Questions on bottling a lager...

[impatient]

Here is what I have going:

6 2-Row
.5 120L

In w/7.5 qts @ 152 90 minutes
Out w/22 qts @ 168

90 minute boil
1oz Cascade 70 minutes
1oz Cascade 20 minutes
1tsp Irish Moss 15 minutes
1oz Cascade 5 minutes

Immersion chilled to 60 and pitched a 400mL yeast cake of WyEast 2206 Bavarian Lager.

It is fermenting nicely with the lager cooler set to 50 degrees. The carboy is sweating so, I expect it is a few degrees warmer.

Here is what I have planned:

Primary @ 50 until the Krausen drops.
D-Rest @ 60 for 3 days
Secondary @ 42 for 14 days
Lager @ 33 for 21 days
Bottle and condition @ 50 for 21 days

Here are my questions:

Is my bottled temp correct? Can I bottle condition @ Ale temps to free up my lagering cooler?

Will the yeast still carb the beer after all this time?

Can I leave this on the trub until I bottle and then suspend some yeast with the racking cane when bottling?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Yooper]

I'd get it off the yeast cake after the diacetyl rest. Make sure it's at FG, and then rack it after the rest. After it's racked, I wouldn't bother with two weeks at 42, and then three weeks at lagering temps- I'd just rack and begin lagering. I can't think of a reason to do it at two different temperatures.

I'd bottle condition at room temperature. I wouldn't get trub in my beer on purpose. It'll carb up just fine.

 

[impatient]

I'd get it off the yeast cake after the diacetyl rest. Make sure it's at FG, and then rack it after the rest. After it's racked, I wouldn't bother with two weeks at 42, and then three weeks at lagering temps- I'd just rack and begin lagering. I can't think of a reason to do it at two different temperatures.

I'd bottle condition at room temperature. I wouldn't get trub in my beer on purpose. It'll carb up just fine.

Thanks

So, how long do you think the yeast stay alive?

I can't think of a reason to do it at two different temperatures.

I read on the WyEast website. It said the yeast will clean up after themselves best just below the bottom end of the primary temp which is 44 to 58 degrees.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_lagerbrewing.cfm

I was planning dropping the temp 1 degree starting at day five in secondary. Once 33 degrees is met, let it go for 3 weeks.

 

[impatient]

I'd get it off the yeast cake after the diacetyl rest. Make sure it's at FG, and then rack it after the rest. After it's racked, I wouldn't bother with two weeks at 42, and then three weeks at lagering temps- I'd just rack and begin lagering. I can't think of a reason to do it at two different temperatures.

I'd bottle condition at room temperature. I wouldn't get trub in my beer on purpose. It'll carb up just fine.

Do you bottle your lagers? I can't buy kegging equipment. My wife thinks the kids will get into it.

 

[Yooper]

I don't make very many lagers any more- only about 3-5 a year. I sometimes bottle them, sometimes keg them.

It looked like you were planning on a secondary for 14 days at 42 degrees, from the original post so that's why I was confused.

Usually, you rack after the diacetyl rest. After I rack, I then lower the beer about 5 degrees per day until I'm lagering at 34 degrees. It doesn't take long, only about 5-6 days. Some lager brewers just start lagering right after the diacetyl rest. Either seems to work fine.

I'd lager longer than 3 weeks. That seems pretty short, even for a lower OG lager. I'd go with 4-6 weeks, and then bottle. I assume your OG was in the 1.038 area, based on the recipe, so I would go a week for each 8-10 points of OG.

 

[impatient]

I don't make very many lagers any more- only about 3-5 a year. I sometimes bottle them, sometimes keg them.

It looked like you were planning on a secondary for 14 days at 42 degrees, from the original post so that's why I was confused.

Usually, you rack after the diacetyl rest. After I rack, I then lower the beer about 5 degrees per day until I'm lagering at 34 degrees. It doesn't take long, only about 5-6 days. Some lager brewers just start lagering right after the diacetyl rest. Either seems to work fine.

I'd lager longer than 3 weeks. That seems pretty short, even for a lower OG lager. I'd go with 4-6 weeks, and then bottle. I assume your OG was in the 1.038 area, based on the recipe, so I would go a week for each 8-10 points of OG.

1.046

I fly sparge with a false bottom cooler setup and get excellent efficiency every time by standing over it gently stirring the very top of the grain bed to fill in tunnels and by keeping the sparge water only a couple of inches off the grain bed. I sparge very slow as well, a rate of about 1 quart per 2 minutes.

So what , 5 weeks once I hit 33 degrees?

While you answering questions, I usually use 3/4 cup of priming sugar on ales. How much should I up if when I bottle this?

 

[Yooper]

1.046

I fly sparge with a false bottom cooler setup and get excellent efficiency every time by standing over it gently stirring the very top of the grain bed to fill in tunnels and by keeping the sparge water only a couple of inches off the grain bed. I sparge very slow as well, a rate of about 1 quart per 2 minutes.

So what , 5 weeks once I hit 33 degrees?

While you answering questions, I usually use 3/4 cup of priming sugar on ales. How much should I up if when I bottle this?

I weigh my priming sugar, but I wouldn't increase it unless you have a reason to want it super fizzy. I generally use 4 ounces by weight for my lagers and pale ales. If you usually use 3/4 cup of sugar and you like the carbonation level, that's fine.

I'd lager 5-8 weeks for that beer. The longer you lager, the "smoother" it will be.

 

[robertjohnson]

I dropped my temperature faster than the recommended 2 degrees per day and was wondering if the yeast would floc out, leaving me with nothing to bottle with. I went from 66 to 44 at the recommended rate, but then just stuck it in the fridge. In less than 12 hours, it dropped to 36 degrees. (I thought low was the highest temperature setting, hence the sudden drop.) Anyway, after lagering should I consider adding some champagne yeast or something clean that works at cooler temps, or will I be fine?

Also, does the lagering period include the time it takes to get from d-rest to lager temps or do I mark my calendar when I hit the mid-30s? It took me 10 days to ramp down to lagering temps! And here I thought making a lager would be quick and cavalier (not)...

Thanks for any help.