First Lager: Fermentation Timing Question

[JayInJersey]

So July 4th I made my first true lager...an Oktoberfest

My goal is to:
ferment at 53* for 21 days
rest at 63* for 3 days
lager at 35* for 120 days


This is also my first time using this BeerBug thing...so the extra data is making me paranoid


Had a great start from my 1.050 to 1.045 in a little over a week acording to the Bug...but things appear to be slowing


Realizing I have PLENTLY of time left to go, Im just wondering when do Lagers do the majority of their fermenting?

 

[BargainFittings]

Depends on your pitch rate and health of the yeast. I've pitched with harvested german lager yeast from a local brewery and finished out primary in 7 days, transferred to kegs and lager for 2 weeks and got a very nice finished marzen.

I would check gravity on your lager after 2 weeks and when you hit your projected final gravity start thinking about doing the rest.

 

[SpeedYellow]

It should be all done in 7-10 days if you pitched enough healthy yeast. If you didn't, then it can take 3 weeks.

P.s. Instead of waiting until day 21 for a d-rest, you should do this when fermentation slows. Which is apparently right now. Then give it 3-5 days (I highly recommend 5!) then cold crash and lager 7 weeks. 4 months is unnecessary.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I agree with the others... an Oktoberfest at my house would be grain to glass in about 2 weeks. I generally lager my lagers while they're on tap, as opposed to the traditional method of lagering offline for several weeks before tapping. If you haven't hit FG in a week, something's wrong.

 

[JayInJersey]

hmmm...had a literal 2L starter as in 2L of slurry after cold crash and decant...so there should be plenty of buggers

think i might have to double check ye old BeerBug's accuracy this weekend

 

[oujens]

Depends on your pitch rate and health of the yeast. I've pitched with harvested german lager yeast from a local brewery and finished out primary in 7 days, transferred to kegs and lager for 2 weeks and got a very nice finished marzen.

I would check gravity on your lager after 2 weeks and when you hit your projected final gravity start thinking about doing the rest.

Out of curiosity, which beer did you harvest your yeast from?

 

[BargainFittings]

They use an augustiner lager yeast. makes a great marzen or other german lager style beers.

I also brewed a classic american pilsner with it. Have not tasted the result on that yet.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Do a D-rest closer to 5-7 days. Like the other guys said.

 

[oujens]

They use an augustiner lager yeast. makes a great marzen or other german lager style beers.

I also brewed a classic american pilsner with it. Have not tasted the result on that yet.

Sorry, I was curious which beer you harvested from. I;m assuming its a Franconia beer since you are near to it. I really like their beers a lot and don't know why I haven't tried to harvest some of their yeast. I would love to duplicate the lager and dunkel.

Thanks

 

[kh54s10]

I have done a couple of lagers with 2 weeks at 50, ramped to 60 for 2 days, ramped down to 35 over 2 weeks then in a keg and drinking in about a week. They were very good.

 

[gometz]

I've been using the fast lager method and it works very well if you do it right. I rushed the d rest once and it wasn't great (I do a minimum of 7 days now).

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Out of curiosity, which beer did you harvest your yeast from?

I would love to try and clone the Dunkel!! Let me know if you start this process.

I have a Velvet Hammer Clone from Peticolas that is really close if you are interested in that.

 

[oujens]

I would love to try and clone the Dunkel!! Let me know if you start this process.

I have a Velvet Hammer Clone from Peticolas that is really close if you are interested in that.

Man, a velvet hammer clone would be awesome. Is it in a thread somewhere?

I would love to start making some Franconia clones and the Dunkel is right up there. I need to go snoop around again on a tour and see what grains they might use for it.

 

[BargainFittings]

Sorry, I was curious which beer you harvested from. I;m assuming its a Franconia beer since you are near to it. I really like their beers a lot and don't know why I haven't tried to harvest some of their yeast. I would love to duplicate the lager and dunkel.

Thanks

It came out of Deep Ellum Brewery. I'm not sure if Dennis at Franconia would share out yeast or not.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

@oujens there is a thread but here is the recipe that I pulled from the pieces of the thread. I made this and its pretty spot on man.

Velvet Hammer clone AG

5.5 Gallon (7.13g pre-boil)

11.5 lb. Rahr Two Row
2.5 lbs. CaraAmber
1.5 lbs. CaraMalt
5 oz. Extra Dark Crystal (Simpsons; 160L)
1 LB Light Brown Sugar(5 mins)

Mash @ 149

Hops

Boil
1 oz Bravo -60 min=48.3 IBU

.41 oz Chinook-30 min= 12.8 IBU
.41 oz Centennial-30 min= 9.8 IBU
.35 oz Columbus-30 min= 14.3 IBU

1 oz Centennial- Flameout
1 oz Columbus- Flameout
1 oz Chinook- Flameout

Yeast
Wyeast 1098 British Ale (make a large starter)

OG: 1.078----FG 1.011= 8.9%
5.5Gallon/85.2 IBU

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

It came out of Deep Ellum Brewery. I'm not sure if Dennis at Franconia would share out yeast or not.

Yeah, the guys at Peticolas were cool enough to get us in the right direction with the VH...not sure if that would be the case at Franconica or not but...its worth a shot! :rockin:

 

[BargainFittings]

Yeah, the guys at Peticolas were cool enough to get us in the right direction with the VH...not sure if that would be the case at Franconica or not but...its worth a shot! :rockin:

Love me some velvet hammer. Going to brew that up.

Thanks for posting!

 

[oujens]

@oujens there is a thread but here is the recipe that I pulled from the pieces of the thread. I made this and its pretty spot on man.

Velvet Hammer clone AG

5.5 Gallon (7.13g pre-boil)

11.5 lb. Rahr Two Row
2.5 lbs. CaraAmber
1.5 lbs. CaraMalt
5 oz. Extra Dark Crystal (Simpsons; 160L)
1 LB Light Brown Sugar(5 mins)

Mash @ 149

Hops

Boil
1 oz Bravo -60 min=48.3 IBU

.41 oz Chinook-30 min= 12.8 IBU
.41 oz Centennial-30 min= 9.8 IBU
.35 oz Columbus-30 min= 14.3 IBU

1 oz Centennial- Flameout
1 oz Columbus- Flameout
1 oz Chinook- Flameout

Yeast
Wyeast 1098 British Ale (make a large starter)

OG: 1.078----FG 1.011= 8.9%
5.5Gallon/85.2 IBU

Dear God its beautiful! I'll put this on the schedule for the fall. Thanks!!

 

[BargainFittings]

Brewed this up yesterday with some minor changes.

Magnum for bittering charge.
Subbed in cluster for Centennial that I did not have.

Pitched two packs of S-04

It is chugging away and I will report back how it came out.