Ive never bottled a lager before only ales.Is the process the same. After fermentation should i transfer from my 6.5 gal jug to five gallon cold crash it then bottle or go straight from the primary to bottles . what do i do with the bottles. Leave in warm dark place or refrigerate them? help me out here.And I i wante to keg it can i lager it in the keg on co2?
I’ve only kegged a lager. I transferred it from the primary to the keg. Then I let it sit in the keg in my kegerator for about a month or so. I would give it a shot of co2 every couple days just to make sure that the cover was staying sealed. After a month I put it on the co2 to carb up.
Kegging is definitely easiest for lagers, and yes you can lager in the keg with the gas on. After diacetyl rest I go straight from primary to keg.
If you’re going to bottle, you want to transfer to secondary and lager that in bulk. After your lagering period, then bottle as usual, although you need to take into account that your cold lagered beer will already have more residual CO2 in it than you’re used to. Bottles will need to be allowed to warm up to room temp to carb up. Even after lagering you will probably have plenty of yeast to bottle, but if you want to reyeast, you don’t have to use lager yeast, you can use a clean dry yeast like us05.
Also, you don’t want to “cold crash” a lager. Lager yeast is still active at low temps, and still working to condition your beer. You want to drop the temp gradually so you don’t shock all the yeast out of suspension.
“Also, you don’t want to “cold crash” a lager. Lager yeast is still active at low temps, and still working to condition your beer. You want to drop the temp gradually so you don’t shock all the yeast out of suspension.”
-Good tip!
I don’t have a fridge that I can fit a fermenter in, so I lager in bottles. After I do a D rest, I prime and bottle as usual. Then I leave at room temp for about 2.5-3 weeks to carbonate (my bottles are usually carbonated in 10-14 days, so I give them an extra week just to be sure). Then they go in the fridge for cold-conditioning. It has worked out fine for me so far.
[quote=“Nate42”]Kegging is definitely easiest for lagers, and yes you can lager in the keg with the gas on. After diacetyl rest I go straight from primary to keg.
If you’re going to bottle, you want to transfer to secondary and lager that in bulk. After your lagering period, then bottle as usual, although you need to take into account that your cold lagered beer will already have more residual CO2 in it than you’re used to. Bottles will need to be allowed to warm up to room temp to carb up. Even after lagering you will probably have plenty of yeast to bottle, but if you want to reyeast, you don’t have to use lager yeast, you can use a clean dry yeast like us05.
Also, you don’t want to “cold crash” a lager. Lager yeast is still active at low temps, and still working to condition your beer. You want to drop the temp gradually so you don’t shock all the yeast out of suspension.[/quote]
Sounds like to much sugar for a dime if u know what i mean. Ill just get another keg and lager in it. Im trying to brew as many batches as i can to be ready for spring and summer.I dont drink beer during the winter, im a winter whiskey drinker.
+1
I use this method and store my bottle conditioned lagers in the cold cellar; I find a cold corner of the house for 3-week single stage fermentation at 55F, move it into the warmer people space for a couple days of diacetyl rest, bottle as normal, condition at room temperature for 7-10 days and store cold for lagering. Works great!
I’ve been wanting to try a lager, but don’t have a fridge to ferment in. Seems like a great idea!
So to make sure I follow:
- Brew day as normal
- Primary in the basement for a couple weeks in the mid 50’s
- Bring up to upper 60’s for a couple days for D-rest
- Bottle, and leave at room temperature to carbonate
- Move to the fridge to lager
How long do you lager for once bottled? A month?
I’ve been eager to try a few lager recipes. Looking forward to this!
I’ve been wanting to try a lager, but don’t have a fridge to ferment in. Seems like a great idea!
So to make sure I follow:
- Brew day as normal
- Primary in the basement for a couple weeks in the mid 50’s
- Bring up to upper 60’s for a couple days for D-rest
- Bottle, and leave at room temperature to carbonate
- Move to the fridge to lager
How long do you lager for once bottled? A month?
I’ve been eager to try a few lager recipes. Looking forward to this![/quote]
There’s no reason to be scared of lagers, especially if you have a cool basement to ferment in (which it sounds like you do). Give it a shot. Some more tips:
Shoot for low 50s or even upper 40s for fermentation temperature. When you’re starting out in a cool basement, you can get down that low easily with a swamp cooler (this is exactly what I do).
Pitch LOTS of yeast, lagers need more than ales. Google mr malty yeast calculator if you don’t already know about it. Stick with something on the low side of gravity for your first try, as high gravity lagers require crazy starter sizes, I typically brew a low gravity first and then pitch the high gravity lager on the yeast cake of the low gravity lager.
Don’t get in a hurry about fermenting. Lagers are slower than ales. 2 weeks probably isn’t enough. I always give it at least a week beyond when I “think” it is done.
I see know reason why lagering in the bottle as others have described wouldn’t work. It probably will take a little longer than bulk lagering, and will also likely leave more sediment in the bottle, but nonetheless it should work.
Good luck. :cheers:
