First Lager Question

[Gilbey]

I am brewing an Octoberfest tonight. Its 5 pounds of Viena malt, 5 pounds of Munich, one pound of Caramunich, 2 ounces of Hallertau, and I am using Wyeast 2633 Ofest lager blend. I finally have a place to lager, so this is my first time working with lager yeast.

I will ferment in primary for 21 days at 50F. From what I have read I THINK I am supposed to get a few steady SG readings before I rack into secondary, right?

Then for my secondary for the lagering can I use a corny keg since fermentation will pretty much be done? Or should I use a carboy with airlock? I thought I would lager at 38F for 8 weeks.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

Alan

 

[944play]

Then for my secondary for the lagering can I use a corny keg since fermentation will pretty much be done?

I definitely prefer to lager in a corny. They're just easier to work with. They have handles, they aren't fragile, and they hold pressure (so you can carbonate, serve, or transfer the beer).

Don't set your fermentation schedule to a calendar. The beer will tell you when it's done.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Don't set your fermentation schedule to a calendar. The beer will tell you when it's done.

+1. Be prepared to keep your brew in primary a lot longer than 3 weeks.

 

[Gilbey]

Ok. So I should leave it in primary at 50F until I get stable SG readings and then move it to a corny keg and store it at 38F for another 8 weeks?

Also, do I need a blowoff for the korny keg, or can I just seal it, purge the air inside and let it sit with no presure? Or should it be on presure??

Alan

 

[944play]

Ok. So I should leave it in primary at 50F until I get stable SG readings and then move it to a corny keg and store it at 38F for another 8 weeks?

I've never bothered to take gravities. After optional d-rest, after the kraeusen falls, I just leave the beer in primary for a week or so with no activity before chilling or racking.

Also, do I need a blowoff for the korny keg, or can I just seal it, purge the air inside and let it sit with no presure? Or should it be on presure??

Just fill the keg, close it, and purge the headspace. The beer may ferment down another point or two during lagering, which is fine, and means less CO2 you have to buy.

To save even more CO2, you can prime (with sugar, wort, or extract) or kraeusen (with fermenting beer). The latter can apparently fix diacetyl problems late in the game. I did a pretty cool experiment with adding a super-hopped (1oz in 1L!) kraeusen beer to add aroma as well as natural carbonation to a kegged lager.
Edit: If you prime a keg, it should stay at ferment temp for a couple weeks before lagering....

 

[Gilbey]

Awesome, thanks for the help!

Alan