Lager temperature questions

[Technophallus]

Any Lager experts want to give me some advice? I'm getting half-complete and conflicting advice from seemingly everyone I talk to- particularly around temperatures. Here's the process I think I should follow, with blanks where I'm not sure.

1) Make a 1 gallon starter with WLP885 (Zurich Lager Yeast)
a) I cool the wort to __ before pitching the yeast
b) I put an airlock on the jug
c) I let the starter sit at _ for _ days

2) I make the main wort
a) I cool the wort to __ before adding the starter
b) I aerate vigorously after the starter has been pitched into the wort

3) I let the wort ferment at 50 for _ weeks
a) if 50 is different than the temperature of the wort when I pitched the starter, do I crank it down 5 degrees per day or just go all the way to 50 in one day?

4) I raise the wort 5 degrees per day until it hits __ for a diacetyl rest, at which I leave it for __ days

5) I transfer it to a secondary and lower 5 degrees a day until it hits 33 degrees, at which I leave it for __ weeks

6) Before bottling, I raise the temperature back up to cellar temperature, 5 degrees a day

7) I add the priming sugar solution (and more yeast?) at cellar temp, bottle it.

8) I leave the bottles at cellar temp for __ days

9) I chill the bottle down to __ for __ weeks

Any advice? What am I missing?

 

[boo boo]

Any Lager experts want to give me some advice? I'm getting half-complete and conflicting advice from seemingly everyone I talk to- particularly around temperatures. Here's the process I think I should follow, with blanks where I'm not sure.

1) Make a 1 gallon starter with WLP885 (Zurich Lager Yeast), starting out with 1 qt and then finally bumping it up to the 1 gallon starter
a) I cool the wort to 70f before pitching the yeast
b) I put an airlock on the jug
c) I let the starter sit at 70f for 3 to 5 days aerating the starter each time I pass by it.

2) I make the main wort
a) I cool the wort to at least 50f before adding the starter which is at least 2f lower or at the wort temperture of 50f
b) I aerate vigorously after the starter has been pitched into the wort

3) I let the wort ferment at 50 for 2 weeks
a) if 50 is different than the temperature of the wort when I pitched the starter, do I crank it down 5 degrees per day or just go all the way to 50 in one day? You don't start fermentation warmer than optimum fermentation tempertures anyway ( I hope )

4) I raise the wort 5 degrees per day until it hits 60f to 70f for a diacetyl rest, at which I leave it until it finishes fermentation, and then I leave it for another day or two.

5) I transfer it to a secondary and lower 5 degrees a day until it hits 33 degrees, at which I leave it for 4 weeks

6) Before bottling, I raise the temperature back up to cellar temperature,

7) I add the priming sugar solution (and more yeast?) at cellar temp, bottle it.

8) I leave the bottles at cellar temp for 14 to 21 days

9) I chill the bottle down to whatewver I want for as long as I can stand to wait not drinking it.

Any advice? What am I missing?

RDWHAHB And see the add ons I posted into your thread.

 

[Technophallus]

Thanks, that helps quite a bit.

It sounds like I chill the starter down to nearly 48f before pitching it into the 50f wort. I leave the starter at 70f for a few days as I aerate and add more wort, but then do I have to drop it down 5f per day or can I just crank it down in a matter of hours?

 

[ajf]

To add to boo boo's answer, start the starter with 1 quart, step it up to 2 quarts, then step up again for the full gallon. Leave about 3 days between each step.
70 - 75F is a good temperature for the starter.
Don't use an airlock on the starter. Use some sanitized foil, or (my favorite) an inverted and sanitized jam jar. - You want to give the yeast access to oxygen.
See http://maltosefalcons.com/tech/yeast-propagation-and-maintenance-principles-and-practices for details on the yeast.
The 2 weeks in item 3 is an estimate. Palmer gives some good advice at http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10-5.html on when to do it.

-a.

 

[Bob]

I'd not pitch such a big starter. I'd chill the starter to settle out the yeast and pitch the pure slurry according to the Mr Malty calculator for Slurry. I think such a large starter promotes excessive dilution. YMMV!

Bob