Do I need to rack to secondary for lagering (as opposed to keeping it on the yeast)?

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jacobev

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Ok, so I'm making the "Molasses Marzen" from Calagione's Extreme Brewing. You can find the recipe about halfway down the page here, for reference.

It's been fermenting in primary at 50° since I brewed in on July 5th (so just under a month). I diacetyl rested it at 60° from Tuesday evening til this morning (About 36 hours), and it's definitely fully fermented.

I plan to lager it at 40° for about 6 or 7 weeks before kegging.

This morning, as I went to turn down my thermostat to 40°, I realized that maybe I should have racked it off the yeast to a clean fermenter.

I pitched a starter of healthy yeast when I started fermenting, and it seems like (from the consensus online) I shouldn't be running much a risk for autolysis.

So the question: Should I rack it? Can I just keep it on the yeast in the primary? Does it matter?

Thanks.
 
You can get some yeasty flavors that aren't real good compliments with lagers, especially for 6 to 7 additional weeks. That is actually probably longer than what you would do for a normal ale that long, even with a good starter.
 
Why do you say that? What risk do I run by not doing it?

A lager is characterized by the "clean" flavor and crisp finish. A lager is without any yeast character. Leaving it for months on a yeast cake will impart some flavor characteristics. It may not be terrible, but it won't be a super clean and crisp lager.

I would NOT go to all the trouble of fermenting a lager, just to be inattentive and not bother racking it after the diacetyl rest. It takes like 15 minutes to rack it to a sanitized carboy and to get ready for lagering.

Leaving a lager on a yeast cake for three months is pretty lazy. I rack on day 10-14, as soon as fermentation is finished and the diacetyl rest is done.
 
A lager is characterized by the "clean" flavor and crisp finish. A lager is without any yeast character. Leaving it for months on a yeast cake will impart some flavor characteristics. It may not be terrible, but it won't be a super clean and crisp lager.

I would NOT go to all the trouble of fermenting a lager, just to be inattentive and not bother racking it after the diacetyl rest. It takes like 15 minutes to rack it to a sanitized carboy and to get ready for lagering.

Leaving a lager on a yeast cake for three months is pretty lazy. I rack on day 10-14, as soon as fermentation is finished and the diacetyl rest is done.
Okay! Point taken. I don't have the siphon & clean fermenter with me today, though.

Any harm done in waiting til tomorrow? (ie, already been down to 40° for ~24 hours)?
 
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