Lagering...discuss...

[Jimmy321]

If US05 is the same as Danstar Windsor then I can confirm that I have had great results starting at 17-18° then raising to 20° near the end of fermentation + 4 weeks lagering but I called it Kolsch.

It's not the same as using a really big amount of yeast and fermenting around 9°C which has the clean lager 'bite'.

[DaveGillespie]

Postby Thorbz » Wed Jan 28, 2015 12:36 pm
I tried the method outlined on the brulosophy site with a recent lager, and it worked a treat. I don't think I'll be using the traditional method of lagering again.

Did you follow his method exactly? Were you kegging or bottling and if bottling, what did you do at the stage he specified leaving the lager to carbonate in the keg for 7 days?

[Rick_UK]

How much yeast did you pitch ?

I made a starter from about 200ml of 1 month old slurry I had in the fridge with 300ml of dme wort (60g in 300ml water). No idea what this translates to in terms of pitching rate but it was a good healthy fermentation.

Rick

[Rick_UK]

If US05 is the same as Danstar Windsor then I can confirm that I have had great results starting at 17-18° then raising to 20° near the end of fermentation + 4 weeks lagering but I called it Kolsch.

It's not the same as using a really big amount of yeast and fermenting around 9°C which has the clean lager 'bite'.

No, Windsor is much more estery and less attenuative - great for english ales with lots of body. Having said that I haven't used it below 18'c and only with milds and porters.

US05 is the go to dried yeast for a very clean, low ester flavour profile- ideal for hoppy or light beers. Lager yeasts at below 10'C would only be needed for American style lite lagers - which almost defeats the point of having a beer IMHO!

Rick

[Thorbz]

Did you follow his method exactly? Were you kegging or bottling and if bottling, what did you do at the stage he specified leaving the lager to carbonate in the keg for 7 days?

I bottled this brew. At the 'kegging' stage I just bottled and left it in the warm to carbonate, before moving them somewhere cool for a fortnight or so.

[Jimmy321]

Lager yeasts at below 10'C would only be needed for American style lite lagers - which almost defeats the point of having a beer IMHO!Rick

Unless it'a a famous Czech Pilsner then it would be fermented closer to 6°C!

Personally I have found that fermenting low gives excellent results and the are nothing like 'American lite style lagers' perhaps it's down to the yeast strain.

[chris.laws.54943]

I am also interested to hear what guys here have to say. My first AG bohemian Pilsner is in FV2 in the fridge. After a week (of course I tasted it!!!) it is 90% clear and tastes delightful. I'll give it at least another week but I wondered if it will lager down more once in bottles stored in the garage anyway? Fridge is 4c garage roughly 9-10c at the mo.

Again purists will say it conditions better in bulk but I will go out on a limb and say it probably makes little or no difference other than possibly a small amount of extra sediment in bottles. You could bottle a few now and leave the rest for a few more weeks to see if there is any difference...

Rick

so after following as much advise as poss, the bohemian lager was bottled today. It had lagered in the fridge at about 4c for 3 weeks and was pretty clear. I was happy anyway. It also tasted great. I did a hop tea with hallertau mittlfruh (20g) and have primed at a recommended 7g/L.The extra hops taste a bit raw right now but I hope will mellow given 4-6 weeks in a bottle. Currently in the house to carbonate but I expect it to be back in the garage by Wednesday. I SHOULD leave it at least til I come back from holiday after Easter however, I could imagine I will try one every other weekend - cos I can't help myself