Lager question

[00Penguin]

So I am going to brew my first lager and have a question. I have read that you secondary for the lager stage. Is the yeast left enough for layering or do you have to rack the yeast cake as well?

 

[wardens355]

Rack off of the yeast cake as normal and then chill to around 32-40F for the lagering stage. There will still be yeast in there to do any minimal, slow cleanup while the cold helps precipitate haze and clear the beer.

 

[00Penguin]

Great that is what I thought. Thank you

 

[doug293cz]

You can also use a non-traditional lager process, like the one described here. Many people (including me) have made good lagers this way. You don't have to transfer to secondary with the accelerated lager process. Even for the traditional, slower lager process you don't have to use a secondary. You can package in bottles or kegs after cooling to lagering temps, and lager in the package until you feel the beer is ready.

Brew on

 

[DWBoca]

I used the same technique, as referenced above. Give or take a day or two. My pilsner came out super clear, no off flavors, I'm going to use this with my current batch

 

[lowtones84]

Have any of you lagered in bottles? That's about the only way I could manage right now I think. If you lager in bottles, would you bottle, let them carb and fridge them? I assume you wouldn't fridge, then let them warm up to carb afterward.

 

[wardens355]

Have any of you lagered in bottles? That's about the only way I could manage right now I think. If you lager in bottles, would you bottle, let them carb and fridge them? I assume you wouldn't fridge, then let them warm up to carb afterward.

I would do that. Ferment, carb at room temp, then lager the bottles in the fridge.

 

[klaggy]

You can also use a non-traditional lager process, like the one described here. Many people (including me) have made good lagers this way. You don't have to transfer to secondary with the accelerated lager process. Even for the traditional, slower lager process you don't have to use a secondary. You can package in bottles or kegs after cooling to lagering temps, and lager in the package until you feel the beer is ready.



Brew on

I just did an Oktoberfest in 30 days grain to glass using this process ... Worked very very well..

 

[FarmerTed]

Have any of you lagered in bottles? That's about the only way I could manage right now I think. If you lager in bottles, would you bottle, let them carb and fridge them? I assume you wouldn't fridge, then let them warm up to carb afterward.

I've done four lagers now (all bottle conditioned), and my process is to ferment, warm it to around 60 for the d-rest, then chill it to the low to mid 40's for about 10 days. Then I bottle, give it about two and a half weeks to carb, and then store the beer at about 32 F. It's worked well for me. The beer's actually pretty good before the final lagering stage, but gets better over time as it's stored cold. I've also used Clarity Ferm with my last couple lagers, and that really helps to give a clear beer.

 

[Brettomomyces]

I crashed my festbier still on the cake, holding at 32 for 2 weeks then I'll keg at that point, lager for another week and serve. I'm just entering lager brewing also and I figured a longer hold at 32 before transferring might help reduce the crap that ends up in the keg. I don't want to do 2 transfers and don't have conicals. I think I'm gonna go give that one a sample now actually...it's almost been 2 weeks crashed.

 

[estricklin]

You can also use a non-traditional lager process, like the one described here. Many people (including me) have made good lagers this way. You don't have to transfer to secondary with the accelerated lager process. Even for the traditional, slower lager process you don't have to use a secondary. You can package in bottles or kegs after cooling to lagering temps, and lager in the package until you feel the beer is ready.

Brew on

Right on, I never move my lagers to secondary either.