A Few Lagering Questions

[simple one]

Here's the background. Only done one lager before. But it was a lager in every way bar the actual Lagering step. It was reasonable, but what let it down was the recipe. Over hopped it massively and it wasn't to subtle with the crystal malt, it just wasn't right.

So I am going to have another crack with a recipe given to me by Bosium. And this time I am doing it right....

Now...

1) How long do people lager for, and at what temp. How long does it take for chill haze to drop out of a lager?
2) What sort of starter size should I build a WLP yeast up to if, for instance, I ferment at 12C.
3) How much hop and malt flavour is lost through lagering, if any?
4) How is a Pilsner best served? Bottled or kegged? And how do you get kegged beer to have bubbles in it like fizzy pop? I usually get a good head but it isn't "bubbly", perfect for ales, but not for lagers. Is it a case of a short narrow tube from keg to tap?

Thanks for any answers.

[GARYSMIFF]

your after the moon on a stick with this post

[simple one]

We'll see! I am sure there are a few on here that are regular Lager brewers, and these questions are probably child's play to them.

[bosium]

Did you ever find any info on any of this? I was in RSA on holiday or would have chipped in...

[Aleman]

Sorry been busy elsewhere to answer this

1) How long do people lager for, and at what temp. How long does it take for chill haze to drop out of a lager?

The Czech practice is to lager for one week per degree Plato . . . and one Plato is ~ 4 Gravity points. So a 1048 Beer would lager for 12 weeks, a 1040 beer would lager for 10 weeks.

2) What sort of starter size should I build a WLP yeast up to if, for instance, I ferment at 12C.

Depends on your batch size I use a 20 Litre starter for my 80L batches. It also depends on what temperature you pitch at. If you pitch at say 20C and start cooling gradually once you see signs of fermentation then you need less yeast. Assuming you are pitching at your fermentation temp than aim for a 5L starter.

3) How much hop and malt flavour is lost through lagering, if any?

Certainly hop bitterness is reduced how much? No idea, I've never measured it, but seem to recall a figure like 5% being bandied about on the US scene.

4) How is a Pilsner best served? Bottled or kegged? And how do you get kegged beer to have bubbles in it like fizzy pop? I usually get a good head but it isn't "bubbly", perfect for ales, but not for lagers. Is it a case of a short narrow tube from keg to tap?

If you only have plastic kegs then you are better off bottling it to develop that fizz . . . Although I actually prefer it with less fizz, and when I keg in my Cornelii I aim for around 2 volumes of CO2 at (10C) rather than what seems to me too high 2.5 to 3Vols which you would normally associate with fizzy kegfalade . . some of the best pilsners I have had, have been served 'cask conditioned' under gravity in the Czech Republic . . . Great head, good condition but not that fizzy

Hope that helps.

[simple one]

Thanks for the answers. The brew day was a bit of a "seat of your pants affair".

Yes that answers all my questions. The only thing I have left is to bottle or corny. It is lagering in the corny now, but I think I'll re-seed and bottle, rather than put it in to another keg. It seems like a different type of carbonation than I get with the cornies, one I prefer for lager.... larger bubbles, don't know why!