Lagering my homebrew

[benchalmers]

I'm going to be making a Czech style lager and have been reading about the lagering process, whereby you slowly being the temperature down after fermentation until almost freezing.

I am wondering if I can do the lagering process and still have a successful in-bottle priming/carbonation (nobody wants a flat beer!)

I have bought saflager S-23 yeast, will this work?

Any tips and tricks will be greatly appreciated, thankyou!

 

[RichK]

I've only done a Pilsner twice but for each I've cold crashed for several days (as cold as my fridge will go, which is about 4C), then bottled & carbed up as usual before storing away (cool rather than cold) as long as I can wait.

I can see no reason why you cant leave it cold longer before bottling & after bottling / carbonation.

 

[Clint]

As above. Not done any temp controlled lagering though as that would need another fridge.

 

[Twostage]

I’d miss out the cold crash. Ferment, bottle, carbonate and then lager/store in the fridge.

 

[MickDundee]

Before my kegging days I used to regularly bottle condition lagers after lagering and they were fine.

I believe it doesn’t take much yeast in suspension to allow carbonation.

 

[MrRook]

Before my kegging days I used to regularly bottle condition lagers after lagering and they were fine.

I believe it doesn’t take much yeast in suspension to allow carbonation.

Back when I had lagering capabilities I had a pils at 34f for three months that carbed fine.

 

[Buffers brewery]

Brewed this Bohemian Pilsner last year. This (last) bottle was in my brew fridge at 10C for over a year. Vast improvement on the beer a year ago. Head like Italian meringue and very well carbonated. Oh, and tasted better than the young beer as well!

 

[Deadhead]

I bottle condition. I have done both ways. For me, it's how quick I need my fermenter again for which method I choose. Both are very successful.

 

[NormanHurst]

Other, more experience brewers than me have posted already but having brewed 2 lagers - one lager first then carbonate, second carb first then lager in fridge - gave a clear preference for the latter. Better carbonation, cleaner flavour.

A lot will come down to your set up. Domestic circumstances meant I couldn't brew for a few months so was happy for the brew fridge to be used for lagering bottles.