Lagering advice needed

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Beerly_Beloved, Sep 2, 2016.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Beerly_Beloved

    Beerly_Beloved Initiate (0) Jul 5, 2016 Missouri

    My fellow ba-lagers:

    I was deeply disappointed to find out that my favorite beer, the lager, was going to be more in depth to brew than a simple starter kit. One of the worst days of my life but in time i'll get over it. Now, I'm taking the step.

    I just bought am external temp controller for my freezer. Other than the typical ale supplies, what will I need? Also, any pro tips out there from the forum? I'm going for a Bavarian dark lager. Grain bill to be decided tomorrow at the HBS but nothing too big.

    Thanks!
     
  2. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Lots of yeast, lots of oxygen, and lots of patience :slight_smile:
     
    SFACRKnight, fuzzbalz and PapaGoose03 like this.
  3. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    No equipment needed outside the normal ale equipment as long as you have the ability to ferment cold and store cold for extended time.

    Tips....
    BIG yeast starters. Don't neglect.
    Be patient.
    Diacetyl rest - don't skip
    Give some thought to your rotation. Are you using the same fermentation chamber for primary and lagering? If so do you also need it for your ales? If you do both it takes some planning to keep a steady stream of beer going and ready when you want it
     
  4. CADETS3

    CADETS3 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2014 Texas

    You won't need any extra supplies. You're good to go with the external temperature control. Make sure you do a diacetyl rest when you have a few points to go. 65 F for 2 days *should* be good. Transfer to keg (preferably), or secondary and lager for 1-2 months at 33-35 F.
     
  5. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    If you are going to shoot for a 33 degree setting for lagering, test the accuracy of your setting first with water to see if it freezes.
     
  6. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    @Beerly_Beloved, do you have a non-oxygen permeable secondary to lager the beer in?

    Cheers!
     
  7. premierpro

    premierpro Savant (1,060) Mar 21, 2009 Michigan

    I brew dark lagers 1-2 times a year and have played with quite a few yeast strains. Now I only use dry yeast for this Style. I am a big fan of the 34/70 dry yeast for dunkels. I have recently brewed one using the S-189 dry yeast. While this batch is still laggering and I have not got it on tap the hydrometer sample was excellent much smoother then the 34/70. If your O.G. is not too high you will not need a starter with the dry yeast. Take care.
     
  8. Beerly_Beloved

    Beerly_Beloved Initiate (0) Jul 5, 2016 Missouri

    I have 3 or 4 glass 6.5 G carboys and 1 3G.
     
  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    There are a number of differences:

    Fermentation

    You need to pitch more yeast for a lager vs. an ale. The rule of thumb is double the amount. For example if you would typically pitch a single pack of liquid ale yeast to ferment an ale you would want two packs of liquid lager yeast (or make a yeast starter to double amount). The other option is to pitch a single sachet of dry lager yeast as mentioned by @premierpro.

    You also need to ferment cooler for lagers (e.g., 50’s degrees F). You need a fermentation chamber to do this.

    Lagers typically take longer to complete primary fermentation (e.g., a couple of weeks). Let your hydrometer readings determine when fermentation is complete.

    Some brewers like to conduct a diacetyl rest towards the end of fermentation. With a few points of gravity still left raise the temperature to room temperature (e.g., 68 degrees F) for a few days to complete fermentation. I personally do not conduct a diacetyl rest when producing lager beers.

    Lagering

    Transfer the beer to a non-oxygen permeable vessel for lagering. If you are making 5 gallon batches you need a 5 gallon vessel (e.g., a 5 gallon carboy, a 5 gallon corny keg, etc.).

    You need to lager at cold temperature (near freezing or 30’s degrees F) for a longish period of time. I choose to lager my moderate gravity lagers for 5-6 weeks. You need a freezer or some other cold lagering chamber to do this.

    Brewing lagers is not necessarily harder but it takes longer (i.e., you need patience) and there are more steps which requires your attention.

    Cheers!

    P.S. I recommend you read:

    http://byo.com/stories/item/1488-the-lowdown-on-lagering-advanced-brewing
     
  10. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    If you are brewing 5 gallon batches the extra 1.5 g of headspace in a 6.5 g carbon is problematic because of oxidation.
     
    corbmoster likes this.
  11. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    Another rookie mistake that I recall. When you transfer to secondary still use an airlock even though your beer has been sitting at FG for awhile . Solid bungs become projectiles if you don't
     
  12. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I just finished up my first lager, and a couple of things that really made my experience a good one was making sure I used an accurate pitch rate calculator, research lager temps, and be patient. After using mr malty I found for the lager I was brewing I needed over double what my ales take. I wound up pitching two smack packs into a 4L starter. Second, while it is counterintuitive, when you lager the colder you go the longer you need to lager. I lagered my beer at 34 degrees for 8 weeks. The same beer could be done at six weeks at 40 degrees. In the end, patience is king. I wanted to cut my lagering short at six weeks, but let it ride the full eight and the results are delicious.
     
    PapaGoose03 likes this.
  13. Brewday

    Brewday Zealot (721) Dec 25, 2015 New York

    Used Wyeast 2042, put the stir plate inside the keezer and make the starter at 50. Same temp as fermenting. Make sure wort is 60 or below before blending.
     
  14. corbmoster

    corbmoster Pundit (848) Dec 15, 2014 Texas
    Trader

    Would lagering in a 5 gallon keg be a good place to lager?
     
  15. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    Yes. Probably ideal
     
  16. Supergenious

    Supergenious Maven (1,273) May 9, 2011 Michigan

    Actually, starter can be made at room temperature, (will finish in the same amount of time as ale). It's a good idea to chill and decant starter though.
     
  17. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    If you are lagering to clean up fermentation products, then I agree. If the the fermentation products were cleaned up with a diacetyl rest, the lagering at the lowest temp will clear the beer faster. I do a diacetyl rest and lager at 30F.
     
    SFACRKnight likes this.
  18. toronto_brewer

    toronto_brewer Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2015 Canada (ON)

    It's great that you have a temp controller. That is probably the biggest hurdle when getting into brewing lagers.

    I would also suggest trying out wyeast 2124, it's one of the most widely used lager strains in the world and for good reason. It works well at both low and higher temps and will work well for a wide range of lager styles.

    A great alternative on the dry yeast side would be 34/70. Excellent versatile yeast.

    My other suggestion (and some may disagree) would be to skip the extended lagering phase on your first attempt. If you nail your initial fermentation and D rest, you can easily get away with a short lagering period (as little as a week or two) and produce an excellent lager. You can always extend the lagering period on your second batch and see if you even appreciate the difference.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.