Lager note: to new HBers

[Levers101]

I didn't know this in reading about lager brewing, but you can shut your yeast down by holding them at too high of a temperature. Apparently when I brought my current lager up in temperature to about 70 F for a diacetyl rest I lost all yeast activity for a week. I got fed up with it and took the fermenter back into the recommended range for the lager yeast (Saflager S-23) I'm using and got fermentation to start again at 58 F. I think a lot of the diacetyl is gone now too.

So learn from my mistake, and make sure to keep the yest you're using in the recommended range.

 

[FireBrewer]

Where did you read that? Definitely keep it in it's respective range though.

 

[Levers101]

I've read it somewhere, but I'm not sure where. Seems to be the case for my yeast, though hopefully it isn't some kind of infection.

 

[FireBrewer]

How much Saflager yeast did you use?

 

[Levers101]

I did a 1 quart starter. I probably shouldn't have as everyone seems to say that dry yeast do not need a starter. I usually do 2 L starters, but my cheap Erlenmyer flask cracked when I was pouring hot starter wort into it and had to transfer half to a quart jar. I then later pitched another packet of the same yeast thinking I had a stalled fermentation, this time dry.