I'm trying to brew my first lager tomorrow and I'm confused on the fermentation. I know there is a lot posted on here about it but it seems like everyone's got there own way. I understand some I it like the big yeast starter which I did this morning my questions are more about the temps. Should I put my starter in the fridge now? I have have it at room temp I made it about six hours ago. Then with the primary I let it chill to around 50 for a day then add the starter? All I really want is a quick easy explanation for a first time lager. Something proven to work good that I can add onto as I get some more experience.
Lager fermenting
- Thread starter bful1019
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Here's some more info on what I'm brewing as well. A helles, I'm doing a one gallon batch to see how it comes out, I'm using wyeast 2124 bohemian lager. If you want any other info that would help better answer my question let me know.
Did you begin your starter 6 hours ago or did it finish then? If it's a stirplate starter, you need to give it 14-18 hours. Non-stirplate starters should be given 24-30 hours to multiply the cells.
Do you have a controller on the fridge? If so, you'll want to turn it down to 34-35*F to crash the completed starter for a minimum of 24 hours. This will allow you to decant off most of the yucky starter beer.
I like to pitch my lagers around 45*F and let them come up on their own to about 48*F to start. After a few days, I'll bump it to 50*F.
At 7-8 days, take a gravity reading. Once it's 75-80% of the way to FG calculated by taking (OG minus current gravity) divided by (OG minus expected FG), ramp it up to 62-64*F for a d-rest 4-7 days.
Do you have a controller on the fridge? If so, you'll want to turn it down to 34-35*F to crash the completed starter for a minimum of 24 hours. This will allow you to decant off most of the yucky starter beer.
I like to pitch my lagers around 45*F and let them come up on their own to about 48*F to start. After a few days, I'll bump it to 50*F.
At 7-8 days, take a gravity reading. Once it's 75-80% of the way to FG calculated by taking (OG minus current gravity) divided by (OG minus expected FG), ramp it up to 62-64*F for a d-rest 4-7 days.
Yeah I started it six hours ago I was planning on letting it go for at least 24. I don't have a controller on my fridge but my buddy owns an appliance shop so he rigged it up to get real cold. Thanks for the info that was just what I was looking for.
The fridge is actually an old soda cooler it works awsome it will turn beer to slush if you put it on the top rack. I can get them from work (I work for dr. Pepper) so if anyone is interested in one let me know just give me some money to ship it or come pick it up ( northeast PA 15 minutes from NJ). My company wants to get to of them so they're free for the taking.
As with any starter, either ferment fully crash and decant or pitch while the starter is very active. You want your starter pitching temp and wort temp to be as close as possible.
More importantly, with a lager you will need to closely monitor your ferment temps. If you are just trying to ferment in a fridge without a control, what is that, 40? Far too cold.
More importantly, with a lager you will need to closely monitor your ferment temps. If you are just trying to ferment in a fridge without a control, what is that, 40? Far too cold.
Run your started 5 degrees warmer than the planned ferment temp, pour of the starter wort, and pitch it right in at 45-50 degrees or whatever ferment temp you are using. Thus will avoid the yeast being temp shocked
Bottoms_Up
Well-Known Member
I basically follow the same procedure. However, why do you bump your temperature up to 50 F after a few days? Isn't it better to leave it at 48 F until the diacetyl rest?
I watch to see when it begins to slow down and bump it a couple degrees to raise the activity level just a tad. It's still at or below the middle of the temp range for the strain. Not necessary, just something I'm in the habit of doing.
Bottoms_Up
Well-Known Member
I watch to see when it begins to slow down and bump it a couple degrees to raise the activity level just a tad. It's still at or below the middle of the temp range for the strain. Not necessary, just something I'm in the habit of doing.
Thank you. That also explains how you get to 75-80% of FG so quickly (7-8 days). It usually takes me about 10 days.
Question - when you do your diacetyl rest, do you wait until it is basically finished fermenting (i.e. about a bubble every minute to a minute and a half or so) before dropping your temperature, or do you begin to drop the temperature while it is still relatively active (i.e. a bubble every 45 seconds or so)? In other words, how do you determine when to start dropping your temperature?
SpeedYellow
Well-Known Member
Bottoms_Up said:
You can certainly start reducing the temp while it's still fermenting (like many big breweries apparently do) but you do need to know exactly where you are on S.G. and you need to do it slowly enough so the yeast don't quit on you. So I doubt many homebrewers do this. Just wait until it's done, then reduce the temps, either by crash cooling or slowly; it probably doesn't matter how quickly at this point since the yeast are done.
Keep in mind that the slow bubbles during the d-rest do NOT mean it's still fermenting -- this can be dissolved co2 coming out of solution due to the warmer temps. Rely on experience or your hydrometer.
Bottoms_Up
Well-Known Member
I drop my temperature very slowly (about 0.5 C every 12 hours) until I'm back to my original fermenting temperature (about 48 F). I then let it sit for a day or two before racking it to a cornelius keg. Then I drop the temperature slowly to a lagering temperature of about 33 F (but not as slowly as when dropping it after the rest).
As for knowing when to drop the temperature after the rest, the FG is often difficult to determine and can have a range of about 0.003. I also heard (but am not sure if it's valid) that there should still be a little fermentation taking place while you drop the temperature since the yeast still needs to do its thing - part of the lagering process.
I let it D-rest until it's completely done then crash it to 35*F for about a week before kegging.
Bottoms_Up
Well-Known Member
Interesting procedure, and it would help get rid of most of the sediment. I don't know enough about the theory of cold crashing rather than dropping the temperature gradually, and whether that indeed helps the lagering process or not. Otherwise, I agree that it would be far better to keg it after dropping the temperature, rather than just after the rest as most seem to do. I compromise and keg it when it when it drops to about 48 F, although there will still be some sediment later.
