First Try Lager

[Mac951]

So: To keep this more about fermentation and Yeast, I'll do a quick recipe update...

American Dark Lager (doesn't matter much from here for recipe).

Fermentation plan:

Wort chilled to 45°F (wort chiller then overnight in chest freezer w/control)

Yeast Saflager W-43/70 two packets.

I'm not sure of the rehydration for lager dry yeast, so here's my plan:
1 cup boiled water cooled to 95°F and add yeast
steep for 15 mins
stir
steep for 15 minutes
cool to 45°F in fridge
stir
pitch to 45°F wort.

allow wort to heat up to 50°F over first couple of days.
Ferment to complete at 50°F.

Rack to secondary, and lager @ 34-40° for 4 weeks.

Bottle: Yet another question, with this procedure, there
should be enough yeast left over, so I'd let the batch come
back to room temp, add priming sugar, bottle condition at room
temp, then back to 40°F for storage.

That said, I've only done ales before, and so some of these
procedures seem a bit strange. Hydrate yeast and pitch is a
bit uhh misleading for an ale guy, so did I get it right?

-Mac

 

[snevey]

You may have problems getting the bottles to properly carb. Another thing, a general rule of thumb is lager 10 degrees colder then you fermented. So, if your fermenting at 45, lager at 35. If your fermenting at 50, lager at 40. You may want to save some of the slurry from the primary, after you rack, to add some in your bottling bucket. The lagering phase really takes a lot of the yeast out of suspension. You could also make sure that you siphon enough of the trub from your secondary into your bottling bucket.

Good luck, and update us on how it turns out!

 

[Mac951]

Wow, this thread is OLD. But that is what you get when you start Lagers...

Recipe: ( I love Brewtarget, even if it isn't perfect) (end of recipe labeled with EOF if you want to skip)

American Dark Lager Mac's Black - Dark American Lager (4A)Brewer Mac
Date 05/31/2012
Batch Size 5.813 gal Boil Size 7.163 gal
Boil Time 60.000 min Efficiency 68%
OG 1.051 FG 1.013
ABV 5.0% Bitterness 10.1 IBU (Tinseth)
Color 18.2 srm (Morey) Calories (per 12 oz.) 168
Fermentables
Total grain: 11.875 lbName Type Amount Mashed Late Yield Color
Rahr - 2 Row Malt Grain 10.000 lb Yes No 80% 2.0 srm
Corn, Flaked Grain 16.000 oz Yes No 80% 1.0 srm
Carafa II Grain 6.000 oz Yes No 70% 412.0 srm
Chocolate Malt (US) Grain 2.000 oz Yes No 60% 350.0 srm
Munich Malt Grain 6.000 oz Yes No 80% 9.0 srm
Hops
Name Alpha Amount Use Time Form IBU
Tettnang 3.7% 1.000 oz Boil 45.000 min Pellet 10.1
Misc
Name Type Use Amount Time
Irish Moss Fining Boil 1.000 tsp 0.000 s
Yeast
Name Type Form Amount Stage
Wyeast - American Lager Lager Liquid 0.528 cup Primary
Wyeast - American Lager Lager Liquid 0.528 cup Primary
Mash
Name Type Amount Temp Target Temp Time
Strike Infusion 4.036 gal 160.898 F 150.000 F 90.000 min
Mash Out Infusion 2.022 gal 202.000 F 165.000 F 15.000 min
Final Batch Sparge Infusion 2.923 gal 181.756 F 165.200 F 15.000 min
Instructions

Add 10.000 lb Rahr - 2 Row Malt, 16.000 oz Corn, Flaked, 6.000 oz Carafa II, 2.000 oz Chocolate Malt (US), 6.000 oz Munich Malt, to the mash tun.
Bring 4.036 gal water to 160.898 F, 2.022 gal water to 202.000 F, 2.923 gal water to 181.756 F, for upcoming infusions. Heated 6+ gallons for strike and mashout. 3 gallons for Sparge
Add 4.036 gal water at 160.898 F to mash to bring it to 150.000 F. Hold for 90.000 min. Heated to 161°F and mashed in to 150°F Remaining water used for Mash Out. Tun actually 163°F so used 165 strike water. 90 minutes with Towel on top of MLT resulted in 2° temperature drop across entire mash. Check temp every 20 minutes
Add 2.022 gal water at 202.000 F to mash to bring it to 165.000 F. Hold for 15.000 min. Carefully added remaining water and ensured temperature did NOT go over 169°F Drained into Kettle, while heating sparge water.
Add 2.923 gal water at 181.756 F to mash to bring it to 165.200 F. Hold for 15.000 min. Sparged ensuring temperature did NOT exceed 169°F. Only reached 165° since MLT was only at 160 instead of 170 at end of Mash Out.
Bring the wort to a boil and hold for 60.000 min. Watch for Boil-overs No lid used. Boiled for 30 minutes before adding 45 minute hop addition
Put 1.000 oz Tettnang into boil for 45.000 min.
Put 1.000 tsp Irish Moss into boil for 20 minutes
Chiller put in 10 minutes before flame out Whirlpool at flameout Stop boiling the wort.
You should have 6.813 gal wort post-boil. You anticipate losing 4.000 qt to trub and chiller loss. The final volume in the primary is 5.813 gal. Less Loss, more like 2 quarts to trub etc...
Cool wort and pitch Wyeast - American Lager Lager yeast, Wyeast - American Lager Lager yeast, to the primary. Cooled Wort, to 40°F Rehydrated Yeast correctly and cooled to 40°F Pitched Yeast at 40°F, and allowed temperature to raise to 50°F over first week of fermentation.
Let ferment until FG is 1.013. 6 weeks
Transfer beer to secondary. Lager at 40°F for another 6 weeks.

Brew Date 2012-06-03
PreboilSG 1.048 Volume into BK 7.000 gal
Strike Temp 32.000 F Final Temp 165.000 F
Eff into BK 77.98% Projected OG 1.051
PostboilOG 1.051 Postboil Volume 6.813 gal
Volume Into Fermenter 5.813 gal Brewhouse Eff 68.06
Projected ABV 4.97%
PostfermentFG 1.013 Volume 5.813 gal
Date 2012-06-10 ABV 4.97
EOF

Fermentation:
Chilled Wort and Yeast to 40°F, then pitched, then allowed to "warm" to 50° over 2 days, then fermented to completion (12 more) at 50°F

Racked to secondary after krausen settled (I was a little late).
Secondary for 2 weeks at 40°, then raised to 65°F for bottling.

Bottled, and after 2 weeks of conditioning at room temp ~75°F, I'll lager it till drinking time at <40°F.

So far results are excellent if a slight malty. Color is a great red-black that reminds me of BBQ right off the grill. Performance is exactly as stated in recipe, FG 1.013 on the money.

-Mac