Lager - hot break & hops in fermenter

[timsch]

I've brewed many ales, but no lagers. I've got a lager going now, using mainly the same techniques up to fermentation temperature as with ales.

I read today that I should have filtered out the hot break and the kettle hops. Since I didn't, what downside can I expect from my Oktoberfest (yeast Wyeast 2206 fermenting @ 50F)?

 

[rburrelli]

Not necessary to filter out the break and hops unless your plan was to lager on them for an extended time. If doing an extended lager then probably best to move to a secondary.

 

[timsch]

Given the date, I won't be doing any extended lagering this time. I'll likely be transferring into a keg once I hit my gravity and will let it sit again at 48-50F in my keezer.

I hope it won't be too green come mid-October.

 

[Spartan1979]

I don't filter that that out. FWIW my German Pils took silver at NHC in 2019.

 

[timsch]

Glad to hear it. Thank you both for the replies

 

[seatazzz]

Use some gelatin on kegging to fine it. Your first few pours will be cloudy until you pull all the crud from the bottom, but after that it should pour clear. Just make sure once you add it don't move the keg until aforesaid crud is all gone.

 

[IslandLizard]

I've got a lager going now, using mainly the same techniques up to fermentation temperature as with ales.

With one big difference from ales: Don't forget to do a diacetyl rest, by increasing the temp to 65-68F for a few days, with a few points left to go. Then cold crash hard for a week or 2, before kegging.

https://byo.com/article/brewing-science-controlling-diacetyl/

 

[timsch]

With one big difference from ales: Don't forget to do a diacetyl rest, by increasing the temp to 65-68F for a few days, with a few points left to go. Then cold crash hard for a week or 2, before kegging.

https://byo.com/article/brewing-science-controlling-diacetyl/

Will do. Thanks.

 

[crazyjake19]

I wouldn't worry about it at all. Everything from my brew kettle except the very last bit of hop trub ends up in the fermenter and I've never had any ill effects from it in any of my lagers.

 

[timsch]

Well, the slower fermentation got me a little lazy on checking it and I pretty much at at FG (1.012). Recipe estimated 1.015, and I didn't ferment low (~152F), so that surprised me a bit. Reading up on lagers, I was expecting it to take longer.

Regardless, I've raised the fermenter to 65F. I can agitate it a bit to stir up some yeast, or I can leave it untouched. I'll plan on leaving it for a week. Any recommendations?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Well, the slower fermentation got me a little lazy on checking it and I pretty much at at FG (1.012). Recipe estimated 1.015, and I didn't ferment low (~152F), so that surprised me a bit. Reading up on lagers, I was expecting it to take longer.

Regardless, I've raised the fermenter to 65F. I can agitate it a bit to stir up some yeast, or I can leave it untouched. I'll plan on leaving it for a week. Any recommendations?

152F certainly isn't a low ferment temp , I'm assuming you meant 52F. With a big pitch of healthy yeast and plenty of Oxygen, my lagers don't take any longer than ales to reach FG at similar temperatures to yours. I think the information about lagers taking weeks to slowly ferment are probably mostly to do with underpitching.

Regarding the diacetyl rest...... Don't stir your beer up at all - that risks oxidation. Taste a sample - if it tastes buttery you'll need to do something about it. There's a test you can do for diacetyl by microwaving a sample of beer and smelling for butter (google it for the exact details - I haven't tried it). If there's no diacetyl, you can go ahead and chill to lagering temps straight away. IME, if you pitch healthy yeast below ferment temps and control ferment temps, you don't need a diacetyl rest. YMMV.

 

[Bramling Cross]

Going back to your original post, this is worth reading regarding trub removal. Score another for cloudy wort

 

[bwible]

Well, the slower fermentation got me a little lazy on checking it and I pretty much at at FG (1.012). Recipe estimated 1.015, and I didn't ferment low (~152F), so that surprised me a bit. Reading up on lagers, I was expecting it to take longer.

Regardless, I've raised the fermenter to 65F. I can agitate it a bit to stir up some yeast, or I can leave it untouched. I'll plan on leaving it for a week. Any recommendations?

I’m assuming you meant mash temp was 152. And yeah 152 actually is a bit toward the low side. Lagers are supposed to finish dry though. So I don’t consider this a negative. Some guys mash lager as low as 148 or 149.

 

[timsch]

I’m assuming you meant mash temp was 152. And yeah 152 actually is a bit toward the low side. Lagers are supposed to finish dry though. So I don’t consider this a negative. Some guys mash lager as low as 148 or 149.

LOL, yeah, I meant mash. 152 is my standard ale mash temp.

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I did pitch ~2.5 liter starter, but the bubble activity definitely wasn't like the intensity that I see in my ales over days 2-4. Live and learn. I'm sure Lager #2 will be a bit smoother process than this one.

Yeast was pitched at 50F and kept there for the duration up to yesterday. I'll check for butteriness.

Thanks all.