Lager yeast pitching temps?

I’m a garage-brewer and live in northern Wisconsin so the clock may have run out on me for 2021, but… I’m hoping to finally try brewing a lager if I can still get a (relatively) warm day in November. I use an immersion chiller for cooling wort, and chilling below the mid 60s (F) can be a little challenging. I am planning to use one of the Imperial lager yeasts, which according to the Imperial website should ferment between 50-60 degrees.

I have a chest freezer in my basement that I can dial down to the desired temperature. By default, I would probably just chill the wort to as low as I can get it using my immersion chiller, then pitch and place the carboy in the chest freezer at my preset temp (probably around 55) and let it do it’s thing. Alternately, I guess I could place the carboy in the chest freezer after chilling, wait for the wort temp to hit the mid 50s, and pitch then. Since this is my first foray into lagering, I’d be interested in any thoughts or feedback.

Thanks, folks–

tm,

Hey man, I’m originally from Conover so I can relate. :slight_smile:

No worries on fermentation temperatures. I have begun experimenting with warmer fermentations in the 60s or even at 70 on my last several lagers and… I just don’t see any down sides. They ferment out faster, less diacetyl, NOT particularly fruity at all… so yeah. If you can pitch and even ferment in the 60s, I think you’re going to be just fine. If temperatures fall into the 40s or 50s, again, you’re going to be just fine. Either way.

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That’s awesome- I live about an hour east of Conover, over by Iron Mountain. Conover is a sweet little town. Vilas County is my home-away-from-home :slight_smile:

I appreciate the feedback! The internet is kind of all over the place on pitching temps for lagers. Some sources say it matters a lot, others say it doesn’t matter at all. Personally, I think my plan will work, but having never done it before don’t want to overlook anything either.

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I agree you should be fine with your plan. An alternative, which I am now trying, is the kveik lager yeast. Omega Yeast OYL-071 Lutra™ Kveik . I am trying this because my chest freezer aka kegerator is often tied up temperature wise with beer and white wine. Kegerator is kept cold at 34 F cause my wife likes her white wine really cool. This yeast makes a pseudo lager at room temperature. Still cold crash it but I can do that in the kegerator without interfering with my wife’s white wine.

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I’m in Mn…just south of Lake Superior… I get you…
Perhaps brew as you do… Have yer freez-mentor set at yer desired temp… once yer chilled… pitch yer yeast… put it into the freez-mentor… It’ll take a bit for the yeast to get going, and it will also take a bit for the wort to chill… Don’t get too serious at first… but do brew some lagers… Once you see how it responds to temps… you’ll have a better grasp…
Sneezles61

Yep, that’s pretty much what I’d planned to do; pitch yeast, plop it in my chest freezer, and let it do it’s thing. I have a Tilt hydrometer, still not convinced of the accuracy of the hydrometer function, but it’s nice for monitoring temperatures and I’ll be able to see when fermentation is complete, so that’ll help. I’m pretty patient when it comes to fermentation so it’ll suit me just fine to keep an eye on it over the winter :slight_smile:

I use a Tilt. I’ve compared many brews with the OG and FG… I have no problem believing what my Tilt sez… There are a bunch of other apps it can do that I can’t/don’t use…
As far as watching a fermenter over the winter… I’d rather see you package yer brew; when the yeast say they are done; then allow it to condition/lager…
You’ll have a fine brew and I’ll be awaiting yer tasting notes…
Sneezles61

I have crystal clear beer with no cold crash and Lutra.

Hoping you have some sort of controller on the chest freezer. Getting it to maintain 55 degrees without one would be hard to do IMHO.

Sorry, I misstated my intent with that one. I agree with you, I wouldn’t leave it on the yeast over the winter, once fermentation is complete I would be kegging and letting it condition over the winter. I don’t have an open space in my so-called kegerator right now, so I would just let it condition until space becomes available. But that’s fine, I am not in a great rush.

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Absolutely. I have an older one that still works like a charm.

Well, as it “lagers” over the winter… I’m sure you’ll find a way to keep it cool until you can get it into rotation…
Some of the fringe benefits for living “up Nort”! :sunglasses:
Sneezles61

No kidding, right? I could probably just keep the thing sitting in my basement, except it’s not quite as cool as I’d like it to be! I actually snagged a cheap smallish chest freezer that I am going to use specifically for this purpose. I figured I’d ferment in it for the temperature control, keg after fermentation is complete, then put it back in the chest freezer to lager. I figure it will be ready to go right about the time I get a spot freed up in my kegerator :grinning:

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I used to dig a snow cave and lager in there