New yeast for priming?

[Bruinpilot]

I am planning a kolsch as a preparation to my first lager early next year. After primary fermentation and a short diactyl rest, I intend to lager the kolsch for a couple of months in the mid 30s. (I have read that despite being an ale, that kolsch yeast can be treated like a lager. Thus, I saw it as a good prep for my first lager.)

Anyways after this lagering period, will I need to pitch new yeast in order to get my bottles to prime properly? And in order to save a post down the road, does the same go for a true lager, do I need to re pitch yeast for priming?

 

[Pappers_]

Curious what others will have to say about this - bump.

 

[sky4meplease]

I would purposely drag your racking came across the bottom of your lagering vessel when transferring to the bottling bucket to pick up some yeast for naturally carbonating your beer and yes this same practice for all beers that have been transferred to secondary and aged at cold temperatures for extended periods.
I normally start the transfer watching the clear beer pass through the tubing then set the cane on the bottom and notice the beer turn cloudy in the tube for two or three seconds then go back to carefully transferring clear beer again.
Others will tell you this is not necessary but I have sampled well lagered beer under a microscope to find no yeast left in suspension to consume the sugar added for carbonating so either add yeast or pick it up off the bottom of secondary.
Additionally, I normally lager from 38-42 degrees with good results where others flirt real close to freezing. I find the yeast work very slow down that low and have accidentally frozen beer that way.
Finally, pay attention to your headspace in secondary to minimize it and don't let your airlock dry out.
Good luck. I haven't done a Kolsch yet. I need to start working on a recipe for one.

 

[Bruinpilot]

Thanks for the good info. Makes sense to use the yeast that I grew for the batch rather than buyin new yeasties.

 

[Yooper]

My preference after a lengthy lagering period is to use a tiny bit of fresh yeast. Yeast that's been in the trub for two months is not going to be all that healthy.

I generally add a tiny bit of fresh dry ale yeast, something like nottingham, and about 1/3 package. What I do is boil the priming solution, let cool and pour in my bottling bucket then add about 1/3 package of dry yeast. I stir that well, then rack the beer into it. It works well, as it ensures good carbonation while still keeping the beer clear.

 

[PeteNMA]

S04 is a great bottle conditioning yeast as it floccs down hard to the bottom of the bottle making for easy pouring

 

[Bruinpilot]

Thanks for the good info again. I like the dry yeast idea. Cheap easy and clean.

 

[jrowland74]

If you decide to start kegging, as you mentioned in another thread, you would not have to worry about this :rockin:

I don't usually make lagers, but I currently have a Schwarzbier in the lagering phase. I am lagering in the keg.

 

[Bruinpilot]

No doubt. I just have some beers that I would prefer to bottle and not keg. Although I have heard it may be possible to fill bottles from a keg...

 

[Yooper]

No doubt. I just have some beers that I would prefer to bottle and not keg. Although I have heard it may be possible to fill bottles from a keg...

Oh, it's more than possible! I've won brewing competitions with this little cheap get-up:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24678

I got a beer gun a few years ago and have used that as well, but I haven't noticed any difference in the final results.

You can also fill growlers to go, just like in a brewpub, if you just want to take a 1/2 gallon of beer with you to a friend's, or gift some. I don't know of any downside to kegging, except you don't have the dead soldiers lined up on the counter to keep track of the number of beers you've had, so the beer does seem to disappear faster.

 

[Bruinpilot]

Radical. My budget is probably going to be around $500 between me and my brewing buddy. Can we get a good setup for that kind of budget?

 

[Yooper]

Radical. My budget is probably going to be around $500 between me and my brewing buddy. Can we get a good setup for that kind of budget?

Definitely! I used an upright fridge that I got for $50 from craigslist, but others use freezers so whatever your footprint is will work for you. The kegging gear for 3 kegs/taps may run $300 or so, but it pays to shop around and shop sales. I just bought two more kegs, with free shipping, pre-Christmas.

You can drive yourself crazy with deciding what you want/need so feel free to look around the forum and post any questions you have about kegging and gear!

 

[sky4meplease]

The kegging gear for 3 kegs/taps may run $300 or so

Hmm $100.00 per tap? That means the 11 different beers I have in bottles right now would cost me $1,100.00 to keg not including the keezer?
Looks like I will be bottling for a while 🙄

 

[cyanmonkey]

Hmm $100.00 per tap? That means the 11 different beers I have in bottles right now would cost me $1,100.00 to keg not including the keezer?
Looks like I will be bottling for a while 🙄

I went pin lock, so my kegs are a bit cheaper, but by the time you have connects, hose and faucet you're up there. Then you have to get gas to all of them which means a manifold or second regulator...

Or you can stick a keg in a fridge with a picnic tap and call it good. It's all what you want to make it.

I have a two tap fridge and a third keg for lagering in my freezer ferm chamber, but I've taken a while to build my set up.

I found a regulator and co2 tank on Craigslist for $40 and was off from there. I got lucky.

You can always bottle if you run out of keg space, but kegging is so much better for the beer and it's so much easier.

 

[CJ-3]

but kegging is so much better for the beer.

Umm, how is it better for the beer?

 

[cyanmonkey]

Umm, how is it better for the beer?

It's easier to purge the whole system with CO2 and you can control carbonation after the fact.

I mean, it's not like it makes it taste better, but it's more stable.

 

[slym2none]

S04 is a great bottle conditioning yeast as it floccs down hard to the bottom of the bottle making for easy pouring

Notty as well!

 

[Yooper]

Hmm $100.00 per tap? That means the 11 different beers I have in bottles right now would cost me $1,100.00 to keg not including the keezer?
Looks like I will be bottling for a while 🙄

Yes, if you have 11 different taps for 11 different beers, it would get very expensive very quickly.

But you normally have, say, 3-5, and the kegs are refillable. So you may only have 5 different beers on tap at any one time. They are easy to switch out, and put a different beer on, but you won't have 11 on tap at one time unless you have 11 taps of course.

 

[PeteNMA]

And you can still bottle as well. Having kegs doesn't force you to stop bottling.