Help on lagering!

[tdavisii]

Just checked my ultra light that is in the lagering freezer. This beer is still going strong but is way more clear then what i expected. Do lager beers stay pretty clear even during fermentation??????

 

[WBC]

No, not during primary fermentation. If you have it in a secondary and have dropped the temperature then yes it gets clear.

 

[tdavisii]

This one is still in the primary. It is fermenting like crazy but is way more clear then any beer i have brewed. Granted it is way lighter then any beer ive brewed and i also used some irish moss in the boil.

 

[WBC]

You probably see the yeast clumps moving in currents in the beer because it is so light. This is normal. Relax.

 

[brewjunky]

Jamil doesn't rack his Lagers nor does he do a rest.


If you start the fermentation process cold you don't have to do the rest.

It's only when you wait for fermentation to start say at room temp then drop your temp slowly to fermenting temp that your brew will need a rest.

If you cool your wort to fermenting temps say 45 -55 and pitch at that temp a rest is not need.

You can even cool your wort over night in a fridge then pitch.

The rest is needed because diacetyl (off flavors) are produced when lager yeast starts the beginning of fermentation warm. If this process is not started at a warm temp and a large enough starter is used a rest is not necessary.

Both ways work but if you pitch at proper temps you don't have to worry about figuring out the best time to do the rest you can just ferment out the lager.

From what I read in the book he ferments out in the primary then kegs and lagers in the corny.

From his book he cools the wort racks to primary to get rid of the cold break material then pitches and refrigerates at 45 degrees slowly raising the temp to 50. He then ferments out at 50 and drops down to 34 or something for lagering for 4 weeks or so.

 

[tdavisii]

Ok heres another question for those of you lagering guru's. Has anyone gone thru the whole process of brewing a lager only using one fermenting vessel? Not racking and leaving the beer on the yeast cake?

 

[menschmaschine]

Ok heres another question for those of you lagering guru's. Has anyone gone thru the whole process of brewing a lager only using one fermenting vessel? Not racking and leaving the beer on the yeast cake?

I don't think this is a good idea. There's a good reason why lagering is typically done in a second container.

I found this on one of John Palmer's pages and he explains it well:

"The Secondary Phase allows for the slow reduction of the remaining fermentables. The yeast have eaten most all of the easily fermentable sugars and now start to turn their attention elsewhere. The yeast start to work on the heavier sugars and clean up some of the byproducts they produced during the fast-paced primary phase. However, it is often a good idea to get the beer off of the trub during the conditioning phase, especially if the beer is going to sit on the trub for a long period of time, like in the case of lager beer. See my book, How To Brew for more information on lager brewing.

Under some conditions (like excessively long times and/or high temperatures), the yeast will also consume some of the compounds in the trub. The consumption of these compounds can produce several off-flavors. In addition, the dormant yeast on the bottom of the fermenter will begin excreting more amino and fatty acids. If the post-primary beer is left on the trub and yeast cake for too long (more than about three weeks in some cases) soapy flavors may become evident. Further, after very long times in worts with poor nutrient levels, the yeast begin to die and break down - autolysis, which produces rubbery, sulfury tastes and smells. For these reasons, it can be important to get the beer off of the trub and dormant yeast during the conditioning phase."

 

[WBC]

You can let it primary 6 weeks and then keg. I have never found any off taste even after 2.5 months.

 

[Tonedef131]

The warmest my fridge will go is 43, will a lager ferment at this temp or is that just plain too cold.

 

[WBC]

43 is fine.

 

[Brew Haus]

Ok heres another question for those of you lagering guru's. Has anyone gone thru the whole process of brewing a lager only using one fermenting vessel? Not racking and leaving the beer on the yeast cake?

I just brewed my first lager and have a s/s conical and planned using the same vessel throughout, dumping when necessary. Any reason I shouldn't?

 

[menschmaschine]

I just brewed my first lager and have a s/s conical and planned using the same vessel throughout, dumping when necessary. Any reason I shouldn't?

Nope, that's exactly what conicals are for!

 

[Baron ken]

I just brewed my first lager and have a s/s conical and planned using the same vessel throughout, dumping when necessary. Any reason I shouldn't?

Because you'll tie up the conical for the whole lagering period (months possibly). You could use it for a lot of ales in that time!

 

[tdavisii]

My lager. I tasted it today and it tasted all right. Not good but hey its a light lager so what do you expect. The pictures dont do the clarity justice. I took the first two about two days into fermentation and the last one i took yesterday. It is the clearest i think ive ever brewed. Im really proud of both beers i have brewing right now.