| |
Main
Date: 31 Oct 2006 18:59:16
From: Scott L
Subject: Diving into lagers
|
Well, I think the time is right to teach myself the ins and outs of
lager brewing. Now that things are chilling a bit in Oregon, I think
that within a week or two I should have consistently cold temperatures
in my sunroom (which doesn't actually face the sun, funny eh?)
My plan is to put plastic bucket fermenters into large galvanized tubs
filled with water. In the tubs I will use fully submersible aquarium
heaters to raise the temperature up to lager fermentation temps. Has
anybody tried something similar to this (specifically, using an
aquarium heater?)
I'd appreciate pointers to any web resources people have found useful
for lager brewing as well. Also, can anybody summarize a list of
"gotchas" that might apply to an ale brewer like myself? Anything I
might do out of habit (I'm used to brewing ales) that is going to not
work with lagers? Common screwups?
Thanks,
Scott
|
|
| |
Date: 01 Nov 2006 09:15:22
From: Denny Conn
Subject: Re: Diving into lagers
|
Scott L wrote:
>
> Well, I think the time is right to teach myself the ins and outs of
> lager brewing. Now that things are chilling a bit in Oregon, I think
> that within a week or two I should have consistently cold temperatures
> in my sunroom (which doesn't actually face the sun, funny eh?)
>
> My plan is to put plastic bucket fermenters into large galvanized tubs
> filled with water. In the tubs I will use fully submersible aquarium
> heaters to raise the temperature up to lager fermentation temps. Has
> anybody tried something similar to this (specifically, using an
> aquarium heater?)
That's exactly the way I do it in my garage in Oregon....
> I'd appreciate pointers to any web resources people have found useful
> for lager brewing as well. Also, can anybody summarize a list of
> "gotchas" that might apply to an ale brewer like myself? Anything I
> might do out of habit (I'm used to brewing ales) that is going to not
> work with lagers? Common screwups?
1.) pitch a HUGE starter (1.5-2 gal.) and aerate the crap outta the wort
2.) don't fall for "pitch warm, then cool down"....cool your wort to
fermentation temp or even a bit below, THEN pitch your starter
3. be patient! Don't worry if you have a 36 hour lag or so...just do a
good sanitation job and you'll be OK. Give it as long as it needs in
the primary. 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks....whatever. Let the beer make
the schedule.
------------ >Denny
--
Life begins at 60...1.060, that is.
|
| |
Date: 01 Nov 2006 06:47:35
From: David M. Taylor
Subject: Re: Diving into lagers
|
"Scott L" <scott-sp02@neuralnw.com > wrote in message
news:1162349956.836380.314560@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Well, I think the time is right to teach myself the ins and outs of
> lager brewing. Now that things are chilling a bit in Oregon, I think
> that within a week or two I should have consistently cold temperatures
> in my sunroom (which doesn't actually face the sun, funny eh?)
>
> My plan is to put plastic bucket fermenters into large galvanized tubs
> filled with water. In the tubs I will use fully submersible aquarium
> heaters to raise the temperature up to lager fermentation temps. Has
> anybody tried something similar to this (specifically, using an
> aquarium heater?)
>
> I'd appreciate pointers to any web resources people have found useful
> for lager brewing as well. Also, can anybody summarize a list of
> "gotchas" that might apply to an ale brewer like myself? Anything I
> might do out of habit (I'm used to brewing ales) that is going to not
> work with lagers? Common screwups?
I'm in Wisconsin, currently fermenting a doppelbock in my garage at 47 F --
just about perfect. I placed it in a tub of water to keep the temperature
fluctuations to a minimum. It's only been out there for a couple of days,
but so far temperatures in the tub have been steady between about 47 to 50
F, and the fermentation lock is bubbling away. If it gets too cold (i.e.,
less than about 47 F), I plan to take it out of the tub and wrap it in
blankets instead. Seriously, I've seen this method work before. The heat
of the fermentation itself, wrapped in blankets, should be just enough to
keep the brew from getting too terribly cold and freezing up, unless it gets
sub-zero out there.
If you can get a steady temperature of about 50 F or less in your sunroom,
that should be just fine for lagers. You don't want to ferment a lager much
higher than 50 F, otherwise you're sure to get some fruity esters, which are
totally inappropriate in a true lager. If the temperature in your
fermentation area is any more than 50 F, I would suggest keeping your brew
outdoors instead (during only the non-summer seasons of course) in a garage
or other protected structure instead, or an unheated basement. In
mid-winter my basement gets down to about 55 F, perfect for cream ales and
Scottish ales. Put a wet T-shirt and a fan on it and you can get consistent
temperatures less than 50 F for lagers. It works.
The absolute most important thing about lager brewing, besides fermentation
temperature (definitely keep it around 45 to 50 F), is making sure you pitch
a huge 3 to 4 quart yeast starter. Since fermentation may have a tendency
to lag a bit, and is slower overall, you need the extra yeast cells to
ensure your fermentation is ready to go immediately after pitching.
Otherwise you risk contamination from wild yeast/bacteria. I recently had a
contamination issue due to old unhealthy yeast. Make sure you pitch FRESH
yeast, and a LOT of it. Make a starter 5 to 7 days in advance. Then when
you're ready to pitch, first taste the starter to make sure it doesn't taste
like ass. Assuming it's reasonably tasty, carefully decant most of the
liquid off of the yeast sediment on the bottom of the jug (I use a sanitized
milk jug or tupperware pitcher to make my lager starters). When you get
down to about 3 to 4 cups left in the bottom, swirl and shake the jug and
pitch the entire sediment to your wort. When I did this with my doppelbock
a few days ago, fermentation started up within about 12 hours. Perfecto.
Some people incorporate a diacetyl rest in the fermentation schedule. This
prevents buttery flavors and aromas in your finished lager. All you need to
do is bring up your fermentation temperature to about 60 F for a couple of
days when fermentation is almost complete (usually after about 10 days
fermentation at 45 to 50 F). This helps wake up the yeast so they can
digest diacetyl. After a couple of days at 60 F, bring back to 50 F, or
lager at even lower temperatures if you think fermentation is complete. I
see this step as optional because I have never experienced diacetyl in my
brews. But there are people out there who are more sensitive to diacetyl
than I am, so for those people with discriminating tastes, the diacetyl rest
should address their issue. It ain't hard for me to do, I just bring the
brew in my basement or a cool corner of the house for a couple of days, then
continue in the garage as normal. No big whoop.
The only other thing is time. Lagers are at cooler temperatures, so it may
take a month or two or even three to ferment completely. Be patient. The
wait will be worth it. Monitor the gravity to know when fermentation
temperature is complete. When it's done, you can safely lager your brew at
or near 32 F for a few weeks to settle out the yeast and mellow the flavors.
So remember.... the real keys to your success at brewing a lager are
fermentation at 45 to 50 F, and a 3 to 4 quart starter (made about 5 to 7
days in advance). Follow those rules, and you should have yourself a good
lager. The diacetyl rest is a good option, and time, well, that depends on
how patient you are. Generally, the longer you can wait, the better your
finished brew might be.
Good luck.
--
Dave
"Fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking." -- Brad Paisley
|
| | |
Date: 01 Nov 2006 14:47:36
From: John Bleichert
Subject: Re: Diving into lagers
|
David M. Taylor <dmtaylor@spam.geocities.sucks.com > wrote:
> "Scott L" <scott-sp02@neuralnw.com> wrote in message
> news:1162349956.836380.314560@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>> Well, I think the time is right to teach myself the ins and outs of
>> lager brewing. Now that things are chilling a bit in Oregon, I think
>> that within a week or two I should have consistently cold temperatures
>> in my sunroom (which doesn't actually face the sun, funny eh?)
>>
>> My plan is to put plastic bucket fermenters into large galvanized tubs
>> filled with water. In the tubs I will use fully submersible aquarium
>> heaters to raise the temperature up to lager fermentation temps. Has
>> anybody tried something similar to this (specifically, using an
>> aquarium heater?)
>>
>> I'd appreciate pointers to any web resources people have found useful
>> for lager brewing as well. Also, can anybody summarize a list of
>> "gotchas" that might apply to an ale brewer like myself? Anything I
>> might do out of habit (I'm used to brewing ales) that is going to not
>> work with lagers? Common screwups?
>
> I'm in Wisconsin, currently fermenting a doppelbock in my garage at 47 F --
> just about perfect. I placed it in a tub of water to keep the temperature
> fluctuations to a minimum. It's only been out there for a couple of days,
> but so far temperatures in the tub have been steady between about 47 to 50
> F, and the fermentation lock is bubbling away. If it gets too cold (i.e.,
> less than about 47 F), I plan to take it out of the tub and wrap it in
> blankets instead. Seriously, I've seen this method work before. The heat
> of the fermentation itself, wrapped in blankets, should be just enough to
> keep the brew from getting too terribly cold and freezing up, unless it gets
> sub-zero out there.
>
> If you can get a steady temperature of about 50 F or less in your sunroom,
> that should be just fine for lagers. You don't want to ferment a lager much
> higher than 50 F, otherwise you're sure to get some fruity esters, which are
> totally inappropriate in a true lager. If the temperature in your
> fermentation area is any more than 50 F, I would suggest keeping your brew
> outdoors instead (during only the non-summer seasons of course) in a garage
> or other protected structure instead, or an unheated basement. In
> mid-winter my basement gets down to about 55 F, perfect for cream ales and
> Scottish ales. Put a wet T-shirt and a fan on it and you can get consistent
> temperatures less than 50 F for lagers. It works.
>
> The absolute most important thing about lager brewing, besides fermentation
> temperature (definitely keep it around 45 to 50 F), is making sure you pitch
> a huge 3 to 4 quart yeast starter. Since fermentation may have a tendency
> to lag a bit, and is slower overall, you need the extra yeast cells to
> ensure your fermentation is ready to go immediately after pitching.
> Otherwise you risk contamination from wild yeast/bacteria. I recently had a
> contamination issue due to old unhealthy yeast. Make sure you pitch FRESH
> yeast, and a LOT of it. Make a starter 5 to 7 days in advance. Then when
> you're ready to pitch, first taste the starter to make sure it doesn't taste
> like ass. Assuming it's reasonably tasty, carefully decant most of the
> liquid off of the yeast sediment on the bottom of the jug (I use a sanitized
> milk jug or tupperware pitcher to make my lager starters). When you get
> down to about 3 to 4 cups left in the bottom, swirl and shake the jug and
> pitch the entire sediment to your wort. When I did this with my doppelbock
> a few days ago, fermentation started up within about 12 hours. Perfecto.
>
> Some people incorporate a diacetyl rest in the fermentation schedule. This
> prevents buttery flavors and aromas in your finished lager. All you need to
> do is bring up your fermentation temperature to about 60 F for a couple of
> days when fermentation is almost complete (usually after about 10 days
> fermentation at 45 to 50 F). This helps wake up the yeast so they can
> digest diacetyl. After a couple of days at 60 F, bring back to 50 F, or
> lager at even lower temperatures if you think fermentation is complete. I
> see this step as optional because I have never experienced diacetyl in my
> brews. But there are people out there who are more sensitive to diacetyl
> than I am, so for those people with discriminating tastes, the diacetyl rest
> should address their issue. It ain't hard for me to do, I just bring the
> brew in my basement or a cool corner of the house for a couple of days, then
> continue in the garage as normal. No big whoop.
>
> The only other thing is time. Lagers are at cooler temperatures, so it may
> take a month or two or even three to ferment completely. Be patient. The
> wait will be worth it. Monitor the gravity to know when fermentation
> temperature is complete. When it's done, you can safely lager your brew at
> or near 32 F for a few weeks to settle out the yeast and mellow the flavors.
>
> So remember.... the real keys to your success at brewing a lager are
> fermentation at 45 to 50 F, and a 3 to 4 quart starter (made about 5 to 7
> days in advance). Follow those rules, and you should have yourself a good
> lager. The diacetyl rest is a good option, and time, well, that depends on
> how patient you are. Generally, the longer you can wait, the better your
> finished brew might be.
>
> Good luck.
>
David got all of it as far as I can see. I just made my first pilsner
(an Ayinger Jahrhundert style with WLP833 Bock Lager yeast) and did do
a diacetyl rest. There's a test for completion (look in the archives).
THe only thing I would add is a general point of contention: "when to
pitch?". Some folks pitch their large starter into the wort and then
cool the whole thing down. Some folks cool the whole thing down and
then pitch. I did the latter. My immersion chiller will only get me
down to about 70F. I chilled the wort, put an airlock on it and put it
*and* my starter in my freezer at 55F. The next morning both were at
55F (I believe) and I aerated and pitched then.
The 2 different pitching methods might yield different results for any
given yeast strain. I'm going to try it the other way (pitch and then
cool) next time to compare and contrast.
-----------------------------------------------
John Bleichert syborg@earthlink.net
The heat from below can burn your eyes out!!
|
| |
Date: 01 Nov 2006 10:55:56
From: Scott L
Subject: Re: Diving into lagers
|
Denny Conn wrote:
> Has
> > anybody tried something similar to this (specifically, using an
> > aquarium heater?)
>
> That's exactly the way I do it in my garage in Oregon....
That's great to hear. Thanks to everybody who replied. Looks like very
useful information. Now I just need to decide what style to attempt on
my first shot.
Scott
|
|
