Low Temperature Ferment

[vlbaby]

I'm brewing my first true lager at the moment, and it is the lowest temp i have done before ( 12degC). I was wondering what kind of signs of fermentation would be normal at this temperature. Bubbles through airlock- how often? Krausen thickness? any sediment in the first few days?
I realise thing happen much slower at low temps, but how slow is normal?

 

[Hoops]

vlbaby

Need as much info as possible to give you much feedback.
What yeast? Did you make a starter? If so how big? How long since pitching? etc

Hoops

 

[action man]

from the lagers i have made there was a little bit of bubbling through the airlock and very little in the way of a krausen and a sediment started to develop after a couple of days.

i did use a starter of 1L (in a 50L brew) and i had a heap of aeration with oxygen for a good 20 min before pitching.


the fermentation was done outside in a shed in ballarat during august so it was fairly cold (9deg day and 0 deg night). the fermentation took 2 weeks and produced quite a fair bit of sulphur, that dissipated after a warm rest for a couple of days.


best to check the gravity of the brew to check its progress.

 

[vlbaby]

yeast is dried saflager w43/70 pitched without rehydrating or a starter. Its been 2.5 days since pitching, which was done at 21degc.
seems to be some small amout of sediment, but no krausen or airlock activity.

 

[Bobby]

a 1 litre starter for a 50 litre batch, sounds quite small.

 

[Darren]

Vlbaby,
If you pitched 34/70 at 21 degrees C after two days it is probably finished!
Take a sample and read the gravity. If you see bubble in the hydrometer tube it is still going
Darren