Secondary racking lagers

[brewdownunder]

G'day, Im brewing a Lager, using saflager yeast, my question is once i hit FG do i rack to a secondary if i plan to simply bottle? My confusion is if i rack it to secondary and leave it for a few weeks to clear will there actually be any yeast left in the beer to convert my priming drops to bubbles? If i went straight from primary to bottles and left the bottles for a month or so isn't this practically the same as racking to a secondary? Thanks .

 

[Revvy]

Are you going to lager your beer? If so after a month in primary I rack it to secondary. AND yes after you lager, there will still be plenty of yeast to do the job of carbing.

 

[osagedr]

If you are fermenting your lager at cooler temps (around 50, or just under) it's good practise to do a diacetyl rest when your gravity gets to around 1.020. Remove your fermenter from the chamber and leave it at room temps or raise your chamber temp to around 65 and leave it there for at least a couple of days (be sure you hit FG).

Not everyone does this, but it doesn't affect your beer at all and (probably) ensures you won't have diacetyl later on. Most of us rack our lagers into a secondary after that diacetyl rest then lower the temp slowly to lagering temperature (few degrees per day) although I personally just cold crash.

Although I use an extended primary for ales, I don't for lagers. Some people do.

Good luck!

 

[brewdownunder]

Cheers guy's i dont intend to "lager" by the book due to lack of refrigerated space, pretty slack seeing as im a refrigeration mechanic but i live in a place where the brew stays around 12 degrees c/ 54F so ill give it a few weeks in secondary at this temp? Regards to the whole 1,2,3 idea my brews been on for 8 days and is only at 1.030 so in reallity it should stay where it is untill after diacetyl rest and FG before even thinking of racking right?

 

[osagedr]

(a) the whole 1,2,3 idea is bunk and you should disregard it entirely. Well I guess three weeks carbing in the bottle is pretty standard so keep that part.

(b) definitely your beer should stay where it is until after a d-rest, which you can do when it hits 1.020. It should then drop to FG relatively quickly; you can rack it at your leisure after that.

What is your fermentation temperature?

 

[brewdownunder]

The ferment temp is 54-57 during the day and typically 50-54 at night. Seems to be chugging along quite nicely ! but ive read the D rest should not go higher than 62 F when using saflager S23 ? are the temps really honestly that critical?

 

[osagedr]

The ferment temp is 54-57 during the day and typically 50-54 at night. Seems to be chugging along quite nicely ! but ive read the D rest should not go higher than 62 F when using saflager S23 ? are the temps really honestly that critical?

I like your ferm temps for S-23. Where did you read that about the d-rest temp for this yeast? I was drinking a Czech lager made with S-23 last night, where the d-rest was at 70. I shouldn't think the temp for the last few gravity points would make a difference, as long as the yeast finish off. Having said that, sticking to 62 should work great!

 

[brewdownunder]

really appreciate the tips, i honestly cant pin where i read that "advise" there are way too many forums full of experts out there too much reading can do your head in, its good to stumble upon a group of guys who have actually brewed a few and know what their on about, cheers. I figure ill trial and error a few brews and learn as i go.