Need help please!!

[bierhunter]

I am racking my first lager today after 1 week of primary and 4 weeks of lagering at 40 degrees(light beer) and I didn't secondary. Anyways, the beer is cloudy and has all kinds of stuff floating around in it! I was going to rack right to the keg but I couldn't in this state. I am used to ales and I always secondary to see all the floaties sink to the bottom and I always get clear beer. I've racked my beer to a carboy and am wondering what I should do? Let it sit at room temperature for a week or two to clear? Let it sit at lagering temperatures? I don't have a filter system so that is out of the question. Why hasn't it cleared by now? Help!!!

 

[BierMuncher]

Dissolve a tablespoon of gelatin in a cup of cool water and mix. Then heat over a stove until completely dissolved. Don't let it boil. Let cool for 10 minutes and put into the bottom of a secondary. Rack your beer on top and allow to sit at room temp for 4-5 days.

Gelatin will bind with proteins and particulates and drop to the bottom.

Rack to the keg and chill.

 

[bierhunter]

Thanks biermuncher for the quick reply,

I don't have any gelatin right now so I'm assuming just letting it sit at room temperature for a day or 2 won't hurt it (until I can make it to the store)

 

[Yooper]

Biermunchers method will work very well.

I just have one thing to add, though. Lagers tend to ferment very slowly. If it was only in primary one week, the reason it's so cloudy may just be because it's not finished. Check the FG before doing anything else, just to make sure it's indeed finished.

 

[passedpawn]

What temp did you pitch at? What temp did you ferment at? If 40 for both, Yoop is spot-on... it's probably still fermenting - or never did. Measured gravity?

I pitch yeast around 60, ferment 45-50, then lager at 30. Even for ales, the lagering period sends everything straight to the bottom.

 

[bierhunter]

oh I fermented at 50 and checked the gravity after a week and it was done so I lowered it ten degrees and lagered. OG was low and I pitched 2 packs of liquid yeast with a starter for 5 gallons so it fermented quickly.

 

[Yooper]

oh I fermented at 50 and checked the gravity after a week and it was done so I lowered it ten degrees and lagered. OG was low and I pitched 2 packs of liquid yeast with a starter for 5 gallons so it fermented quickly.

Hmm. That seems way too quick, even with a low OG. Did you do a diacetyl rest, or rack before lagering? If not, I'd rack now. That will go a long way to clearing up the beer as well as getting it off of the yeast cake ASAP.

 

[bierhunter]

no I didn't rack before lagering. That is what I will do different next time. I read so many things about not needing a secondary even though I always secondary my ales and always get nice clear beer, I thought I'd try it without and see how it works. Well I am a secondary person now... wait that didn't come out right...
I am a person who believes in secondary fermentation.
much better lol

As for diacetyl rest, I startered and pitched at fermentation temps so I didn't think I needed one.

 

[AnthonyD]

Someone more experienced may correct me, but I believe lagering is usually done in secondary.

 

[Yooper]

Someone more experienced may correct me, but I believe lagering is usually done in secondary.

Yes, although I've read that a few people have had good results with leaving it on the yeast cake for lagering.

I've always finished primary, tasted for diacetyl (and done a diacetyl rest if needed), then racked right away. The theory is to get a lager off of the yeast cake as soon as the diacetyl rest is done and the beer is at FG, to avoid any potential off-flavors from the yeast. Then, in the secondary, the temperature is reduced and the lagering begun. I read somewhere that a good rule of thumb is to lager one week for each 10 points of OG, and I've done that for the last couple of years. So, for a 1.060 beer, I've lagered for 6 weeks. Usually the beers are very clear by the time the lagering is finished.

You can always try racking now, and then bring the temp down slowly and try lagering for a couple more weeks. That might clear it up. If not, the gelatin may work to give you a clear beer.

 

[bierhunter]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. My next lager will be secondaried and I am giving this one a few days in the carboy at room temperature to clear, then it's straight to keg. Looking at it this morning it looks much better, like everything is falling to the bottom.