first AG lager help

[spannerhands]

I'm usually an ale brewer, but have just bought lager malt and Saaz hops to have a go at Dave Line's Pilsner Urquell recipe from 'Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy'. I'd be very grateful for any advice on the following:

1. Stepped temperature mash - I'm using a coolbox MT, do I just part fill the MT for the first step, then top up with hotter water for the second step?
2. Fermentation temperature - I'm using S-23 lager yeast. It says on the pack 11-15C - what is optimum?
3. Fermentation - how long in primary? If its longer than my usual 2 weeks for ale, will it be OK on the trub throughout?
4. Bottling and maturation - can I bottle straight from primary as I do for ale? How long and what temperature to mature?
5. Priming for a 500ml bottle - 1/2 teaspoon of sugar? More?

thanks guys

[PureGuiness]

I'm usually an ale brewer, but have just bought lager malt and Saaz hops to have a go at Dave Line's Pilsner Urquell recipe from 'Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy'. I'd be very grateful for any advice on the following:

1. Stepped temperature mash - I'm using a coolbox MT, do I just part fill the MT for the first step, then top up with hotter water for the second step?
2. Fermentation temperature - I'm using S-23 lager yeast. It says on the pack 11-15C - what is optimum?
3. Fermentation - how long in primary? If its longer than my usual 2 weeks for ale, will it be OK on the trub throughout?
4. Bottling and maturation - can I bottle straight from primary as I do for ale? How long and what temperature to mature?
5. Priming for a 500ml bottle - 1/2 teaspoon of sugar? More?

thanks guys

1. I wouldn't bother with a stepped temperature mash to be honest. I have always used a single step infusion but at a slightly lower temperature than ale.
2. somewhere in the middle is probably good but anywhere in that range will be fine.
3. You shouldn't need more than 2 weeks to be honest. It takes a little longer for primary fermentation to complete with lager yeast but then ale only really takes 3-5 days. I've heard that lager can benefit from raising the temperature during the last phase of fermentation to allow the yeast to clean up a bit but again I have never bothered.
4. Yes you can bottle straight from fermentor or from a secondary. It's your choice. Conditioning should be done in the temperature range given (11-15) but then you can cool down and condition for as long as you like.
5. It's a matter of taste to be honest. I always use 1/2 teaspoon per 500ml but you could up that if you want a bit more fiz. Not by too much though.

[LM600]

What I do is....

25ltrs
5kg Lager Malt
50g Saaz @ 90 mins
25g Saaz @ 15 mins
1 Protofloc @ 10 mins
25g Saaz @ 0 mins and steep until the wort has cooled
Yeast is either a Brewlabs Belgium / Pils or a Duvel reculture but will be trying out S23 this Friday (pitched direct with no starter)
(Tried some liquid ones before and wasn't overly impressed)

Initial mash water temp. (taken in boiler) is 76°C

This then reduces to ~66°C when in the famous blue "coolbox with a tap" mash tun.

Leave for 90 mins - although Fridays mash will be started Thursday eve. for an overnight mash (I did this with an Old Peculier clone and it was lush!)

Slow batch sparge.....

Boil for the usual 90mins - mopping up boilovers and stopping the dog from 'helping' along the way!

[spannerhands]

thanks for the advice guys. Its good to know I don't have to do stepped mashing, that's what has been putting me off lager so far!

LM600 - I'm with you on the overnight mash. My last brew was an overnight Old Pec, very good.

[filet o fish]

just had a test of my second lager and its infinately better than the first. 2 major differences in my process to the first one.
this one was made half and half with filtered water. transfered to a different bucket for the lagering.