a learning experience. The biggest take-away I've rec'd from this one is starters are mandatory on all future brews.

I've got about 1.5 kegs left in the fridge now...so I'm in no hurry. I have another fermenter too, if I'm desperate for another. So I'll just let this one alone for the next few weeks, pull it out for it's rest and then transfer to the secondary and let it ride a few more weeks. Unless I contaminated things (which I doubt, I'm ridiculously sanitary), my wife figures I'll still end up with something drinkable...who knows, could be quite unique and good all at once.

Thanks for the input.

 

[smf]

So on Monday night (1 week later), any sign of possible fermentation was gone. The "bubbler" in the airlock was no longer floating on a pocket of CO2 and was resting on the vent tube. I figured, it's done.

So I moved it back into a 68-70F room for the diacetyl rest. 24 hours later, it's bubbling away. A large bubble every 12-13 seconds. Since I've never made a lager before, does the diacetyl rest act like a mini-fermentation like I'm seeing here?

It's almost acting like I used an Ale yeast....seems to like the warmer temps? I double checked the package....it's labelled "German Lager Yeast". What are the odds that I had an Ale yeast in a Lager package? I assume very low. I guess I could have popped the lid off an took a look inside, but still not sure I could really tell from the surface alone. I'm getting a second glass carboy so I can always see what's going on with my primary from now on.

This one just has me stumped all around. It seems the method I used is not uncommon...just less desirable
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10-4.html

I'll let the diacetyl rest run it's course then transfer to a secondary and just leave it alone for 4 weeks and hope for the best. In the mean time, I'll brew up another ale to take my mind off of it.

 

[smf]

Yummy!!!!

Too much worrying for nothing. Kegged it up, carbed @ 25PSI for 3 days at 38*F....Backed it down to serving pressure and waited a few more days.

Poured a glass...mmmm.

Took a liter to a club meeting.....one of the most popular that day.

Best explanation someone provided......the plastic bucket doesn't seal 100% anymore. At 50*F, activity is slow enough that rather than push a bubble out of the airlock, it leaked around the lid.

Two things I will do from now on (if I use the bucket)...peek under the lid and look for signs of activity and get friendly with my hydrometer.

Before we drank any, I said I will never brew another lager....I'm rethinking that and planning my next for next winter..may even try two.