When To Lager/rack My Esb Czech Pilsner?

[Stoodoo]

G'day guys, My first post on these forums. I've just got back into home brewing again and started an ESB 3kg Czech Pilsner kit last Saturday. I've kept the temp at around 12c , with the temp varying down to maybe 10.5c up to 12.5c. The initial gravity reading was somewhere around 1.055 or thereabouts. It is now around 1.020. Information on the pack states its final gravity reading should be around 1.015. I want to rack it off to a secondary fermenter and sit it in the fridge for a week or two at around 2-3c before I bottle it. My question is at what gravity reading do you think it would be appropriate to siphon it off to the secondary fermenter?

Cheers

 

[barfridge]

Welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy your stay.

What I'd do now is a diacetyl rest, which involves increasing the temperature of the beer. Lots of info here http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...361&hl=diacetyl. Or just search the site for diacetyl.

This will help drop off the last couple of gravity points, and clear up the taste of beer (buttery lagers arent nice). From there, once your gravity has been stable for 3 days, transfer into your secondary fermenter and into the fridge for a couple of weeks.

I hope it goes well for you mate, I've heard good things about those kits.

 

[fergi]

stoodoo i did one of the esb czech pilsners last week ,my sg was only 1042,did you just add boiling water to your kit or did you do somthing different,interesting that you got a sg of 1055 and mine was only 1042 from the same can
cheers
fergi

 

[Steve]

I did one recently and the SG was around 1060? Just added boiling water and used W34/70 yeast. Did primary, rest and then secondary etc etc etc. Tastes bloody nice!....thing is though, I did a few of these last year and the colour of all of them was very pale straw, whereas this new one is a lot more golden/amber coloured. Strange.
Cheers
Steve

 

[rodderz]

Has anyone tried the Coopers Pilsener compared to the ESB version?

 

[fergi]

hi guys, well i have just put down an other esb pilsner,same thing as last time with the sg,it only comes out at 1040,last one a couple of weeks ago was 1042 yet other people seem to have theirs around 1050/1060,i put the whole can into the fermenter then pour in the 2 litres of boiling water ,stir really well for about 5 mins then when i take the sg it is around 1040,cant work this out ,its not really concerning me but just wondering why my sg is always lower than a few of the other guys.its not my hydrometer ive checked it out and it seems fine,any ideas or has anyone else done an esb pilsner with this gravity
cheers
fergi

 

[Steve]

fergi - how many litres of water do you top it up to?

 

[Jim - Perth]

Fergi
A couple of possibilities:
1) you've used more water;
2) dodgey hydro.
Jim

 

[barfridge]

I think the high readings from other people are more related to them not stirring as much, and leaving clumps at the bottom of the fermenter (especially in the tap recess).

 

[Jim - Perth]

Good point BF.
1055 -1060 looks high for a 23L can of extract brew.

 

[fergi]

thanks for replies there guys,i put 22.5 litres of water in the fermenter,well that is i brought the level up to 22.5 litres with the esb 3kg pack in the fermenter, i usually only put 20/21 litres when i do a coopers can with added malt etc but this one seemed like it would handle the recomended 22.5 litres
anyway i will see how it tastes
cheers
fergi

 

[Stoodoo]

stoodoo............did you just add boiling water to your kit or did you do somthing different,interesting that you got a sg of 1055 and mine was only 1042 from the same can
cheers
fergi

[post="67096"][/post]​

I only added water to my kit. As barfridge mentioned, perhaps I didn't stir mt wort as much as you did, though when I top the fermentor up with water I usually fill it from a height of arond 1.5 metres, so there's plent of aeration as I'm filling it up. I have made up another esb pilsner kit, mixed on the 19/07. This time I added 40 grams of saaz hops to the 2 litres of boiling water - roughly 1/4 boiled for 30min, 1/4 for 15min and 1/2 added at the end of the boil and let sit for 10 minutes. Once again I filled the fermentor up with water from a height, to aerate the wort. I stirred for maybe a couple of minutes. The initial gravity reading was 1.052.

The only other thought I had on the gravity reading differences between yours and mine (apart from what has already been stated) is perhaps the water source - whether it's hard or soft water???? could that perhaps account for the difference? I don't know, only guessing.

 

[Borret]

I did one recently and the SG was around 1060? Just added boiling water and used W34/70 yeast. Did primary, rest and then secondary etc etc etc. Tastes bloody nice!....thing is though, I did a few of these last year and the colour of all of them was very pale straw, whereas this new one is a lot more golden/amber coloured. Strange.
Cheers
Steve

[post="67131"][/post]​

Hi Steve,

The colour of the kit may have to do with age. If the kit has been on the shelf for a long time it will darken. Alot of kit's actually make note of this on the label. I believe heat will increase the speed this happens too.
Or the batch may have been different to start with.

Cheers

Borret

 

[Steve]

Interesting Borret thanks. I did presume that is was a newish kit as the use by date was 2007. Anyway...tasted good....all drunk and onto the next one.
Cheers
Steve