first lager sample

[yeasty]

i am trying to make my first lager. my temps started out a little high but its been in my kegerator now for about a week. i wanted to take a hydro reading and get a taste.

tastes pretty good and i dont notice any serious off flavors yet but the sample is fizzy. almost like a finished beer should be. is this normal for a lager ?

 

[PintOfBitter]

At cold temperatures, CO2 is much more soluble in water than at room temp. More dissolves into the beer, and less bubbles off. If you were to let it warm, like for a diacetyl rest, it would probably bubble off.

I've had the same thing happen, and I'm pretty sure its normal.

 

[Clonefarmer]

I haven't made a lager yet but, I'm guessing the fiz is from the higher amount of CO2 dissolved into the beer from the lower temp.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, that's quite normal. Colder temperatures "hold" onto co2, so the beer almost appears slightly carbonated.

If you're doing a diacetyl rest, much of that bubbliness will disappear when you raise the temperature. You'll notice a ton of bubbling- it's not fermentation kicking up, it's the co2 off-gassing. (That's one reason you can't rely an airlock activity- the airlock will bubble with the off-gassing).

If you pitched warm, you probably want to do a diacetyl rest before you start lagering.

 

[yeasty]

so i need to bring it to room temp for a day or two and then put it back in the fridge ? i am no where close to FG yet. FG is supposed to be 1.008 and i am at 1.021.

 

[Yooper]

so i need to bring it to room temp for a day or two and then put it back in the fridge ? i am no where close to FG yet. FG is supposed to be 1.008 and i am at 1.021.

A FG of 1.008 is really low, depending on what type of lager you're making.

Anyway, I like to do the diacetyl rest when fermentation is about 75% finished. Then I raise the temperature for about 48 hours (and by then you should be at the FG) and then rack to secondary. Then, begin lowering the temperature again and start the lagering phase.

I don't always do a diacetyl rest, as I find that sometimes they aren't even needed. But I always cold pitch my lagers with a big starter, and find that I don't get much diacetyl production. Some people just always do one as a matter of course when making lagers. Either way is fine. You won't harm the beer by doing one, and if you pitched warm, you probably need one.

 

[yeasty]

as a noob i feel doing one is probably better ! I did a search to get more info. this is a "rolling rock" lager.....it calls for a FG of 1.008, OG was 1.044.

 

[WBC]

For a lager yeast I let it primary for 4 weeks. The less you mess with it the better. Every time you go into it you are taking chances.