max time in primary

[amartin]

Hey All,

I started a Vienna lager two weeks ago, and it's done fermenting now. My original plan was to lager it out on the back deck under blankets and garbage bags or something, but now I'm thinking that wasn't a great plan. It's not even that cold out lately. I'm thinking I may just put the buckets in the crawl space (low 50's) right now, and then bottle it in a few weeks when I have more bottles and motivation to fill them. Is four weeks in the primary too much when half the time is spent at lower temperatures? If it was an ale I wouldn't think twice about it, but lager yeast is still active at that temperature. I don't really want to rack it into carboys right now either, because I don't have enough of them right now.

Thanks,
Andrew

[LiverDance]

I do this all the time. I ferment around 66/68 for 2 weeks then put it on my basement floor for 2 weeks at about 58. I believe you will be fine.

[CartoonCod]

I think your fine, and if you yeast is still active then all the better. It's after they are dead and start to decompose thats the issue.

[amartin]

Oh, right. Ok, thanks guys.