lager help

[bellsbrat]

Started my first 10g lager on 2/25 with a starting gravity of 1.048 with Czech pils W2278 and Saflager 34/70 they are now down to 1.018 started raising a degree a day yesterday how long should I wait till I raise up Temp for a diacetyl rest? I did a single decoction with a Mash out so im expecting good attenuation and a terminal of 1.008-1.011

 

[Boohausen]

id say atleast another week, this is probably only me but i give a full 2 weeks for lagers, then a 24-48hr diacetyl rest at the end of the 2 weeks, just did this for my pils and it is very clean.

 

[cfonnes]

You can start raising the temp 4 F per day until you reach 65, give it a few days then start dropping the temp for laggering.

 

[bellsbrat]

is there an issue of waiting to long to raise temp for diacetyl rest and the yeast going to sleep and not cleaning up

 

[cfonnes]

is there an issue of waiting to long to raise temp for diacetyl rest and the yeast going to sleep and not cleaning up

Lager yeast are bottom fermenting, they will fall out of suspension before they "clean up". You want to raise the temp when your wort is 20% from its final gravity, this will allow them to "clean up" while they finish consuming the remaining sugars. Raising the temp > 5 degrees F per day keeps from shocking the yeast.

 

[bellsbrat]

this will allow them to "clean up" while they finish consuming the remaining sugars. Raising the temp > 5 degrees F per day keeps from shocking the yeast.

I thought they started to "clean up" these compounds only when all the consumable sugars are gone and there is nothing left for them to take in

 

[FredTheNuke]

Diacetyl rest should be N/A with a well malted grain.... Up to you. I never bother - just 10 days at 52 degrees and minimum of 20 more days at 36 degrees and DONE. Crystal clear and yummy!

 

[osagedr]

At 1.018 you should do your d-rest now. Just let the temp rise to above 60 and leave it there for at least a few days--I often do a week or more.

There are no such things as "days" in lager fermentation--you go by "gravity points."

 

[zacster]

I've often wondered about "shocking the yeast". When I pull my carboy from my 50 degree room into my warmer house, it'll take a while for it to warm up. There's no shock involved. Will it be 5 degrees per day? I doubt it. Will it matter? No.

If OTOH I pitch my 72 degree yeast into my 50 degree fermenter there will be a shock.

 

[osagedr]

I've often wondered about "shocking the yeast". When I pull my carboy from my 50 degree room into my warmer house, it'll take a while for it to warm up. There's no shock involved. Will it be 5 degrees per day? I doubt it. Will it matter? No.

If OTOH I pitch my 72 degree yeast into my 50 degree fermenter there will be a shock.

I believe you are correct.

 

[Brew-ta-sauraus]

Is there a problem letting initial fermentation sit to long? Meaning can you over ferment prior to a d-rest?

 

[zacster]

Some of the advice I've read says to do the D-rest at about 80% of the attenuation expected, so yes, you don't want the fermentation to complete before doing it. But I've also read that its ok to do it later. I did my latest lager at about 90%, and the prior one I didn't do it at all. That prior lager is the best beer I ever made.

 

[MaynardX]

They say yeast needs to be still active in order to clean up diacetyl. I think you are close enough to FG to start warming.