Fermenting a Lager

[AlwaysMillerTime]

I have been an all grain ale homebrew for several years and recently strarting brewing lagers to learn how clean of a beer that I can brew. I am looking for suggestions regarding lager beers and yeasts:

1.) I have read that it is important to pitch your yeast into your wort with both being at the initial lager temperature. I have been lagering at 50 degrees F. It is difficult to get the wort down to 50. Would it be best to place the primary and the yeast starter into the 50 degreee fermentation chamber for a day before pitching?

2.) At what point is it best to do the Diacytal rest?

3.) When would you suggest transfering to a secondary?

4.) The Vienna Lager that I just brewed has little carbonation after 2-1/2 weeks of bottle conditioning. Because, I lagered only at 50 degrees F (for 45 days) versus a lower temperature, I figured that I would have enough viable yeast for carbonation. I may have been wrong...though I will give it more time. Related: I have a Czech lager in the primary and plan to lager at 50 or the low 30 degrees. How does one calculate the amount yeast to add at bottling time?

Thanks

 

[Morrey]

I'll tackle question one and ask for other members to pick up where I leave off:

First thing is most lagers need temp control. I use a chest freezer with an ATC. Without one, unless you live in a very cooperative climate, you need to have temp control. Sounds like you may have that covered.

Two ways to get wort down to 50F. Use an immersion (or similar) chiller with source water until you get as low as it will go. You'll need to shift over to a cooler with ice water slurry with a fountain pump to recirculate ice water thru the coil.

A second method would be to chill your wort down in your temperature controlled fermentation chamber down to 50F before pitching the "big starter" Lagers like big starters from a stir plate. Having the starter and wort at same temp is a good plan.

You can skip a secondary for all practical purposes.

Someone else will chime in before long and keep you moving forward. But I will say if you google in the search bar for lager techniques, you'll have enough reading materials for weeks.

 

[brewbama]

http://howtobrew.com/book/section-1/what-is-different-for-brewing-lager-beer/yeast-differences

 

[Cyclman]

1. Yes
2. When fermentation visibly slows, or is 2/3 of Way to final gravity
3. As soon as fg is stable for 2 days
4 I always dump a little yeast when bottling, but is likely unnecessary unless it is a high gravity beer