kolsch: first time with a "cool" fermentation - when to rack to secondary?

[rockytop714]

hey all,

I've done a few batches, so far, but have used ale yeasts and fermented each around 65-70 degrees, with each, and a week in the primary has been plenty, before racking to a secondary.

I brewed a kolsch last weekend and, while I'm pretty sure kolsch yeast is still an ale yeast, I also know that it ferments at cooler temperatures. I pitched the yeast last Sunday and, normally, I would be getting ready to move it to the secondary this Saturday or Sunday. With every batch I've done so far, though, the active primary fermentation would basically be done by now. I've been fermenting the kolsch at between 56 and 58 degrees and it's still has a nice, thick krausen on top and I'm getting bubbles in the air lock, every 30 seconds, or so.

now, this may fizzle out by the weekend but, in case it doesn't, I wanted to check in here to see how much time a cooler fermentation usually takes and whether or not I should give it an extra few days or so until the krausen subsides before I transfer it.

any thoughts and opinions are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[bmac]

The best way to know when it's done is by verifying a constant gravity over a couple day period. Also remember, just because you don't see bubbles in the airlock doesn't mean fermentation is done, always check with a hydrometer.

 

[urbanmyth]

I would forgo a secondary. There is really no reason to use one. That being said, this very topic is highly contested.

For what it is worth, I brewed a Kolsch without a secondary and left it on the yeast until it cleared. No autolysis flavors or anything like that. It scored 40.5 points in a recent comp.

 

[bmac]

i would forgo a secondary. There is really no reason to use one.

+1

 

[rossi46]

When I do Kolsch, which is every 6 weeks, I let it go 10 days at 60 degrees then raise to 68 over two days, and let it sit at 68 for two more days for a total of 14 days. Rack to keg and lager for a month.

 

[rockytop714]

Everyone, thanks so much for all of the advice and information.

I do know that a beer continues to ferment, after there bubbles in the airlock are long gone. I know that this definitely needs a little more time, I was moreso looking for a ballpark idea of how long.

as for the secondary, I've used a glass secondary for every batch of beer that I've done other than my very first batch and I've been pretty happy with the results. So I will most likely use one with this kolsch, as well, but I had also planned to use the secondary to do my "lagering". I don't have kegs (yet), so I was going to lager in a carboy. I put lagering in quotes, the first time, because I don't really have a temp controlled fermenting/lagering chamber (yet), which means I'm pretty much at the whim of ambient temperatures somewhere in my house.

This brings me to another question, I suppose; with the help of a small space heater set on low, I've been able to keep the primary around 57, give or take a degree or two. If I were to turn the space heater off and put the carboy on the concrete floor of the basment, I could probably drop it down to around 50-ish, which I know is high to be called a lager, but I'm thinking it may be low enough to be close and maybe knock some of the yeast out of suspension. my other option would be our garage which,over the last week or two, has been hovering between 40 and 35, which I know is more ideal lagering temp, but I don't know if I should have any concerns over it freezing, or not.

I'm sure I can keep an eye on it to ensure that it doesn't actually freeze, but then this raises yet another question, for me. Again, I don't have kegs, so I will be bottle conditioning this kolsch. would lagering at 35, teetering on freezing, knock too much yeast out of the beer to be able to prime and bottle condition it?

again, any thoughts, opinions, or information are very welcome. thanks again

 

[JLem]

Your garage would be ideal for the lagering stage - no need to worry about freezing. The temp would have to drop into the 20s to start worrying about that.

There should still be plenty of yeast left for bottling, but you can always add a little dry yeast to he bottling bucket just to be safe - only a gram or two would be sufficient.

 

[rockytop714]

sounds like a plan!

Thanks for the help!