Lagering Profile

[jackers252]

I'm looking at an automatic temperature controller for my fermentation chamber and it got me looking into lagering a beer.

The electronics are sensitive to 40 deg F.

I was wondering if people would mind posting their lagering schedules as well as their minimum temperatures that they drop to.

Thanks!

 

[dobe12]

Pitch and hold at 48-50F for 7 days.
At day 7 slowly raise the temp 1-2 degrees per day.
When 64F is reached, hold for 1-2 days for d-rest.
Rack to secondary (collect yeast) and drop to 35F for weeks/months.
OR drop to 35F in primary (if not collecting yeast) and hold for a few weeks then keg. Continue conditioning at 35F in keg.

 

[jackers252]

Pitch and hold at 48-50F for 7 days.
At day 7 slowly raise the temp 1-2 degrees per day.
When 64F is reached, hold for 1-2 days for d-rest.
Rack to secondary (collect yeast) and drop to 35F for weeks/months.
OR drop to 35F in primary (if not collecting yeast) and hold for a few weeks then keg. Continue conditioning at 35F in keg.

Thanks. I take it the 48-50F step is until fermentation is complete? After the fermentation is complete, would I need to take any additional hydrometer readings prior to kegging?

 

[BigFloyd]

Pitch into well-oxygenated 45-46*F wort using a pitch rate of 1.50 to 2.00 (which is 2X ale pitch rates). If I don't take it to that temp chilling with ice water, I'll put it in the pre-chilled fermenter fridge for 4-5 hours, then pitch.

Ferment at 48-50*F until hydro reading shows it's 75-80% of the way from OG to expected FG (that usually takes 7 days or so).

Raise to 63-64*F for a diacetyl rest 4-7 days (until it has hit stable FG)

Crash the primary to 35*F for a week in the lagering freezer.

Rack to keg, purge and put it back into the 35*F lagering freezer for several weeks.

 

[osagedr]

Similar to the post directly above. I like that the author recognizes you can't use a calendar for fermentation--you need a hydrometer! I also don't lager in the primary but many do.

 

[Yooper]

A typical lagering schedule for me:

48-50 degrees for approx 5-7 days, until the beer is 75% finished.
65 degrees (or thereabouts) until the beer is finished (diacetyl rest).
Rack, and then hold at 34 degrees for 6-8 weeks.

You generally want to do the diacetyl rest when the beer is 75% of the way to FG as you want the yeast to still be active to consume diacetyl. A properly pitched lager should be there in 5-10 days, depending on yeast strain.

I lager in a keg, as that's easiest for me.

 

[jackers252]

Thanks everyone for the detailed input.

The temp controller I am looking at should be fine then since the cold-crash is after fermentation anyay. This is exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks again!

 

[jackers252]

Pitch into well-oxygenated 45-46*F wort using a pitch rate of 1.50 to 2.00 (which is 2X ale pitch rates). If I don't take it to that temp chilling with ice water, I'll put it in the pre-chilled fermenter fridge for 4-5 hours, then pitch.

Ferment at 48-50*F until hydro reading shows it's 75-80% of the way from OG to expected FG (that usually takes 7 days or so).

Raise to 63-64*F for a diacetyl rest 4-7 days (until it has hit stable FG)

Crash the primary to 35*F for a week in the lagering freezer.

Rack to keg, purge and put it back into the 35*F lagering freezer for several weeks.

Pitch and hold at 48-50F for 7 days.
At day 7 slowly raise the temp 1-2 degrees per day.
When 64F is reached, hold for 1-2 days for d-rest.
Rack to secondary (collect yeast) and drop to 35F for weeks/months.
OR drop to 35F in primary (if not collecting yeast) and hold for a few weeks then keg. Continue conditioning at 35F in keg.

A typical lagering schedule for me:

48-50 degrees for approx 5-7 days, until the beer is 75% finished.
65 degrees (or thereabouts) until the beer is finished (diacetyl rest).
Rack, and then hold at 34 degrees for 6-8 weeks.

You generally want to do the diacetyl rest when the beer is 75% of the way to FG as you want the yeast to still be active to consume diacetyl. A properly pitched lager should be there in 5-10 days, depending on yeast strain.

I lager in a keg, as that's easiest for me.

So my temp controller that will be here shortly allows me to set the temperature points and ramps with my laptop. I also have a cloud hydrometer to monitor where I am in the fermentation process.

So it seems like I want to pitch my yeast (big starter) when the wort hits 48-50 degrees, then when the fermentation hits 75%, slowly raise my temps to 63 deg. How long should it take me to go from 48-50 deg to 63 deg?

So then I keep it at 63 deg for a few days (until hydrometer levels off) then how fast should I drop it to 35-40 deg?

I'm planning on keeping it in the primary fermenter until after the D-rest and one week of cold crashing. From there I'll transfer to my keg and leave it in the cold chamber for a month or so.

Thanks again, I almost have it down!

 

[BigFloyd]

How long should it take me to go from 48-50 deg to 63 deg?

It doesn't much matter. Just reset the controller to the higher temp. I heat my fermenter fridge with a 40W light bulb inside a paint can. It takes probably around 5-6 hours to raise the temp up that much.

So then I keep it at 63 deg for a few days (until hydrometer levels off) then how fast should I drop it to 35-40 deg?

Again, it doesn't much matter. I take my primary bucket from the d-rest in the fermenter fridge and place it into the upright lagering freezer which I leave set at 35*F. Some folks will tell you that you need to drop it very gradually, but that's not necessary IMO. It's an idea that finds its origin in an old school German lager making technique in which they very slowly cooled the beer (while it was still finishing fermenting and the yeast still active) down to lagering temps.

 

[wobdee]

I'm pretty new to brewing lagers but after visiting a local micro brewery I'm trying a different fermentation schedule. Pitch at 50 and raise temp 1 degree every day for 10 days, hold at 60 for a couple days, cold crash and lager in keg.

 

[BigFloyd]

I'm pretty new to brewing lagers but after visiting a local micro brewery I'm trying a different fermentation schedule. Pitch at 50 and raise temp 1 degree every day for 10 days, hold at 60 for a couple days, cold crash and lager in keg.

Now that you mention it, I've seen some comments lately about folks doing that with good results. I may try that next lager.

 

[osagedr]

I'm pretty new to brewing lagers but after visiting a local micro brewery I'm trying a different fermentation schedule. Pitch at 50 and raise temp 1 degree every day for 10 days, hold at 60 for a couple days, cold crash and lager in keg.

You'll end up with beer at the end of that process. Again, I'd caution against thinking about fermentation in terms of "days." Think in terms of "degrees Plato" or "gravity points". JMHO.

 

[wobdee]

You'll end up with beer at the end of that process. Again, I'd caution against thinking about fermentation in terms of "days." Think in terms of "degrees Plato" or "gravity points". JMHO.

Well, I shall see. I just tried this with a Bo Pils, after 8 days it looks done but I haven't taken a gravity reading yet.

 

[roadx]

What is a cloud hydrometer?? Is it something that you keep in the fermenter/ secondary to have a real time reading of OG/FG?? How does it work? Where did you get it and what was the cost???
Might ave to get me one


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[jackers252]

What is a cloud hydrometer?? Is it something that you keep in the fermenter/ secondary to have a real time reading of OG/FG?? How does it work? Where did you get it and what was the cost???
Might ave to get me one


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I got in on a couple kickstarters for BrewBug and BrewBit.

BrewBug is a cloud hydrometer. Basically, it is a wifi controller that fits the standard blowoff bung on a brew pail. Suspended from the controller is a "torpedo" that stays submerged in the wort. It charts gravity, abv, and temperature. Pretty cool little toy but at a cost ($250).

BrewBit is a killer temperature controller. It is also wifi and you can set your profile over your computer. I can set ramp and hold times. So with the BeerBug, I can watch how far along the fermentation cycle is and when it hits 75%, begin dropping the temp down (4 deg/day) to 38 deg. I'll try to post some pics up later of what you can monitor over the internet.

 

[roadx]

Thanks for the reply. Can you also do a review? Pitfalls, Likes and dislikes? Would you buy them again? I would appreciate it.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Bre

 

[breckenridge]

Also very interested to hear your thoughts on these gadgets, Jackers. I'd seen the BrewBit controller before, but the BeerBug is new to me, and looks great (pricey, but cool functionality). Please post a full review!

 

[jackers252]

Also very interested to hear your thoughts on these gadgets, Jackers. I'd seen the BrewBit controller before, but the BeerBug is new to me, and looks great (pricey, but cool functionality). Please post a full review!

Sorry for taking a while to get back on here. I just set up my digital tap list (raspberry pints) which was a pain in the pint for a non-computer person!

Anyway, I just got the BrewBit temp controller the other day and I have been playing with it and it's ramping features. So far, it's really neat. It sure is nice being able to set a profile up on my computer and to check my temps on my phone. I have two temp probes that came with it. I want to do some experimenting with my ambient chamber temps vs wort temp with a thermowell. I'm brewing two lagers this weekend, I'll be sure to post up the graphs.

I'll also post the graphs from the BeerBug as well. You'll see how these two devices marry up!

 

[jamboo]

And if you do not have a fermentation chamber for lagering, then you could use the brewjacket:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/433436998/brewjacket-immersion-lager-beer-without-a-refriger

 

[jackers252]

Here is the page where you type in the profile....

And here is what it looks like...

And here is the last fermentation data log from the BeerBug. I couldn't get all three logs to show up well on one screen so I broke them in two.

 

[zacster]

IDK, I built a box with an STC-1000 and I don't see the trouble in just setting it up a degree a day manually. I guess if you want to set and forget and go away it will help.

BTW, I tried a different schedule with my latest lager. I pitched at 42, and ramped up a degree a day to 51, then set it up to 62 for a d-rest. I cold crashed it and now I'm only a week into lagering, not even I guess, and it is tasting pretty good, very clean. I have it in my keg on gas so I can get a taste to keep track of where it is without having to otherwise disturb it. The yeast was 2124, Bohemian Lager. This is the Pilsner Urquell method.

 

[roadx]

Thanks jackers252

Digg'n the fermentation data log from the BeerBug. very cool to have a gravity reading any time you please even if your not home. looks accurate? have you seen any kausen stick to the unit? or violent ferments affect the accuracy of the unit?

i have a STC -1000 controller for my refer/fermenting chamber. beerbit set and forget is a nice feature

if you could post more results and give us updates how the units are working? would be really appreciated.