Lager, Cold Crash Without A Keg

[AuntyJack]

Hello to all. Been helping myself to lots of helpful information here for a while, but now have a question that I don't really find the answers to. They're probably here somewhere, just that i haven't managed to find em yet, or more likely I just haven't understood it.

Yesterday I got a fermenter moving with my first lager.

Morgans Golden Saaz Pilsener
510g dextrose
250g multidextrose
500g ldme
Saaz hops, steeped for 10min then in the fermenter
Saflager S23 yeast

Pitched the yeast at about 26degrees

Within 2 hours I'd managed to get the temperature down to about 18 degrees and after 24 hours it's down to 14. Probably wont get much lower as I've only got ambient temperature to work with right now.

I understand that many raise the temp to about 24 for a couple of days, then rack to a "cube" (dunno what that is really) then "coldcrash" chill the beer. Thing is, I don't have a cube or a keg, just bottles. So how do I do with all this if everythings going into bottles? ie: what temperature at what time, in a fermenter and in the bottle.

Cheers

Jason

 

[pdilley]

diacetyl rest lets yeast work on reducing the slick mouthfeel/buttery taste of diacetyl which is produced during fermentation. Ales are easy as they are usually already at temp, let em just sit for days after fermentation is complete. Lagers can be slowly brought up to temp slowly during the last half of fermentation for a few days or until fermentation is completed depending on how long it takes to clean up. You can test for cleaning by taking off some wort and splitting into two samples one cold and the other heated to 60C for an hour then chilled. If both taste the same you're cleaned.

Never used s23, but 14C seems high unless doing a fake lager with a clean fermenting ale yeast. If thats your ambient put the fermenter in the bath with cold water and wrap in a wet towel to get it down closer to 10C. 20C is enough for a diacetyl rest as far as most yeast are concerned. Crack the window and shut the door off to the house if it helps.

Rack to cube only means rack to any secondary fermentation vessel; in other words get the lagers off the yeast as soon as fermentation is done. Need not be a cube necessarily. Any fermenter will do.

Cold crash is to help clear the beer. Put the secondary fermenter in a temp controlled fridge (all this fancy gear and extra steps are lager territory, stick with Ales and fake lagers your first brews if startig out as its a lot easier when you are fully kitted out). If you could care about clarity on this brew you can skip the cold crashing and go straight to bottling.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[AuntyJack]

diacetyl rest lets yeast work on reducing the slick mouthfeel/buttery taste of diacetyl which is produced during fermentation. Ales are easy as they are usually already at temp, let em just sit for days after fermentation is complete. Lagers can be slowly brought up to temp slowly during the last half of fermentation for a few days or until fermentation is completed depending on how long it takes to clean up. You can test for cleaning by taking off some wort and splitting into two samples one cold and the other heated to 60C for an hour then chilled. If both taste the same you're cleaned.

Never used s23, but 14C seems high unless doing a fake lager with a clean fermenting ale yeast. If thats your ambient put the fermenter in the bath with cold water and wrap in a wet towel to get it down closer to 10C. 20C is enough for a diacetyl rest as far as most yeast are concerned. Crack the window and shut the door off to the house if it helps.

Rack to cube only means rack to any secondary fermentation vessel; in other words get the lagers off the yeast as soon as fermentation is done. Need not be a cube necessarily. Any fermenter will do.

Cold crash is to help clear the beer. Put the secondary fermenter in a temp controlled fridge (all this fancy gear and extra steps are lager territory, stick with Ales and fake lagers your first brews if startig out as its a lot easier when you are fully kitted out). If you could care about clarity on this brew you can skip the cold crashing and go straight to bottling.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

Thanks Pete, all clear to me now.

I'll put it in water in a tub, wrapped in a wet towel, in the garage. Hopefully get it down a couple more degrees as it's supposed to be a lager yeast.

cheers

Jason

 

[Reon]

Hi auntyjack,

From my reading S23 tends to give you fruity esters at recommended temps of 10-12 so at 14 you will end up with a fruity beer. Thats ok if thats what you want. I dont have much more experience than you but I use S189 (swiss lager yeast) and W34/70 and have nice clean beer from both. My fridgemate was the best thing that happened to my beer.

 

[AuntyJack]

Hi auntyjack,

From my reading S23 tends to give you fruity esters at recommended temps of 10-12 so at 14 you will end up with a fruity beer. Thats ok if thats what you want. I dont have much more experience than you but I use S189 (swiss lager yeast) and W34/70 and have nice clean beer from both. My fridgemate was the best thing that happened to my beer.

Hmm. Not really after a fruity lager to be honest. Will have to check the backpocket, see if it can forward a little cash for a fridgemate. :unsure:

After all I've got a fridge just standing there waiting for one. :icon_cheers:

In the mean time I've packed it in a bit of ice to get the temperature down further.

Cheers

Jason