first time lagering
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Can you control fermentation temps? That's pretty much a necessity to do a lager and have it turn out worth a hoot.
Get lots of yeast ready. For your first lager, consider using dry yeast (2 packs, rehydrated) unless you're set up to do big starters or have a stir plate.
Chill your wort down into the mid 40's before pitching.
If using liquid yeast, oxygenate the wort before pitching.
Ferment cold. That normally means around 48-50*F for the first 9-10 days, get a gravity reading to see that it's almost done (like 85-90% to FG) then let the temp come up to 61-62*F for 3 days for a d-rest. I then cold crash at 35-36*F for a week before going into the keg.
Store the keg 6-10 weeks at around 34-36*F.
Easy, ain't it?
Get lots of yeast ready. For your first lager, consider using dry yeast (2 packs, rehydrated) unless you're set up to do big starters or have a stir plate.
Chill your wort down into the mid 40's before pitching.
If using liquid yeast, oxygenate the wort before pitching.
Ferment cold. That normally means around 48-50*F for the first 9-10 days, get a gravity reading to see that it's almost done (like 85-90% to FG) then let the temp come up to 61-62*F for 3 days for a d-rest. I then cold crash at 35-36*F for a week before going into the keg.
Store the keg 6-10 weeks at around 34-36*F.
Easy, ain't it?
RCCOLA
Well-Known Member
Floyd gave you some good advice. I would add. Taste after a few days during the d-rest. If it doesn't taste good, then it's not ready to cold crash. Your tastebuds are your best friend at this point.
Great advice. I'm going to use my kegerator, but we've got a nice dark closet that is consistently 18 degrees Celcius...we're in the Andes. We can probably pull off the warmer period in our solarium.
The d-rest is what exactly? Simply a warmer period?
Do I need two packs of yeast for five gallons?
The d-rest is what exactly? Simply a warmer period?
Do I need two packs of yeast for five gallons?
18*C (64.4*F) is great for ales. It is, however, way too warm for a lager (except maybe during the D-rest).
Unless you can consistently hold a ferment down around 9-10*C, stick with ales. You will be much more satisfied with the result.
A diacetyl rest (d-rest) is a short time period toward the very end of the ferment when you let the beer temp come up 10-12*F to encourage the lager yeast to consume the excess diacetyl that they produced during the cool fermentation. Some ale yeasts (like the WY1968 ESB I have going right now) are also known for kicking off a noticeable amount of diacetyl during ferment.
I'd pitch two 11g packs of dry for a normal gravity lager.
Unless you can consistently hold a ferment down around 9-10*C, stick with ales. You will be much more satisfied with the result.
A diacetyl rest (d-rest) is a short time period toward the very end of the ferment when you let the beer temp come up 10-12*F to encourage the lager yeast to consume the excess diacetyl that they produced during the cool fermentation. Some ale yeasts (like the WY1968 ESB I have going right now) are also known for kicking off a noticeable amount of diacetyl during ferment.
I'd pitch two 11g packs of dry for a normal gravity lager.
I got it now. I've been brewing ales for about five years and was given a lager kit as a gift. I think i can pull off the temperature changes using my kegerator.
I'll have to he sure to purge the corny keg if I'm going to ferment in it.
Thanks again.
I'll have to he sure to purge the corny keg if I'm going to ferment in it.
Thanks again.
Welcome to the world of lagers, my favorite beer group. Floyd has it right on the nose as for process. Proper temp control will give you beautiful, clean lagers, so the recipe shines through.
If you are going to ferment in a corny keg, you have to get a special lid for it that will accommodate an airlock. If you just seal it up while it's fermenting, the results could be catastrophic. Simply put, it could go "boom".
If you can get your hands on an STC-1000 or some other controller to use on the kegerator, that will help you actually set the ferment temp with precision.
If you have plenty of head space an airlock can be rigged to the "gas-in" post of your keg. You could get away with that doing a 4 gallon lager at lower end of the temp range. Otherwise you'll risk blockage from krausen and, as BigFloyd says, catastrophic.
Please don't do that. I'm not sure how much pressure would build up during active ferment while you're sleeping, but I'd hate for you to find out the hard way that it's too much for the corny to handle.
I ferment in 6.5 gallon buckets w/ s-airlocks. Some folks use carboys or better bottles.
RCCOLA
Well-Known Member
Dude, just take the liquid post off and dip tube out, get a piece of hose that will fit over the post threads and run it into a jar full of starsan or vodka. Easy blow off and no risk of a nasty mess when the pressure blows the relief valve open.
