What temperature do I use for priming a lager?

[EkieEgan]

Sorry if this was covered earlier. I couldn't find a thread. Ok, I have a "lager" that will need bottling soon. I brewed a hoppy psuedo lager on 12/18 and fermented for 18 days at 58 degrees with Saflager yeast. I have no practical way of actually lagering in my apartment so it is what it is. It's more of a California Common I guess (I also have one of those fermenting now and I am planning on brewing a Kolsch next week). So, after 18 days I saw minimal activity so I moved the carboy to a 70 degree location to allow the yeast an easier time to clean the beer up. It's been there for 5 days. My question is this...what temperature do I use when calculating my priming sugar? When the beer warmed to the 70 degree location, did it lose dissolved CO2? I'm assuming it did, but there is no way of knowing how much. What temperature would you pick to figure priming sugar? Hopefully someone has had some experience with this. I don't want to over or under prime.

 

[crane]

Sorry if this was covered earlier. I couldn't find a thread. Ok, I have a "lager" that will need bottling soon. I brewed a hoppy psuedo lager on 12/18 and fermented for 18 days at 58 degrees with Saflager yeast. I have no practical way of actually lagering in my apartment so it is what it is. It's more of a California Common I guess (I also have one of those fermenting now and I am planning on brewing a Kolsch next week). So, after 18 days I saw minimal activity so I moved the carboy to a 70 degree location to allow the yeast an easier time to clean the beer up. It's been there for 5 days. My question is this...what temperature do I use when calculating my priming sugar? When the beer warmed to the 70 degree location, did it lose dissolved CO2? I'm assuming it did, but there is no way of knowing how much. What temperature would you pick to figure priming sugar? Hopefully someone has had some experience with this. I don't want to over or under prime.

Yes use 70 degrees. When you warmed the beer up CO2 came out of solution. You want to use the highest temperature the beer got to after CO2 production (fermentation) stopped.

You can calculate how much CO2 is lost. Assuming CO2 production has stopped, the amount of dissolved CO2 will reach an equilibrium based on the temperature the beer is at and the atmospheric pressure assuming the beer as an airlock on it, not in a sealed vessel.

 

[EkieEgan]

I kinda figured, but I wanted to make sure. I wasn't sure if the 5 days was enough time to change it much, but again the yeast was still active cleaning up the beer so it makes perfect sense. Thanks for the info crane. I appreciate it! Can't wait until I can get lagering fridges again and go back to kegging. Apartment life kinda stinks lol..just greatful my wife puts up with my brewing like she does