How do you lager?

sleepyjamie · Post by **sleepyjamie** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:05 pm

I've been reading the BCS and Yeast book from Jamil/Chris and i've found some conflicting suggestions on how to perform lagering.

The BCS book doesnt go into deep detail on how to lager, mostly their recommendations are ferment at 10 deg C for 4 weeks.
The yeast book and also i've read that jamil recommends fermenting at 6 deg C for 6 weeks.
The yeast book also recommends not shocking the yeast, meaning u shouldnt pitch the warm propagated yeast into a cool wort.

So i guess this thread is intended on how you do your lagering. From start (e.g. propagating yeast) to end (kegging).

Here's what I gathered from all of this. It's very basic. Please correct me if im wrong on any of these steps or missed anything.

1) Propagate lager yeast at room temp for 12-24 hours
2) Cool to wort temp 6-10 deg C slowly, in the fridge to avoid rapid shocking of yeast.
3) Pitch into wort at same temp
4) ferment for 4-6 weeks
5) introduce a diacetyl rest for 2-3 days at 13-15 deg C
6) transfer to keg. force carb.
7) collect yeast for next batch

berley · Post by **berley** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:16 pm

This is basically what I do...

http://meekbrewingco.blogspot.ca/2012/0 ... ewing.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry to cut-and-paste, I just thought it would be quicker that way...

Your method there looks pretty good, but the diacetyl rest is introduced before you're done the 4 weeks of fermenting... basically when you see fermentation slowing (ideally about 4 points away from your target FG). Also, you'd want to lager the beer once you rack it to the keg; how long depends on your preference and what type of beer you've brewed. You'd force carb once the beer is ready to be consumed.

sleepyjamie · Post by **sleepyjamie** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:07 pm

Great blog post. Books are a great resource but many times it can be hard for the human brain to compile everything into cliff notes.Sometimes step by step simple instructions are great.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

Tony L · Post by **Tony L** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 11:48 am

Basically this is what I do also.

I use dry yeast so after I've cooled my wort to fermenting temps of ( for me ) 10c I'll get my yeast ready.
This time of the year, that means an overnight layover in the fridge for my wort to cool down.

I'll pitch about 40 grams in warm water and let hydrate. After 10 minutes I'll stir up the yeast into a cream and little by little
add some cold wort to the yeast cream to get the yeast to my fermenting temps. This could take as long as 1 hour to get ready.
Then I pitch into oxygenated wort and let her rip.
A typical lager primary takes me between 2 to 3 weeks including a diacetyl rest at which time I generally just rack to a keg and
into my lager fridge set at 2c. I'll let it lager from 2 months to 6 months depending on how fast I will go through my lager
stock.
When I rack to a keg for lagering, I'll also carbonate it.

jason.loxton · Post by **jason.loxton** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:14 pm

Brewstrong did a very good episode on lagering. Jamil and Palmer endorse the pitch cold and ramp up for diacetyl rest at the end of fermentation period approach there. I think it is worth noting that lagering and fermentation are really two different things. Lagers are mostly fermented at lower than ale temps, but the fermentation period is only marginally longer. The actual lagering process (the long period near freezing) involves relatively little yeast activity, as I understand it, and is mostly about clearing and conditioning.

Bryan · Post by **Bryan** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:37 pm

Great information, everyone.

I just started doing lagers, and have been using the recommended method in BCS. In that book, Jamil recommends pitching at 44F, and rising to 50F in the first 24-36 hours. He then holds it at 50F for the duration of fermentation. If this method is done, he says no diacetyl rest is required. Does anyone agree/disagree with this method ?

Post by **mr x** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:44 pm

I use that method and am quite happy with it.

Post by **RubberToe** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:45 pm

Do you guys get any trub from the first pull when you lager in the keg? If so, do you worry about stirring it up?

Post by **mr x** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:52 pm

Always get something and never worry about it. Just don't shake it.

Tony L · Post by **Tony L** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:53 pm

Agree with X above.

Post by **RubberToe** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:15 pm

So not worth the hassle to rack to another carboy for lagering then racking to the keg after that eh.

berley · Post by **berley** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:25 pm

Probably not, unless you're short on kegs (especially if you plan on lagering, say, a Doppelbock for 6 months).

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