First Time Brewing Up A Lager - Starter Questions

[rday]

I'm doing up a lager for the first time and I had no idea it was this much more complicated than an ale! I've been reading up all day on starters and everything and I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right.

My local home brew shop only had S-23 for lager yeasts, so that's what I'll be using, even though I would have preferred Wyeast 2100... I also only bought one packet, not realising that wouldn't really be enough. I've made up 4 litres of wort with 400 g light malt and boiled water into a 5 litre glass demijohn. I'm planning on cooling it to about 25 degrees, pitching the yeast and then cooling to 20.

In the meantime, I'll be making up the wort for the beer and keeping it at 20 as well. Once the starter really gets going pitch and drop the temp controller from 20 to 15 for about 12 hours and then finally to 10.

Does this make any sense or do I have no clue what I'm doing?

 

[Brewman_]

Hi mate,

Yes one satchel is a little on the low side, but what I would do is:

Make up the wort to around 20 Deg.C.

Pitch the dry yeast straight in. cool slowly to about 16 to 17, real degrees, so make sure sure your temp controller reads the right temp. My one reads about 1.5 under real temp, which is a function of where I place the probe. So if the controller says 16 then the wort is around 17.5.

Leave the brew there until you get some indication that the yeast is working, don't wait for a krausen, bit just a few bubbles on top and then start stepping the temp down 2 degrees each 12 hrs and ferment at around 13.

Reason for this is you want to get the yeast started quickly, and with just one sathcel 10 degrees may be a little low. 13 should give a reasonable result, and also when you are within a few degrees of final gravity, raise the temperature to around 18 to ensure full attenuation, which should take 36 to 48 hrs. Check your Final Gravity by keeping a sample of your gravity test in a warm location, say rom temp for a few days while the wort is fermenting, this will give you your final gravity after a few days.

You need to be patient. And there is a hell of a lot more advice around the site that will help. You have not mentioned your ingredients / process, which are also important in this process.

Good luck.
Fear_n_Loath.