First lager...

[Blueflint]

I am making my first lager and I am getting too many different suggestions...

I fermented at 50 degrees, after 2 weeks I checked the f.g. and brought it up to 65 degrees for 2 days for a D rest. Now...should I bottle it now, room temp condition it for a week then cold age it from there or should I put it in a secondary, cold age it for a few weeks then bottle it or?

This is a basic American Lager style with a 1.040 O.G. and the final (corrected) gravity is 1.010. I used Saflager S23 for the yeast.

Suggestion on when I should bottle? Bottle then age or age then bottle or???

Thanks, Tony

 

[COLObrewer]

Two different schools of thought, some age in the bottle because they don't have the room to bulk age, some say bulk aging is better for a more consistent product. If you want to bottle age it then wait till after the D-rest and after it has cleared to your satisfaction, maybe bring it back to lager temps or cold crash, then bottle. If you want to bulk age then wait the desired amount of months at your lagering temp, then bottle. It's ultimately up to you.

 

[solbes]

I would rack to secondary, and lager it at 35F for 4 weeks. Then prime the bottles, carb at room temp for 2-3 weeks. Then check the carb level and start loading your fridge as many as desired. Any extra fridge time the bottles receive will only help.

If you don't have the capability of lagering a carboy at 35F, then I'd bottle w/ priming sugar, wait to carb, and lager in bottles for 4 weeks.

 

[Curtis2010]

I've bulk (keg) aged the lagers I've done and they've turned out great. My guess is that bottle or bulk is not going to make a huge difference, but proper lagering time definitely does.

 

[Blueflint]

If I want to put it into a secondary, lager it around 35 degrees for 4 weeks before I bottle it...will there be enough viable yeast to carb them?

Thanks, Tony

 

[TopherM]

I also always do my lagering in bulk in a secondary. Since I keg, however, my secondary for lagering is conveniently a corny keg. Reason #902 to get a keg setup!

 

[solbes]

If I want to put it into a secondary, lager it around 35 degrees for 4 weeks before I bottle it...will there be enough viable yeast to carb them?

Good question and I had to look up the answer. I keg mine usually. I will bottle my upcoming Octoberfest though, so I needed to find this out too.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/bottle-conditioning-lagers-65260/

It appears that fresh yeast is advised, though you might be all right at 4 weeks lagering. Many suggested adding a little ale yeast for bottle carbing. Makes sense to me!