First lager much faster than expected?

[hoppyroo]

After years of ales, I brewed my first lager last Tuesday, a Bohemian Pilsner with 94% german pils, 6% carapils. Czech Saaz to about 45 IBU with a 1055 OG. Just under 5 gallons in the fermenter.

I did a 2-step starter on Wyeast 2001 (Pilsner Urquell) to get to Yeastcalc's recommend 380 billion cells. Chilled after the boil, aerated well (with a mash paddle in a power drill) then pitched the yeast when the wort was around 62F. Set my stc-1000 to 50F, which the wort got to after about 3 hours in the fridge.

Now everything I'd read suggested fermentation would be slower than with my ales, and I could expect a larger lag time. However within 12 hours I could see a krausen forming (I use cling wrap, no airlock), and 24 hours after pitching my gravity was already down to 1049. Now after only 4 days in the fermenter, it's down to 1.020 (my expected FG is around 1013).

I'd also read that I'd need a diacetyl rest for a couple of days near the end of fermentation, and that I could expect sulphur aromas during fermentation, and for the gravity samples to taste pretty bad. But I can't smell any sulphur, and the sample tastes just fine.

I've been searching around a bit on this today, and have seen some people suggest that if you pitch the right amount of yeast, and aerate well, that a d-rest might not even be necessary, and that often it's only used to clean up the off flavours/aromas left by yeast that's stressed due to severe under-pitching?

I'm not sure now whether to let it go for a few more days before doing a d-rest, or not doing one at all? My plan was to let it get to around 1020, up the temp back to 62 for a couple of days, then rack it to secondary and start lagering at around 35F. But given I can't detect any diacetyl, should I just let it ferment out without the d-rest before racking and lagering?

Has anyone else had experience with lagers at 50F fermenting out so quickly, with no apparent sulphur/diacetyl?

 

[itchygomey]

I do a D rest each time to be safe. You are just over 75% through fermenting and thats when i usually up the temp 10 degrees to finish out and then rack to secondary for lagering.


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[hoppyroo]

I do a D rest each time to be safe. You are just over 75% through fermenting and thats when i usually up the temp 10 degrees to finish out and then rack to secondary for lagering.

Thanks...I'm just really surprised to find myself at 1020 with a lager after only 4 days.

 

[hoppyroo]

Would still like to hear from other brewers if they've had a similar experience of nearly fermenting out in 4-5 days, even at 50F, without any of the legendary smells and tastes expected from a lager fermentation?

 

[Yooper]

Would still like to hear from other brewers if they've had a similar experience of nearly fermenting out in 4-5 days, even at 50F, without any of the legendary smells and tastes expected from a lager fermentation?

Yes, often. I have usually had "normal" strength lagers be ready for the diacetyl rest by day 5, assuming an OG of 1.045-1.060 or so.

I don't ever pitch warm- I chill the wort to about 48 degrees and pitch 45 degree yeast into it and let it rise to 50 degrees for fermentation. I would think that pitching it warm would make it go even faster.

 

[Cyclman]

Good oxygen, lots of yeast, good fermentation, no surprise.

 

[hoppyroo]

I decided to up the temp to 60F for a d-rest yesterday, and after 24 hours at that temp it's at 1.014, so pretty much completely done, inside of 6 days. I was expecting a lot longer.

Sample still tastes great, a touch 'dusty' as expected this early. I'll let it rest another 24 hours, then I'll rack to a secondary. I'm not sure what to do in the secondary though...do I crash chill and start lagering straight away, or go back to 50F for a week or so before crash chilling & lagering?

 

[Yooper]

I decided to up the temp to 60F for a d-rest yesterday, and after 24 hours at that temp it's at 1.014, so pretty much completely done, inside of 6 days. I was expecting a lot longer.

Sample still tastes great, a touch 'dusty' as expected this early. I'll let it rest another 24 hours, then I'll rack to a secondary. I'm not sure what to do in the secondary though...do I crash chill and start lagering straight away, or go back to 50F for a week or so before crash chilling & lagering?

If the FG is stable, then you can begin lagering right away. No need to chill slowly if the beer is finished and the diacetyl rest is done.

 

[BigFloyd]

I decided to up the temp to 60F for a d-rest yesterday, and after 24 hours at that temp it's at 1.014, so pretty much completely done, inside of 6 days. I was expecting a lot longer.

Sample still tastes great, a touch 'dusty' as expected this early. I'll let it rest another 24 hours, then I'll rack to a secondary. I'm not sure what to do in the secondary though...do I crash chill and start lagering straight away, or go back to 50F for a week or so before crash chilling & lagering?

Once it's done fermenting (I'd let it sit another few days), go ahead and cold crash the primary a week in the mid-30's. Lager yeast needs a bit longer to drop out.

If you're going to keg this, using a secondary isn't helpful. Just rack the cold beer out of the primary into a keg and lager in that.

 

[PeteNMA]

I had exactly the same experience, a Helles went from 1.055 to 1.010 in five days. Day 3 it hit 1.018 so I warmed it up from 50f fermenting to 70f d-rest. Two days at 70, cold crashed for two days then racked to keg.


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[grathan]

I just did my first lager too. Was also surprised. It was like 2 days longer than an ale would take. Even with an underpitch and poor oxygen.

 

[hoppyroo]

I had exactly the same experience, a Helles went from 1.055 to 1.010 in five days. Day 3 it hit 1.018 so I warmed it up from 50f fermenting to 70f d-rest. Two days at 70, cold crashed for two days then racked to keg.

Thanks for that. I have put off brewing a lager for ages because of all the 'trouble' I read about (slow fermentation times, diacetyl, long lagering times etc). Seems all of the 'rules' don't always apply.

Some examples of what I read:
Palmer, How to Brew, section 10.1
"The lower fermentation temperature decreases the rate at which the yeast work and lengthens both the primary and secondary fermentation times. The primary phase for ales is often 2 - 5 days, but 1 - 3 weeks is normal for a lager"

Braukaiser, Fermenting Lagers
"Because lagers ferment at lower temperatures than ales and yeast metabolism works slower at these temperatures, they take longer to ferment and also require more attention than ale fermentations, which makes them less attractive for most home brewers"

I'm crash chilling now, will leave it for a week or so before kegging and lagering. I'll taste it occasionally during the lagering phase just to see how the flavor develops over time.

 

[FabianG88]

My first lager I brewed, I only used 2 dry yeast packets of Saflager S-23 for a 1.091 O.G......I know I way under pitched! When I woke up to check the fermenter the next day it was already actively fermenting at 54F (very surprisingly, especially since I was under the assumption that since this was a lager strand it should ferment relatively slowly compared to an ale yeast). Had it fermenting for 6 days and it dropped down to a gravity reading of 1.028. At that point it had attenuated to around 69%. So i started the D-rest at 63F. Beer finished at 1.020 and has been lagering at 40F for the past 4 week. I plan on cold conditioning between 8-12 weeks. Tasted a sample and it taste GREAT!!! one of my best beers to date crisp and flavorful with no off flavors what so ever.

 

[PeteNMA]

I think if you pitch plenty of yeast and control the temperature adequately you shouldn't have too much trouble.