Lager Question

[old_tx_kbb]

I don't have much experience with lagers. I rectly brewed a Bohemian Pilsner. I did a 90 minute boil and then ran it through my therminator as quickly as possible which cooled it to 60 degrees.

I put it in my freezer to bring the temp down to 40 degrees and then racked it off the cold break/trub. Then I aerated it and pitched a big yeast starter. It's fermenting well, but I took a sample last night after 7 days of fermentation and it has a lot of DMS in it.

Is this normal for this period of the process? Will the yeast help remove the DMS as fermentation continues?

 

[lordbeermestrength]

From what I understand (read: I have no personal experience with brewing lagers so take it FWIW), DMS is a pretty standard thing this early on in the fermentation. I do know that with ales yeast removes a lot of DMS, so I suspect that it would be the same with lagers.

 

[calebawilson]

You should slowly start ramping up the temp to help yeast clean it up

 

[bannonb]

I've only brewed 2 lagers. One was a Bohemian Pilsner. I think lager yeasts need time because of the cold fermentation.

At the end of the primary (at least 10 days), let it rise to 68 for 2 days (your diacetyl rest). You'll find that any residual fermentation or off gassing can happen here.

Time cures most ills from my short experience.

 

[petep1980]

Take this FWIW, I made an all grain lager once, and with 60F tap water I only cooled it to 70F, and left it in the chest freezer over night and it got down to pitching temps, so I pitched.

Everything went well as far as fermentation goes. Now, I'm not terribly familiar with DMS, but this batch wreaked like canned corn molasses ass and the smell NEVER went away.

Lagers are now partial mashes for me, and I cool to 70F or 80F and top off with plenty of ice cold water to pitch quick and low.

 

[wildwest450]

Really no need to fret this early, especially if you did everything as you stated. Let it be, and when it's approx 75% done, let it warm up into the 60's for a few days, it should be fine.

_

 

[November]

I made two lagers in the past that had the same problem. After a long enough lager the taste went away in the kegged batch and was less intense in the bottled batch. I have since made several without a trace of DMS in both the finished and still fermenting beer. The change that I attribute it to is the upgraded burner installed in the system. FWIW I think at least my DMS problems were from an insufficient boil.

 

[shroomzofdoom]

I've had lagers smell like anywhere from rotten eggs to olives during fermentation, usually most smells go away during the d- rest. If not then a month at lagering temps usually will. The way a lager tastes at 7 days is NOTHING like what it tastes like when properly conditioned and rested.

 

[asterix404]

Lagers take longer, even with a large starter. I typically skip a dactyl rest because I lager for a long time, at least a week per 10 points. I think though that after 3 weeks or so of fermentation (I have heard two... I have still had mine fermenting at 2, so I give all 3) a 2 day rest out of the freezer with a transfer into a secondary for lagering will help it a lot. Dactyl is actually eaten by yeast eventually so I would really not worry.