My first lager!

[Flaviking]

OK.. So I'm hoping you all will allow me to run through the information I have gathered here to see if I have this process down right. This will be aprox my 6th batch of all grain, so I think I'm starting to really get the hang of this. I thought I would kick it up a notch and try my hand at a lager... so here is what I am thinking..

I am brewing a Shwartzbeir for a competition on October 5th (took 1st place in my last comp :rockin. Recipe aside, The OG should come in around 1.055.

Based on Mr. Malty, It looks like I will need two vials of WLP830 in a 1.5L starter with a stir plate. I only have a 1 L container, so ill probably be under a little bit.

I'm going to let the starter fully attenuate, then chill to ferm temps, decant and pitch into wort of the same temp (I will probably need to let the wort sit overnight to get there, I know.. not ideal, but I live in Florida and only have an immersion chiller.)

Once pitched and fermentation starts, I'm planning on letting the wort ferment until it reaches about 1.020 (should be about a week), then increase the temps to low 60's or 10 degrees higher than fermentation temps for the diacytel rest.

Once Fermentation has stopped (as measured by two consecutive days of hydrometer readings) I will rack to a secondary and slowly start reducing the temp to lagering temps of around 35 degrees. I will then keep it there for approx 30 days. (actually thinking of just dropping it in one day due to time restrints)

Once it is done lagering, I can bottle (using corn sugar or perhaps coconut nectar) by adding another half vial of wlp830 to the bottling bucket, and then letting sit for approx 3 weeks at room temp for carbonation.

If I brew this on the 28th, I should be racking to secondary and starting my lagering by August 14th and Bottling September 14th, which will give me exactly three weeks for the October 5th deadline....

Anything in here that seems wrong? Or do you think I am not allowing enough time at certain stages?

Any advice would be appreciated.. Thanks!!

 

[StoneHands]

Double check your pitch rate, perhaps use yeastcalc.com and look into stepping your starter. Proper pitch rate is huge with lagers, as is temp control (equally important IMO). Get a bigger container for your starters if you're going to do a lot of lagers, just a suggestion. Proper pitch rate will insure that it'll finish in the 2 weeks you want it to.

For bottling, I would use a neutral ale yeast instead of a half vial of 830. S05 would be just fine, or notty. The flavor will be established, and the ale yeast will carb a bit faster. It's always taken my bottle conditioned lagers longer to carb with the lager yeast, even at ale temps, just my experience though.

4 weeks is fine for a lagering period, I like 6 though to get good clarity. If you're under the gun, it'll be fine at 4.

Pitch enough yeast, definitely pitch yeast into cold wort (colder than ferment temp if possible). I like to pull my yeast out of the fridge, decant and immediately pitch. Cold yeast into slightly warmer wort (although still below ferm temp) makes 'em happy.

 

[Flaviking]

Thanks Stone!

I have probably been under pitching my yeast this whole time... Thats gonna end here.. Although it looks like If I use K. Troesters stir plate calculations.. I can't get there at all with a 1L bottle... Jamil's gets me there in 2 steps if I use 2 Vials...

Anyway.. thanks for the advice. I'll report back on the results.

 

[D_Nyholm]

You can also use a growler for a starter if you need a bigger container. And stepping the starter up works well to get you bigger numbers. From reading on lagers, it seems you need HUGE starters to pitch properly.

 

[Cyclman]

With all the effort of a lager, if you have to buy another vial to pitch do it, it's too big an investment in effort to underpitch and get an unclean beer. Stirstarters plate rocks with a 2L flask. For lagers, I use a 1G jug, with a fairly flat bottom, works great.

Sounds like you have it down, the beer can also bottle lager once carbed, if it's not all drunk up at your event.

Good luck, I am a huge lager fan.

 

[Flaviking]

Thanks all..

After reading your posts, I think I'm going to use a 1 gallon glass jug as my starter container and use two vials of WLP-830 in a 2 liter starter. Using yeastcalc.com and a 71% viability for my yeast... it looks like I wont even need to step it up. This seems like the best way to go for me.

Lastly, I was just reading in BYO, and in the article they are saying that its best to aerate your wort right before pitching... As I will need to cool my wort down overnight before pitching... is it ok If I leave the wort in my kettle over night in my ferm chamber with the yeast and then transfer to the carboy the next day and pitch, does anyone see any issue with that?

Ugh.. even just writing that, it doesn't seem ideal. Any good ideas on how to cool this wort quickly without a plate chiller or counterflow chiller?