My first Lager

[neumann]

Starting my first lager this weekend (coincidentally, it will also be my first foray into kegging when my SWMBO lets me get the setup for my birthday). The kit I ordered from Midwest has some decent instructions in it but they do say one thing that has sort of thrown me off. It says that after the boil and pitching of the yeast, that the fermenter should be placed in a warm (60-65 degrees F) area. I've never read that particular instruction anywhere else. It says to leave it at 60-65 for 1-3 days and then move it to 48-60 degrees F. Now, I've got my temperature controller and deep freezer (soon to be keezer) and keeping it at 60-65 isn't a problem, but what is the point? Also, how will I know when to pull the beer out for the Diacetyl rest? The instructions say after 7-10 days, but that seems like kind of a wide range...

 

[Malticulous]

Don't do it. If possible pitch (a lot of yeast) at 45F and let it warm up to 48F (with German yeast.) Some yeast strains may need to be higher but not in the sixties.

When mine slowed down a raised the temp over a few days up to about 55. It's a diacetyl rest and for better attenuation.

If you haven't read http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Fermenting_Lagers