Fermentation Of A Lager

[Effect]

BTW here is a really good wiki on lager brewing that I stumbled upon.

+1 for Braukaiers wiki!

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I wonder if you can offer me any advice. I have a coopers euro lager in a fridge at around 18C for ~16days. i don't have a 'lagering' container and was just going to bottle it. should i 'cold crash' it in the fridge when i think it's ready, then bottle? if i did, what temperature and for how long, and once it's in the bottles do I bring it backup to 13-18 for carbonation? never done a lager, never cold-crashed.... i'm tempted to leave it in there for another week before doing anything, seems like most people are doing at least 3 weeks for a lager - but i don't know at what temp. i have a hydro, but i find it a little difficult to get consistent readings.

hmmm, not 100% sure here because I don't know exactly what sort of yeast is in the coopers kit. The main thing though is your temperature. If you have had it at 18 for 16 days, its almost certainly completely finished.

The reason most people are taking a long time for a lager, is that they are fermenting at much lower temperatures - true lager yeasts perform properly from about 8-13C and give the right flavour profile, but at those low temperatures it takes a while for them to finish up.

In your case - I would stick it in the fridge and get it as cold as I could, for a few days. Mainly to make sure the yeast has all settled nicely and to stick it to the bottom of the fermentor. Then just bottle. Bing it back up to fermentation temperatures to let it carbonate for a week or so (test one to see if its got the right bubbles) then back into your fridge as cold as you can get em and leave them alone for a week or three or 4.

The lagering part is just about letting the beer mature and stabilise at cold temperatures - yeast will fall to the bottom, chill haze will form and fall to the bottom, all sorts of crap will come out of solution and fall to the bottom. You can do that just as well in the bottle as in any other container... its just that you have the temptation to drink them.

 

[shayne]

hmmm, not 100% sure here because I don't know exactly what sort of yeast is in the coopers kit..

... and leave them alone for a week or three or 4.

thanks. the yeast with that kit is a Pilsner, I believe. it has a 'P' on the end of the stamp and somewhere I read said this is what it means. coopers say it can ferment as low as 13C, so I was hesitant to get it that low in case it stopped and i don't know how to get it going again. there were some days it was down to 13ish, so maybe that's why i'm still reading 1.014ish on the hydro.

the other point is coopers say at least 12 weeks in the bottle. while i know this is aimed at perhaps first time brewers (not that i'm experienced but do read these forums - can you see any reason why this would take any longer to condition than say some other garden variety lager?

 

[itguy1953]

My understanding is that the cap yeast is a true lager yeast, and performs best at close to 10degc. Coopers always like to push there fermentation temps, as they want to show punters that they can get beer ready quickly.

Re the long time to condition, this is normal with a lager yeast, especially is you truly lager it ie. take it down to fridge temp and hold it there.

Barry