Help with first lager!

[boreas]

Hi! I've been homebrewing for a fer year, but always doing ales. So, I decided to go with a lager for a change, but I'm not sure everything is proceeding right. I've use this recipe:

Mostly-Extract Rauchbier
(5 gallons)
OG = 1.054
FG = 1.013
SRM = 28
IBU = 30
ABV = approx. 5.3%

Ingredients

* 6.0 lbs. Bierkeller or Weyermann amber extract
* 1.0 lbs. Coopers, John Bull or Alexander’s stout extract
* 3.0 lbs. Weyermann smoked malt (2–3.5° L)
* 6.7 AAU German noble hops, such as Hallertauer or Tettnanger (bittering)
o (1.5 oz. of 4.5% alpha acid)
* 0.75 oz. German noble hops, such as Hallertauer or Tettnanger (flavor)
* 0.75 oz. German noble hops, such as Hallertauer or Tettnanger (aroma)
* 2 packages of Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager)
* 1 cup DME or corn sugar (for bottling)


Step by Step
Divide the three pounds of unmilled, whole-kernel, Weyermann smoked malt roughly into two portions and place each into a muslin bag. Immerse both bags in about three gallons of cold water. If you do not have muslin bags, you can also just pour the whole kernels of smoked malt into the water.

In either case, heat the water slowly, to about 170–190° F. Turn off the heat and let the grain steep for about half an hour. If you used bags, lift them and rinse them with four to five cups of cold water. If you steeped the grain loosely in the water, pour the grain broth through a fine sieve or strainer to separate the liquor from the debris.

Add the extract, stir, and bring the three gallons of water a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes. Add the bittering hops at the beginning of the boil, the flavor hops about 30 minutes before shut-down, and the aroma hops about 15 minutes before shut-down.

Cool the wort, siphon to your fermenter and aerate. From this point, follow the fermentation, lagering and packaging directions as outlined in the all-grain recipes.

Now, I've done at least one thing wrong: I miscalculated my Amber extract and put about 7lbs instead of 6lbs. The other thing is I've used Wyeast Oktoberfest # 2633 instead because my local store didn't have the other one.

I've also "popped" the inner packet 3 hours before pitching. Yet, the pouch didn't swell that much. Upon opening it, I saw that there were 2 packets and that only one had popped. I sterilized the second one and pitched it along with the rest of the yeast.

I've left the bucket a few hours at room temps (71F) to see if fermentation would start. There was no bubbling at all after 4 hours, so I decided to put the bucket in my cellar (57F). Now, after 48 hours, there is no bubbling at all and no sign of fermentation when I peek into the bucket. The cellar temperature is now at 54F. The wort still smells good.

I'm used to violent fermentation with ales, is my lager doing okay?

Thanks!

Phil

It's been 48 hours

 

[Yooper]

Did you pitch two packages of lager yeast, as directed?

One thing about lagers- it takes LOTS more yeast. Four packages would be likely to be the correct amount to pitch, and ferment at 50 degrees. If you didn't make a starter, you may have to wait at least 72 hours for any signs of fermentation to start.

 

[Wellshooter]

If you under pitch a lager, which I have a lot of experience with, the best thing to do is go away and come back in about a month.

 

[boreas]

Darn... I kinda missed that, didn't I? Would it be okay for me to add yeast tomorrow? As my measure OG was 1.07, should I pitch 2 more packets?

Thanks!

Phil

 

[Wellshooter]

You could do that. This time give them a chance to swell up good an tight.

 

[boreas]

Is it normal that there was 2 "inner" packets (one of which seems to have broken, but the other not...)?

Phil

 

[Yooper]

Is it normal that there was 2 "inner" packets (one of which seems to have broken, but the other not...)?

Phil

The "inner" pack is some yeast nutrient that causes the packages to swell when ruptured. It's not important if it didn't break, but the package won't swell. That "smackpack" shows yeast viability, but doesn't grow yeast or anything so swelling or not swelling doesn't matter. I make a starter with liquid yeast, so I don't even bother smacking them- I just cut a corner open and pour the yeast out.

 

[passedpawn]

Is it normal that there was 2 "inner" packets (one of which seems to have broken, but the other not...)?

Phil

No, that is weird.

 

[boreas]

Oh well, I'll try re-pitching tomorrow!

Thanks guys, you're Ace!



Phil