1st Ag Lager

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DanteHicks

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Hi all,

About to put down my 1st AG lager, in fact my first lager with temperature controll for the fermentation. Needless to say any others I have tried have turned out rubbish.

I have already got it in my cube, will be fermenting it this weekend. It is 85% Pils, 10% Vienna and 5% Carared, mashed low for 90 mins and 30 IBU of single 60 min addition of hallertau.

Plan was to use a 1.5L starter of Wyeast 2124, Bohemian Lager, chilled to 10* and pitched into 10* wort. I will ferment to 1.020 at 10* then ramp up to 18* for 48 hours for a D-rest. Rack to 2ndary, Lager at 2ish degrees for as long as it takes me to empty enough cornies to keg, at least 30 days.

Any advice, or anything I should know before I start fermentation?

Is my process OK?

Thanks
 
for a cold pitch your going to need way more yeast. a 1.5 litre starter is not going to cut it. using the mr malty the required starter if your beer is 20l at 1050 and month old pack of yeast is 4.3 litres on a stirplate. either pich warm and cool down slowly after the growth phase or pitch a bigger starter.
 
What BEERHOG said is correct about the yeast quantity.

Also, if you have done your D rest, you don't really need to rack for lagering. All I do is drop my temperature to about 2 degree C, and bottle from primary. My last lager was lagered for 7 weeks in primary with no problems. Still, if that's what you want to do, go ahead.
 
So I should pitch at say 18 and start to cool immediately
or wait until yeast kicks off?
 
yeah start at 18 and at the first signs of action kick it down to ferment temp by about a degree an hour, if you chill it to quick you could shock the yeast into just going to sleep.
 
Thanks guys, you may have just saved my first lager :)
 
So its only been 5 days and it is at 1.020, I was kind of expecting longer. Do I up it to 18* for a D-Rest? Or should I wait for a while?

Essentially, I want to confirm if the D-Rest should done be based on SG or on time?
 
So its only been 5 days and it is at 1.020, I was kind of expecting longer. Do I up it to 18* for a D-Rest? Or should I wait for a while?

Essentially, I want to confirm if the D-Rest should done be based on SG or on time?
Dont worry it could take another week to knock off the last 6-8 points of G.
I do my D rest at 14-15 C ,24-48 hours depending on the yeast type, yours will be safe at 48.
I let my temps creep up to 14-15c from about 1.020 onwards. I lager the fermenter for 1-2 weeks then transfer to keg.
Nev
 
Dont worry it could take another week to knock off the last 6-8 points of G.
I do my D rest at 14-15 C ,24-48 hours depending on the yeast type, yours will be safe at 48.
I let my temps creep up to 14-15c from about 1.020 onwards. I lager the fermenter for 1-2 weeks then transfer to keg.
Nev

Thanks heaps Nev, I will start upping my temps now.
 
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