Fermenting a lager

[eck]

I am working on my first lager and would like to know when I should drop the temperature? As soon as I pitch, or after I see obvious fermentation going on. I am using WL Southern German Lager yeast, and am going to throw this in my Keezer at around 45F.

 

[schweaty]

How to Brew - By John Palmer - When to Lager

 

[david_42]

Yes
and
Yes

People do it both ways. I pitch warm and cool down for the ferment. Others prefer to make large starters and pitch low.

 

[Yooper]

I make a huge starter and then put it in the fridge. On brewday, I decant the spent wort and allow it to warm up to 48 degrees. I chill the wort to 50-52 degrees and pitch the starter. I find that this gives me the best lagers I've ever made. The very slightly warmer wort gives the yeast starter a bit of a jump.

My reasoning is pretty simple. Just like I don't pitch my ales at 90 degrees, and then allow them to go down to 70 degrees, I don't pitch my yeast into lagers 20 degrees higher, either. I'm afraid that fermentation will start before the temperature drops, so the majority of fermentation would occur at too high a temperature.

If you drop the temperature too fast, you may stall the fermentation. If you drop it too slow, the fermentation will happen at a too-high temperature. It's just easier (to me) to pitch at fermentation temperatures.

 

[eck]

Thanks guys. I pitched in the low 70's and let it sit for about 12 hours and the started cooling. I may have cooled too fast, so I will have to see if I stuck it next week.

 

[eck]

fermenting away