bottle conditioning a cream ale

[pscarazza79]

Hey, i have a cream ale fermenting away using white labs cream ale yeast at 18 degrees for 14 days to then i will be putting it through lagering in my fridge for 4 weeks.
When im ready to bottle and calculate the amount of sugar to bulk prime with considering it has fermented at 2 different temps and because this strain has ale/lagering yeast, do i put in the temp the beer has been at during lagering and bottle at that temp or do i let it warm up to 18 degrees to a) give a diacetyl rest and bulk prime with the primary ferment temp of 18 degrees.


Cheers Pat

 

[Rocker1986]

You use the temperature it was fermented at, or the highest temperature it reached during fermentation, in this case it looks like 18 degrees. While it's true that more CO2 remains in solution at lower temperatures, once it escapes, which it will in a fermenter, it doesn't get re-absorbed when you crash chill it. The fermenter isn't sealed airtight like a bottle is so whatever CO2 that escapes at 18 degrees remains out of the beer even after CCing it. You can bottle it at the lagered temp no problems.

If there's anything wrong there someone please correct it.

 

[RelaxedBrewer]

As I understood it, it should be the maximum temperature after fermentation is complete. If the temperature is lowered during fermentation, the amount of CO2 that is soluble increases and will be taken up as the yeast produce the CO2. After fermentation stops no more CO2 is being produced and the only way CO2 can be absorbed is through contact with the headspace.

I could be wrong, but this makes sense to me.

RB

 

[hoppy2B]

You mention fermenting at two different temps. Didn't it finish fermenting after 14 days at 18 degrees?

I'd be concerned whether I had enough yeast in suspension after 4 weeks in the fridge to carbonate my bottles. I recently had an experience with WB06 flocculating out in the ferment vessel and failing to carbonate my bottles properly.

 

[manticle]

Highest temp of any significance during AND after.

Should be enough in suspension to carbonate. Might take a touxh longer, yeast dependent, the longer you lager but 4 weeks is nothing to worry about.

 

[pscarazza79]

Thanks for the reply guys, i was unsure as i have never used a hybrid ale/lager yeast and don't want bottle bombs going off. i might play it safe and meet the amount of sugar in the middle of what the calc says for 18 degrees and lagering temp.
Also i know lager ferments at 10-13 but when lagering does the yeast still work or does it drop out?

Cheers

 

[RelaxedBrewer]

Highest temp of any significance during AND after.

Can you explain why the temperature during fermentation matters?
I have never understood why it would make a difference as a temperature drop during would just mean more CO2 will be absorbed and it will have the same amount of CO2 as if it had been kept at the lower temp anyway.

RB