How do Lagers/Pilsners ferment

[ThePonchoKid]

How does the bottom fermentation work compared to top fermentation? Is it common for the forming of carbon to take longer than a room temp ale?

I started two brews last night. A pilsner and an ale.

The ale is bubbling like mad, the pilsner at 49/50F nothing.

That can be one of the biggest fears for a noob. Not seeing vigorous air lock action

 

[TyTanium]

Lag times are longer for a lager...24 hours is not uncommon, sometimes even 36 hours.

What yeast did you pitch for the lager?

 

[ThePonchoKid]

a packet of s23 maybe at 60F (65 topps) with a cool to 49/50F within four hours. I don't have a wort chiller yet. I oxygenated it using med O2 for about 30 minutes

 

[badhabit]

Most folks use a much larger starter for a lager as well, I use 2000 ml that I have steped up from 1000 ml

 

[TyTanium]

Did you mean 30 seconds of O2?

Give it some time, sounds fine.

 

[ThePonchoKid]

1000, 2000ml starter? What's this?

The packet does suggest two packets. I hadn't noticed this. The HBS dude just tossed me the packet, said use this! lol

 

[wailingguitar]

You should use two packets of S23 to get the right number of cells in there. You'll just have a longer lag time, your beer will be fine

 

[ThePonchoKid]

Did you mean 30 seconds of O2?

Give it some time, sounds fine.

nah 30 min. the bucket was sealed all for the grommeted air lock hole, where the O2 would be exiting from the wort


yup, it's only been 16 hours since pitch time. thanks. it's just got me anxious as i watch my ale going berserk with feeding yeasties

 

[TyTanium]

Why 30 mins of O2?! I usually do 60-90 seconds...

 

[ThePonchoKid]

i didn't have a wort chiller and was waiting for it to chill some more in the fridge. so i just left the oxygen running with a couple hoses sticking out the fridge door to help prevent a build up of O2 in the fridge

unfortuneately (or not) i had to allow the wort to chill over 4 hours in the fridge before pitching and setting the temp

 

[boo boo]

nah 30 min. the bucket was sealed all for the grommeted air lock hole, where the O2 would be exiting from the wort

I hope it all fares well for your brew, but you might want to read this for the next time taken from BYO



I do suggest using caution when using pure oxygen to oxygenate wort. The problem you face is that the solubility of oxygen in wort is much higher when pure oxygen is used instead of air. Most brewing texts cite the ideal level of oxygen in wort prior to fermentation at around 8 ppm or 8 mg/L. Levels higher than this can cause oxidative damage to yeast cells. When using pure oxygen, wort oxygen levels of about 30 ppm are possible, making over-aerating a legitimate concern. One way to meter the flow of oxygen into wort is to use a gas flow meter. Gas rotameters are common and relatively inexpensive devices that measure the flow of gas.

 

[ThePonchoKid]

I hope it all fares well for your brew, but you might want to read this for the next time taken from BYO



I do suggest using caution when using pure oxygen to oxygenate wort. The problem you face is that the solubility of oxygen in wort is much higher when pure oxygen is used instead of air. Most brewing texts cite the ideal level of oxygen in wort prior to fermentation at around 8 ppm or 8 mg/L. Levels higher than this can cause oxidative damage to yeast cells. When using pure oxygen, wort oxygen levels of about 30 ppm are possible, making over-aerating a legitimate concern. One way to meter the flow of oxygen into wort is to use a gas flow meter. Gas rotameters are common and relatively inexpensive devices that measure the flow of gas.

haha lovely, thanks. it was running at 1/2 lpm. the lowest setting. but 30 minutes is a long time

 

[wailingguitar]

Aerating wort when using dry yeast is a pretty much superfluous. The drying process includes everything the yeast needs. I usually splash the wort into the fermenter when I xfer it, but that is all. In fact, Fermentis suggests aerating for the exclusive purpose of a good mix to speed the process along.

 

[ThePonchoKid]

I picked up a second packet of s23 and pitched it earlier. the top of the wort had what looked like suspended bubbles at the surface. It smelled like some fermentation has occurred. I'll take a gravity reading in a couple of days. Things should be fine.