Lagering: essential advice!

[Mobeers]

So I plan in brewing a helles (biermunchers Helles Belles) in a week or two and this will be my first ever lager. I have been brewing for 4 years and want to take the leap. I've read the Lagering book by noonan and it was full if great stuff but figured is ask here. What would be one essential technique or tip to follow. I'm nervous to do a lager and want to make a good one. I plan to use wl830 and have temp control available. I brew 4 gallon all grain. Recipe advice aside, what would be one thing to focus on. Actually any Lagering advice is appreciated emensly. Thanks


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[JimRausch]

OK, I'll start:
Tip#1- pitch enough yeast. Use Mr. Malty to figure how big a starter you need to make.

 

[RiverCityBrewer]

OK, I'll start:
Tip#1- pitch enough yeast. Use Mr. Malty to figure how big a starter you need to make.

Yes, pitching enough yeast and carefully controlling the fermentation are the two most important aspects of lager brewing in my opinion.

 

[Rockn_M]

Since 1 and 2 are taken I'll throw in a third. Time, it can months for some lagers to age properly.

 

[Bamsdealer]

Pitch enough yeast as suggested. Maybe even buy enough grain and hops for 5 gallons. Do a one gallon stovetop batch then use the slurry.

Keep ferment temps around 50 and dont pitch warm. Cool it down first.

When your airlock slows allow your beer warm. D-rest.

You may want to bottle before lagering if you're hurting for a place to lager a carboy. This also aids in quicker carbonation as the yeast are fresh and more are in suspension

 

[Teromous]

Suckback is a real thing, and a 5 gallon batch has a lot of power. Read about it and figure out what works best for you. I find that it's best for me to use a blowoff tube into an empty clean jug, placing the tube at the neck of the jug as opposed to the bottom, and emptying the jug when it gets full. I'm also new at lagering so there might be a better way.

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

Match the temp of the yeast you are pitching to your wort, and make sure that the wort is at least in the low 60's.

Active starter does help, and start with a lower gravity brew to get the yeast going. A week later, brew a second batch re pitching the yeast from batch one while fermentation is active (matching temps again), making whatever you want.

Have found that the first one usually starts the slowest (probably due to lower temps than ales) and on some brews (not all) a bit of ale character is generated when this happens (or if a warmer start temp is used). The second batch always starts fast and is clean.

Also, if fermentation is still going on with the first batch with enough vigor, this process can be used again, racking it off and pitching the yeast into yet another batch after yet another week. As long as temps are kept below 60 all will be swell.

 

[FarmerTed]

My advice: don't sweat it, it's not that different from making an ale, especially if you're already using temp control, making starters and aerating your wort.

 

[Mobeers]

Ok so I think I can do this with the advice given. Ive technically never made a starter but have propagated yeast from dregs for my yeast bank and its essentially the same thing. My temp control is an stc 1000 but this would be the first time I use it. Ill take many photos of the whole process starting next Monday and let the forum see my successes and failures.

 

[RLinNH]

Ok so I think I can do this with the advice given. Ive technically never made a starter but have propagated yeast from dregs for my yeast bank and its essentially the same thing. My temp control is an stc 1000 but this would be the first time I use it. Ill take many photos of the whole process starting next Monday and let the forum see my successes and failures.

I need to chime in here on the importance of a prolperly sized yeast starter. Go to Mr. Malty to figure out how big of a starter you need, and don't skimp. Best of luck!!!

 

[FarmerTed]

You can always just suck it up and buy 4 smack-packs (or use dry yeast).

 

[brett1341]

Aerate well.

 

[Cposten]

Buy nose plugs. Lager yeast STANKS. My whole chamber smells like the morning after 2 dozen chicken wings and a 30 rack of pabst

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[garcia]

I'm currently on the wait of my first light lager, and maibock.

I made a huge, 2 step starter. It's almost like making a little beer in itself.

Oh, and have patience. I am Going to jump the gun and start drinking the light lager next Friday. I just began the Kegging process today. I knew I wouldn't wait, hence why I brewed 2. :-/

 

[MikeInMKE]

<i>I made a huge, 2 step starter. It's almost like making a little beer in itself.</i>

A few weeks back I decided to brew a lager (only my second and third lagers since I began) and briefly entertained the idea of brewing a unhopped 1.040 5G batch.

A beer loving friend is pregnant, and I thought of using the unhopped beer to make a non-alcoholic beer (alcohol boils off while re-boiling, during which you add the hops), and then racking the lager right onto the yeast cake.

Decided to build a stir plate instead, which I used along with a 1G pickle jar.

 

[Mobeers]

Ok so I may have made a mistake, I pitched my starter when the wort was at about 75 degrees lastnight and now it's at about 65 12 hours later. It's not cooling to quick to the 59 degrees that I set it too. How bad did I jack it up?


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[Mobeers]

Ok that's a typo the temp controlled fridge it's in is set to 50. Good news is that the OG is 1.041 which was my desiresd gravity and it's still there so i don't think fermentation has strarted.


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[passedpawn]

Ok so I may have made a mistake, I pitched my starter when the wort was at about 75 degrees lastnight and now it's at about 65 12 hours later. It's not cooling to quick to the 59 degrees that I set it too. How bad did I jack it up?

Some people like to do this. The danger is the yeast will start producing ale-like esters when fermenting at ale temperatures. There is no reason to pitch early though if you have a lot of yeast. Next time don't pitch until the wort is under 50, even if it takes overnight to get there.

But, it's done now so relax. I used to do stupid brewing stuff all the time. Then I started brewing early, and I stopped drinking while brewing, and I only do about half the stupid stuff anymore

 

[Mobeers]

That may have been the problem, the beer! But sometimes that's the answer! Great now I'mote confused!!


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[Mobeers]

That may have been the problem, the beer! But sometimes that's the answer! Great now more confused!!


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[VladOfTrub]

Everyone has the wort in the fermenter and yeast pitched. Was the process forgotten about? Was the wort pH in the band favored by lager yeast? Did the process create enough maltriose needed during cold aging? Were enough nutrients created by the process to help yeast during fermentation and aging? Was decoction method used, since Noonan's book is mostly about the method? My tip. Use the process best suited for the style. English nor baggery method will produce what is needed for stability of the beer during the aging process. It is chemically, nutrient wise and enzymatically impossible.