First lager

[Kirkwooder]

My yeast starter is finially making a few bubbles and apears to be coming to life. I have 1L of 1.040 wort that I pitched the yeast into. Can I simply make 4 more liters of wort and combine the two or should I wait for this to flocate and decant the beer off. Then add 4L on the cake, or do i need to do more steps of smaller starters?

 

[progmac]

My yeast starter is finially making a few bubbles and apears to be coming to life. I have 1L of 1.040 wort that I pitched the yeast into. Can I simply make 4 more liters of wort and combine the two or should I wait for this to flocate and decant the beer off. Then add 4L on the cake, or do i need to do more steps of smaller starters?

sure, you can do that. http://yeastcalc.com/ is a very good resource for stepped starters. you could probably get away with adding just 2L more.

 

[Kirkwooder]

OK, I think that I have the yeast thing figured out. I think I'll do 4L. It shouldn't hurt anything if I do that right?

Has anyone tried this recipe?

 

[progmac]

OK, I think that I have the yeast thing figured out. I think I'll do 4L. It shouldn't hurt anything if I do that right?

Has anyone tried this recipe?

I googled it and this thread came up! I've never heard of Canuck Canuck Canadian Lager. 4L is great!

 

[Kirkwooder]

OK. brew day is finally here and I have a few questions. When I am boiling my hop additions, should the pot be covered? I have not yet added the extracts, and I don't plan to untill the final hop addition.

 

[Darwin18]

Do not leave the cover on the pot during the boil. The point of the boil is drive off DMS.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Thanks Darwin!
I have racked off 4l of the liquid from my 5L starter and plan to pitch the remaining liter with trub and all. Can I save the 4L that I racked off for a starter remake?

 

[progmac]

Thanks Darwin!
I have racked off 4l of the liquid from my 5L starter and plan to pitch the remaining liter with trub and all. Can I save the 4L that I racked off for a starter remake?

The decanted beer is really good for nothing. Making a starter from the beer is possible i suppose but between the alcohol and the lowly flocculant yeast cells, I would think it to be a bad idea.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Next question: The brew day went great with no major issues. I ended up a 1/2 lb short of the 4 lbs of ldme that the recipe called for, because of making a huge starter, and ended up subbing in an extra 1/2 lb of rice suryp powder. I chilled the wort to 64*, and pitched the starter. Do I wait for it to start an active fermentation befor cooling it in to the 50's, or should I get it down there as soon as possible?

 

[progmac]

Next question: The brew day went great with no major issues. I ended up a 1/2 lb short of the 4 lbs of ldme that the recipe called for, because of making a huge starter, and ended up subbing in an extra 1/2 lb of rice suryp powder. I chilled the wort to 64*, and pitched the starter. Do I wait for it to start an active fermentation befor cooling it in to the 50's, or should I get it down there as soon as possible?

Get is down ASAP. Pitching while the wort is warmer is a technique for correcting underpitching. In your case it isn't necessary.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Thanks Progmac,

Do I rack when I'm ready for the D rest? Or wait untill after?

 

[progmac]

Thanks Progmac,

Do I rack when I'm ready for the D rest? Or wait untill after?

I always rack after D rest or not at all. You could maybe do it before but I'm not sure.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Just an update and huge thank you to all those who gave me advise on this brew: I am enjoying the first of many of these lagers. It came out very clear and tasty with a good balance of hop/malt! I never dreamed I could make beer this good. It's very simular to a comercial lager but only way better! I can't really explain how but wow is it good!!!

I'd post some picts if I was computer literate! lol

I brewed this to share at my anual Independance Day party but there is no way this will last that long!!! Oh well! Just maybe I'll get another batch perking and done just in time for the wife B-Day. lol

 

[lemy]

Thanks Progmac,

Do I rack when I'm ready for the D rest? Or wait untill after?

the Diacetyl rest is literally when yeast eats the Diacetyl. If there is no yeast present then who will eat all of that diacetyl?

all of your yeast must be present in order to get rid of Diacetyl.

 

[progmac]

the Diacetyl rest is literally when yeast eats the Diacetyl. If there is no yeast present then who will eat all of that diacetyl?

all of your yeast must be present in order to get rid of Diacetyl.

Are you sure? Have you tried it both ways? Racking a lager shortly after primary leaves a lot of yeast in suspension. Although I agree that general practice is to rack after doing the d-rest.