Lagering experts

[nigelsch]

Having another go at a pilsner/lager. A couple of questions as to what you guys think sensible on lagering:
1) After fermentation complete + Drest, do you move lager of yeast cake into separate cornie for conditioning.

I was planning on moving of and lagering under co2 pressure in a cornie. I didnt want to leave it on the yeast
for this long.

2) I didnt really want to transfer the lager again, so is it ok to leave the lager in the lagered cornie for
its life or do you transfer again.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, had a go a few times before on lager - not brillant. But, having done a little
background work this one looks better - loads of yeast, cold pitch, big aeration - and she was off in 12 hours.

Cheers.

[Bribie]

On the odd occasion I do a lager I transfer it gently off the yeast cake into a water camping 20L "cube", flush the headspace with CO2 then lager at -1 degree.
Then after that it goes into the cornie with gentle transfer, head space flushed, then carbonate.

More or less what the commercials do on a bigger scale.

[dazer23866]

same as above i did this today transferd to a 25 liter container flushed the head space with co2 and in the fridge for 6 weeks and then poured another pilsner on top of the yeast cake ready to go again

[nigelsch]

Cheers guys, really helpful. It looks like two transfers then, one into lagering vessel and then again after a month+.

Dazer, just as a matter of interest are you putting that pilsner wort onto the primary or lagered yeast cake?

Ta Nige

[Horatio]

I make a fair amount of lager now and always do what these guys are doing. The second transfer after lagering ensures that whatever has dropped out during lagering stays out. Gives a really clean, crisp lager IMHO. Good luck with it.

[nigelsch]

Smashing all really helpful and makes sense.

Now down to 1/3 fermentable, so increased temp to 15oc. So shortly be lagering - oh the wait!

[dazer23866]

Cheers guys, really helpful. It looks like two transfers then, one into lagering vessel and then again after a month+.

Dazer, just as a matter of interest are you putting that pilsner wort onto the primary or lagered yeast cake?

Ta Nige

its the primary yeast cake anything that is lagerd goes down the drain (yeast that is )