Quality Lager With Bottle Conditioning - Is It Possible?

[jakethedog]

I have done numerous AG ales now and am looking to making a Lager for a new challenge. I have read numerous older threads about bottle carbing with lagers with conflicting views. Some say it is possible with some posts saying beer is flat because of lack of yeast.

Here is my plan:
-wait till mid autum and boil up a lager

-ferment cold in fridge 10 degrees (numerous weeks until done with diac. rest)

-rack to secondary and condition for no longer than 2 weeks at 0-1 degrees. Hopefully there will be enough yeast in suspension to carb.

-continue to bottle condition (+lager) during winter in garden shed (temp range in adelaide 5-15 degrees)

- hopefully a decent lager for spring???????

Does anyone regulary make decent lagers in a bottle? Is it worth the effort??

 

[Steve@PMF82]

If you want to do an extended lager period, you can always add some fresh yeast at bottling to ensure carbonation.

 

[ekul]

I've made a few lagers in bottles. They were designed for family that like aussie megaswill so were not lagered for an extenisve period of time. BUt they carbed up just fine. It was s189 yeast.

If you're worried about the beer not carbonating you can always add some yeast at bottling time.

I have done numerous AG ales now and am looking to making a Lager for a new challenge. I have read numerous older threads about bottle carbing with lagers with conflicting views. Some say it is possible with some posts saying beer is flat because of lack of yeast.

Here is my plan:
-wait till mid autum and boil up a lager

-ferment cold in fridge 10 degrees (numerous weeks until done with diac. rest)

-rack to secondary and condition for no longer than 2 weeks at 0-1 degrees. Hopefully there will be enough yeast in suspension to carb.

-continue to bottle condition (+lager) during winter in garden shed (temp range in adelaide 5-15 degrees)

- hopefully a decent lager for spring???????

Does anyone regulary make decent lagers in a bottle? Is it worth the effort??

 

[Florian]

Also, before you end up lagering your bottles for six month and getting all your hopes up:
Try it first. You might not like it that much because of yeast issues, wrong recipe or whatever. A terrible beer usually doesn't get any better through lagering. At least this way you have a chance to brew another lager to keep over winter.

Honestly though, give one a go and see if you like the result, then decide if it's worth keeping for so long. Depending on what you plan to brew, a lot of lagers are pretty much drinkable straight away, some get even better with age. Don't complicate things too much, lager brewing is really no different to ale brewing, besides the fact that some benefit from a long cold storage. And so do a lot of ales, too. That's all.

Nothing wrong with drinking lagers in winter either.

 

[jakethedog]

@ekul
How long did you lager it for before bottling?

 

[bradsbrew]

I wouldn't think you would need to do a D rest if you were bottle conditioning. Happy to be told otherwise though.

Cheers

 

[jakethedog]

I was hoping to make a lager without needing to add yeast to the bottles. If I do need to then so be it.

 

[jotaigna]

I was hoping to make a lager without needing to add yeast to the bottles. If I do need to then so be it.

I find they lagers always carb up but but last few have gained green apple flavour after bottling. This is even when they taste good in secondary. I will try with a fresh dose of yeast next time as I bottle clear with hardly any visible yeast in it and after carbing yeast sediment is visible.

 

[jasonharley]

I have tried over 12 times to bottle condition lager and it just does not work.... tried fresh yeast, tried DME, tried fresh wort and fresh yeast starters .... just does not work

5 eyes

 

[hoppy2B]

Dry hopping may help to ensure adequate yeast in suspension. A hop sock floating around in your fermenter should collect a bit of yeast. Remove the sock and giving it a good squeeze just prior to bottling. See if that works. :huh:

 

[suorama]

My "nutshell" works with my lagers.
First I primary ferment ~5 - 10 days. Then 24 - 48 h D.Rest.
After that lagering n weeks.
If I lagering over 5 week I add fresh yeast when bottling.

Times and temps depens with yeast that I use and beer what I brew.

Bottles I keep at least few weeks at room temp (~20C).
Kegs I force carbonated.

 

[jakethedog]

I was giving this some more thought. An extended lager period before bottling will clear up the beer and drop alot of the yeast which means you have to add in more to carb the bottles. End result is lagered beer with yeast sediment in bottles. Surely it is the same thing then to finish fermenting, prime and carb for a couple of weeks, THEN box up the bottles and store in fridge at 0-1 degrees for a 4-5 week lager. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[chefeffect]

I have only bottled a few lagers both where in secondary for 5 weeks and I had no issues, I used a bohemian lager yeast it seemed to condition well, honestly I think the beer didn't change a great deal with age. I think your yeast will determine if it will bottle condition well.

I wouldn't do the secondary in the bottles, to many variables and would defeat the purpose of clearing in secondary, maybe someone else has tried it, I think is spells disaster.

 

[waggastew]

Been thinking about this of late. Did a pseudo lager with US05. Same 'problems' I associated with managing lager yeast have occurred. Now thinking it is to do with profile of lager style (ie super clean) and yeasty notes from bottle conditioning/presence of yeast in serving vessel.

Any comp winners in the lager category got any ideas? Are you counterfilling from kegs to win comps?