Lager yeast going really slow

lager yeast is supposed to take its time. i wouldn't be too concerned because it isn't acting like a typical ale yeast. in fact if the fermentation is going too strong your yeast is probably busy making a beer that is too much like an ale.

hard to say if you shocked the yeast, but not likely. the preferred and more recent method of achieving lager fermentation temp is to start a bit lower than desired and bring it up to your target fermentation temp. starting high and bringing the yeast down is not a sin, but consider that much of the yeast characteristic is introduced within the first few days of fermentation and you can see that a clean lager requires a low and slow initial fermentation. 65 is high for any lager strain.

lagers can take a week or more to fully ferment, and then you will want to lager anyway. you should also think about a diacetyl rest. it makes a huge difference.

you're in this for the long haul. keep on RDWHAHB.
Cheers.

 

I was about to make another thread on my lager yeast getting done in 6 days. I'm going home, checking the calibration on my refrac and I'm going to measure again.

 

Correct that you focus on yeast growth during any starter. Optimal temp is a little warmer than room temp, IIRC. So 50 isn't great, 68 is good, and 75-80 is probably amazing.

 

It's good that you made starters, that was my first question. But how big were your starters? It's not unusual to make 1-gallon starters for 5 gallons of beer, then just pitch the yeast slurry from the bottom.

I agree with everything billandsuz said above. I think your beers will turn out fine. Slow ferment at cool lager temperatures is very normal. That being said, I will add this:

WLP820 is a shit yeast that should not be sold. It's the slowest, lowest attenuating, poorest tasting lager yeast on the market. There is no reason for it to exist anymore. Please pardon my bold statement however it is based on a lot of personal experience as well as the experience of my friends. We try it and it's just not very good. So next time try Wyeast 2206 and you will not be sorry. Lots of people claim that WLP820 and 2206 are equivalent. This is completely false. Maybe they started out the same 40 years ago or something, but they might have evolved to the point where they are not at all the same anymore. You can also try WLP830, WLP833, WLP838, heck... any other lager yeast in the universe will turn out better than WLP820. Sorry, sorry... just trying to help, don't say I didn't warn you. If they didn't sell it then I wouldn't have to warn you. Don't get me wrong... Your beer will turn out passable. You will drink it and you might even enjoy it. But could have been better with any other lager yeast.

Good luck and have a great day.

 

A large pitch rate is needed for lagers, 2X the rate for ales. Pure O2 helps as lager yeast really benefits. I pitch cool, maybe 45-46F for a 50F fermentation. Lagers also get the recommended dose of Wyeast yeast nutreint. With all of that my lagers are often done with the primary and D-rest in 5 to 6 days.

When I started doing lagers, the fermentation was very slow, but I did not do most of the above steps.

 

Now tell me the truth. How do you feel about WLP820?

 

This adviced is echo'ed by White/Jainasheff in Yeast. They also state it's accepatable to pitch in the mid 60s and lower . . . this helps growth in the lag phase, but the preferred method is to pitch the correct number of cells at a temp slightly lower than desired and let fermentation raise it to optimum.

Regarding starters: Desired temps are 65 - 75 with lager yeast on the lower end. For best results add nutrient and oxygen, just like in the primary. But here's where you really want to get familiar with a calculator; for 5 gal batches at medium OG's you are looking at 400+B cells. With a single vial you're talking step-starters and I would definitely have a target in mind rather than just mixing up some starter-wort and hoping. How old was your yeast and what size starters did you make?

From my experience be ready for a longer lag time and don't expect much of a krausen. Waiting 12+ hours for the growth phase to start and a high-krausen mark of only an inch high is common. You've nailed the "relax" part.

 

I'd wait until attenuation is almost finished. I wouldn't go by a calendar.

 

Lager yeast fermentation is steep hill compere with Ale yeast fermentation.
lager lower temperature slow yeast activity and cell metabolism slow too. That's way you need to improve metabolism condition such as yeast cell (bigger starter), extra o2, healthy vitality yeast.
enjoy climb the Lager hill

 

This is really reassuring to hear that you can get fermentation done in a week. I won't sweat the Bock that I just made. The OG was around 1.075. I know I overpitched, because I pulled from a yeast cake, made a 2 liter starter on a plate and ran with it. The yeast is on it's forth beer and then I'll be done with it. The fermentation was never aggressive, but persistent blowoff activity for three days.

Now if I can just keep my hands off this beer while it tastes like green apples for another 4 months....

 

For big lagers it can take a little longer, more like 6-7 days, so yeah a week is good. You may also want to set those a degree or 2 cooler to minimize fusels.

 

Next time I'll ramp it up from 50 or so. I started at 55, it stayed put quite well, and was finished in about 5 or 6 days. I ramed it up to 70 to attempt a D rest, and now it's back down to 60. I'll let it go for a week and start lagering.