Bottom fermented lager: Any point keeping warm to carbonate?

[morethanworts]

It's the first time I've bottled a lager done with a proper lager yeast, at 12C.

Is there any point at all in keeping it warm to condition, or should I stick straight it in the coolest place I've got, which stays at a constant 12-13C (at which the lager yeast will still be working)?

 

[rpt]

The one lager I've done, I put the bottles in the same warm spot underneath the gas boiler for them to carbonate as I use for all my beers. It's much quicker than leaving them at 12C and I don't think it does them any harm.

 

[morethanworts]

Thanks for your input. The lager was in primary for three weeks and secondary for three weeks before bottling, so there really is minimal yeast in there - it's very clear to the naked eye and the maurivin lager yeast seems to settle like a stone. So I am tempted to keep it at the higher end for a couple of weeks to give it a boost, unless I hear otherwise.

 

[rpt]

I always use some plastic bottles so I can tell how well it is carbonating. I put the lager in the warm for 2 weeks instead of 10 days, although the bottles were pretty firm before then.

 

[morethanworts]

I took your advice from a previous thread I think - plastic 'tester' bottle. Great idea. I now have two nicely firmed up plastic bottles for the other two brews I've done, but I forgot to get a plastic bottle in for the lager and primed it before I'd remembered!