Lagering after bottleing

[KevinR]

Hi
Read somewhere that it is better to bottle condition for 2 weeks then lager at 1,2 deg in the bottle. The reason was that the viability of the yeast suffers from spending extended time at near freezing temp.
Has anyone tried this?

ev

 

[Diggs]

You need to let the yeast carbonate before lagering, not the other way around.

I have made this mistake and got some beautiful low carbonated beer before.

 

[roverfj1200]

All ways have found that a few weeks in the fridge will improve most beers.

Cheers

 

[dent]

If you're in no hurry I'd put it in the fridge straight up. Lager yeast doesn't particularly do a nice ferment at room temperature - I find most of my room temperature bottle conditioned lagers end up fruity (not in a good way), overcarbed (probably due to the bottling temperature - correctable), and hazy (possibly oxidation, or chill haze proteins never precipitating properly).

It will work nice and slowly at fridge temperatures if you've got months to wait. Assuming you're actually using a lager yeast of course.

 

[KevinR]

I used a lager yeast 2 packs of Brew Cellar larger yeast to a starter & fermented at 12 deg C Cleared for a week and bottled. And is conditioning in the fridge at 15 deg for 2 weeks. Then to lager at 2deg for 3 weeks.
Does this sound about right?
Kev

 

[dent]

Sounds good. Longer they are cold the better really, like the FJ man says.