Wyeast 2206 Question

[ibracn]

I posted this in the Extract section but thought I might get a better response by posting it here so sorry for the double post.

I picked up a Bock kit from our local store and brewed yesterday. All went well but I did miss my OG target. I measured it at 1.040 when the goal was 1.046. I pitched the Wyeast Bavarian Lager 2206 at 66 degrees at 6:00 pm Sunday as directed by the guy I bought the kit from. I was expecting a lot of activity Monday morning but nothing. Monday at 1:00, I finally got some fermentation activity and more so tonight.

My concern or question is, the guy I bout the kit from says I’m good with 66 degrees for 2-3 weeks, bottle/keg and drink. Everything I read online is to ferment like a lager at about 48 degrees. Am I ok at 66 degrees? Do I need to get it down to 48 degrees? Will the Bock still turn out good if I keep it at 66 degrees? I really don’t have a good way to get the temp down to 48 degrees but can try if I need to.

[blizzardofoz63]

According to Wyeast themselves:

http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=132

The gentleman who sold you the kit appears to have given you incorrect information. I’m going to let someone else who has experience with lagers chime in with what to expect and what to do. I’d probably bring down the ferm temp with a swamp cooler (google it), but that may just stall the fermentation, so do so at your own risk.

[jmck]

[quote=“blizzardofoz63”]According to Wyeast themselves:

http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=132

The gentleman who sold you the kit appears to have given you incorrect information. I’m going to let someone else who has experience with lagers chime in with what to expect and what to do. I’d probably bring down the ferm temp with a swamp cooler (google it), but that may just stall the fermentation, so do so at your own risk.[/quote]
I made a very similar reply to the duplicate post… But you got there first, so you get the prize money. This was a which sub-forum answers first contest, wasn’t it?

[chuck]

I wouldn’t bring it down to 48 deg but to around 52 deg. You will need to do this in steps not all at once just a few degs a day. If it stalls on you then pitch another pack of yeast.
Lagers do not start fermenting as fast as ales and you will never need a blow off tube, unless you over fill the carboy, as it is a bottom fermenting yeast.
My first beer was a lager that I started to warm and it turned out to be the best beer I ever made.

[pietro]

I say keep it where it is for this batch. If you cool it down, as posted, you risk the yeast dropping out prematurely (sweet beer and/or bottle bombs) and/or higher-than-normal diacetyl production, which you can only clean up if you can warm the beer back up at the end.

I make a steam-like beer with this yeast at around 60*, and it comes out great. HOwever, it has a bunch of specialty malts, and about 70 IBU worth of Northern Brewer hops in it, so there is plenty to cover up the esters/phenols. That said, it is a relatively clean beer. If you can keep it at 66* (I am assuming you mean beer temp, NOT ambient temp), I would ferment it out and drink it.

Will it be a proper bock? No. Will it be drinkable? Probably. Should you ever buy supplies from this guy again? Maybe. Should ever listen to him again? Probably not, because he doesn’t seem to understand the difference between a lager and an ale.

EDIT: whoops, thought my post on the other thread was lost somehow, didn’t realize this was a double post. Admin should delete one.

[denny]

If it’s been at 66 for more than a couple hours, the damage is done and cooling it down won’t really help anything. I’ve used that yeast a lot. IMO, you need to make a 1 gal. starter, pitch it no higher than 52 and hold it no higher than 55 for about 3-4 weeks.