Clarification On D-rest

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muthead

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Hi All,

I have searched high and low and have found conflicting information re D-rests. I was hoping for some clarification.

I have a Pilsner which has reached FG (1013) and a Lager which is at 1016 with an aim of 1011. Pilsner has been down 12 days and Lager 10 days. Both are in the same ferm fridge.

I will be racking to secondary to CC for 3-4 weeks, but am thinking I need to D-Rest them first. The Pilsner tastes great but the Lager does taste a bit butterscotchy.

My question - given that the Lager still has a way to go before FG is reached would now be a good time to ramp the fridge up to 17-18c? I'm assuiming it would have no adverse effect on the Pilsner which has all but reached FG? If this is the case is it ok to leave at this temp until fermenation has finished before racking and putting back in the fridge at 1c?

Appreciate any advice.

Mut
 
Just bump them both up to 18-20 degrees for a bit, then drop to lager.

Fine and dandy.
 
Racking benefits are debatable. I rack every beer once (unless I have a stuck fermentation) but nowadays that once is simply to bottling bucket for bulk priming. I used to religiously rack each beer and swore blind for a while that it was an improvement but my view is now altered.

Racking will give less sediment in botttles - not an issue so much for keggers, but if you bulk prime, it's easiest to leave it till then.

If you intend to lager for more than a month or so, maybe consider racking. Otherwise into the fridge, should be sweet.
 
Racking benefits are debatable. I rack every beer once (unless I have a stuck fermentation) but nowadays that once is simply to bottling bucket for bulk priming. I used to religiously rack each beer and swore blind for a while that it was an improvement but my view is now altered.

Racking will give less sediment in botttles - not an issue so much for keggers, but if you bulk prime, it's easiest to leave it till then.

If you intend to lager for more than a month or so, maybe consider racking. Otherwise into the fridge, should be sweet.


Ok Thanks

I do bulk prime as well, so you reckon racking into secondary to lager doesn't make much difference with beer clarity?
 
I used to rack, now I just leave it if ur worried about clarity use gelatine 1-2 days before bottling/Kegging works a treat for me

Racking is just an unneeded worry ie santitation, oxidization, etc

Only time to really rack is when lagering and u don't want the beer on the yeast for 4+ weeks
 
I can't tell you whether or not it makes a difference on a molecular level. Maybe once I've read more but not yet.

However, I can tell you that in my experience, lagering for 1 week plus with ALL beers, then racking to bulk prime gives me beers that I find as clear as I want. I could not suggest honestly that the beers I made before I stopped racking 3/4 the way through ferment which were also fined and lagered for a bit were any clearer than the ones I make now.

I have been asked if I filter to which the answer is 'no'*

I don't use any finings any more - just cold and time. I also allow my beers a minimum of 5 days conditioning at ferment temps once FG is reached and before the cold condition/lagering process.

*I'm pretty sure that a filtered beer would be loads clearer than mine by the way.

If you rack to lager AND rack to bulk prime, that's two transfers and I just don't think that's necessary (and I used to swear by it).
 
What about stripping flavor with the filter is that a concern mant?
 
I don't filter mate.

Some say it is, some say it isn't but I've never used one so I can't comment.
 
I used to rack, now I just leave it if ur worried about clarity use gelatine 1-2 days before bottling/Kegging works a treat for me

I've heard a few people say that. What do you actually do with the gelatine? Is it just a case of whacking it in the fermenter? How much do you use?
 
Dissolve the gelatin first. Search here for gelatin finings - there's a decent how to thread somewhere. I no longer use them.

If you add it straight in, you may get clumps of cold jelly at the bottom of your fermenter and even bottles.
 
Boil up about 200mls of water, take it off the boil then add about 5g (1tsp) stir then add to the fermenter after urve reached ur FG 1-2 days before bottling
 
Never had a problem with clumps as long as u make sure the gelatine is dissolved, great clarity without the risk of infection
 
Boil up about 200mls of water, take it off the boil then add about 5g (1tsp) stir then add to the fermenter after urve reached ur FG 1-2 days before bottling


Never had a problem with clumps as long as u make sure the gelatine is dissolved, great clarity without the risk of infection

Thanks Matt - so if i want to CC for say 2 weeks, would I do this before CCing or at the end of CCing before bottling?
 
Just before cc or during is fine.

Clumps I mention are only if you DON'T dissolve first.
 
I'd prefer before but only for a small reason, the gelatine works on electrostatically attracting the yeast and with more yeast in suspension before the CC u may achieve a clearer result as the bulk would be removed before the CC, which then does the rest of job?

Happy to be corrected
 
Boil up about 200mls of water, take it off the boil then add about 5g (1tsp) stir then add to the fermenter after urve reached ur FG 1-2 days before bottling


I'd often add a few teaspoons of dex to the cup of finings before adding it to the racking vessel......surely i ain't the only one!? :unsure:
 
Why would you do that?

An old habbit of mine. I was given that tip when i started brewing and whilst its benifits are now debatable, I continue to do it.

The thinking behind it would be to create a little more Co2 in the new vessel and "blanket it" I suppose. I don't recall ever having an "oxidized" or "off" tasting beer despite some people having negative effects after racking and for this reason my little routine continues.
 
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