Help me with my first Lager!

[khiddy]

I have my first lager in the fermenter, a Marzen-esque recipe called PDX Augustinerbrau, using the Wyeast 2487-PC Hella-Bock Private Collection strain. The malt bill was 3lbs Briess Pilsen Light DME, 5lbs Vienna, 1lb Wheat Malt & 1lb Victory Malt. I got a super high efficiency on the mash, finishing with OG 1.061 (expected 1.057). It's lightly hopped, with .33oz Hallertauer Organic FWH and .5oz Magnum bittering hops at 60min.

I brewed last Saturday, brought the temp down to 66, and pitched the yeast. Overnight, the wort temp dropped to ~57, which is high for the yeast (48-56, according to the package), but the yeast was bubbling away at the 26-hour mark. Here's a little chart of my fermentation:

Hour   SG     Wort Temp     Ambient Temp
0     1.061      66F           52F
27    1.061      58F           51F
42    1.046      57F           50F
66    1.022      56F           49F
96    1.015      55F           49F

That last reading, at 96 hours, I just took. My expected FG range is 1.012-1.016, so I'm in the ballpark already, at day 4 of my fermentation. That seems pretty fast to me for a lager, which leads me to a few questions:

1) My original plan was to give the yeast 10-14 days to do its job, then drop the trub (this is fermenting in a conical), let it sit for 2 additional weeks "secondary" at the same 50F, then rack to a keg and lager for 4 weeks. But since the beer appears to have finished fermenting on day 4, is it OK to drop the trub and start my 2 week "secondary" now (or perhaps wait until Saturday to give the trub a bit more time to compact)? I detect no diacetyl, nor off-flavors, so I don't think a rest is necessary. (I'm going to bring in a brewer friend who is very sensitive to diacetyl before I make a final decision on a rest.)

2) Was the fast ferment caused by the temp being at the high end of the yeast? Or is it common to be within a few points of finishing in primary after just 4 days with a lager? I only pitched ~750mL of starter, which was way under what I should have, but I don't have a stirplate yet and had to go with what was available. I did also include a Brewvint Yeast Nutrient capsule in the boil, and aerated the wort well with a mash paddle for 5 minutes before pitching the yeast. Has anyone else used this particular yeast with good results?

3) Is it OK to lager in a pressurized keg in my beer fridge (which is pretty constant at 34)? I figure that way I can avoid any oxidization issues, and can also pull off a hydro sample as needed to check clarity and progress.

4) This was the first time I've used Whirlfloc, and I just want to know what to expect as far as how it will clear up. Will it compact pretty tight at the bottom of the fermenter? Or is most of the effect going to be seen when I rack to my lager keg, as far as sediment dropping to the bottom of the keg during the 4-week lagering process?

 

[Yooper]

I wouldn't drop the trub until after you do a diacetyl rest. You were above the optimum temperature when pitching, and sometimes that causes some esters and diacetyl. I'd go ahead and do a diacetyl rest at 65 degrees, since your FG is already down. (Usually, if I"m doing a diacetyl rest, I do it when the fermentation is about 75% of the way to FG).

Yes, I'd say the fast ferment was because the fermentation temperature (mostly the pitching temperature) was warm. I always pitch at fermentation temperature, or even slightly below, and allow the beer to ferment at the low to mid-range of the yeast strains optimum temperature.

You can lager in the keg, that's fine!

When I use whirlfloc, I mostly see the break material in the kettle, and clear wort. I don't know what it would do in the fermenter, except that the break material should all be coagulated in the bottom with the trub.