Lagering

[Weatherman]

Morning all

I have searched the forum and can’t find an answer so I suspect there isn’t a definitive one

However, I have my first pilsner sat in a SS conical fermenter at 12 degrees. I don’t use CO2 or Kegs and bottle everything but I don’t know the best way.

I could dump the trub and leave it in the fridge for 3 weeks, then bottle move to the warm to carbonate and then back to the cool again

Or

I could dump the trub, bottle with sugar, leave in warm to carbonate and then back to the fridge at 2 degrees for 3-4 weeks

Would either work?

 

[An Ankoù]

Dump the trub by all means and then bottle up when it's ready for bottling. You don't say how long the lager has been in the fermenter though. I tend to leave mine at least a month and more likely 6 weeks. Lager is a long term project. Then prime the bottles. Fill and cap them.
I don't bring lager bottles in to the warm to carbonate, they'll get on and do the business easily at 12C. You just have to be patient. I won't be drinking this winter's lager much before June and then week into the summer.

 

[Weatherman]

Dump the trub by all means and then bottle up when it's ready for bottling. You don't say how long the lager has been in the fermenter though. I tend to leave mine at least a month and more likely 6 weeks. Lager is a long term project. Then prime the bottles. Fill and cap them.
I don't bring lager bottles in to the warm to carbonate, they'll get on and do the business easily at 12C. You just have to be patient. I won't be drinking this winter's lager much before June and then week into the summer.

Morning

This was only started last week so has been at 12, it’s still fermenting.

 

[Weatherman]

It’s a receipt kit from MM for a summer dry hopped pilsner.

It’s the order of things that is not clear and then potentially omitting the 2 weeks warm storage to allow carbonation.

 

[Leon103]

Morning all

I have searched the forum and can’t find an answer so I suspect there isn’t a definitive one

However, I have my first pilsner sat in a SS conical fermenter at 12 degrees. I don’t use CO2 or Kegs and bottle everything but I don’t know the best way.

I could dump the trub and leave it in the fridge for 3 weeks, then bottle move to the warm to carbonate and then back to the cool again

Or

I could dump the trub, bottle with sugar, leave in warm to carbonate and then back to the fridge at 2 degrees for 3-4 weeks

Would either work?

I would go with option a

 

[MickDundee]

I usually just lager in my Fermzilla, don’t even bother dumping the trub just reduce the temperature slowly to get it down to lagering temps and leave it for a month.

 

[Weatherman]

I usually just lager in my Fermzilla, don’t even bother dumping the trub just reduce the temperature slowly to get it down to lagering temps and leave it for a month.

And then bottle?

 

[MickDundee]

And then bottle?

Before I started kegging I did.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

My process for lagers is to ferment for a couple of weeks, raise the temperature for d rest and then take off the trub (I do use a keg). I leave it outside for 4-6 weeks to lager.

 

[Deadhead]

I tend to ferment, D rest, then cold crash and lager for 2-6 weeks in the conical fermenter, then bottle with priming sugar and conditioning around room temperature for another couple of weeks. In the winter, I will leave in the fermenter around 2 weeks, then condition ,and then put the bottles in the greenhouse. But in the summer, I leave longer in the fermenter for the lower temps. Yeast is still plenty happy to carb up.

 

[Weatherman]

I tend to ferment, D rest, then cold crash and lager for 2-6 weeks in the conical fermenter, then bottle with priming sugar and conditioning around room temperature for another couple of weeks. In the winter, I will leave in the fermenter around 2 weeks, then condition ,and then put the bottles in the greenhouse. But in the summer, I leave longer in the fermenter for the lower temps. Yeast is still plenty happy to carb up.

D rest hadn’t been mentioned in the recipe. Many thanks

 

[AlDaviz]

I use Mangrove Jack M54 which ferments at normal temperatures, I used to cold crash for several weeks as a pilsner recipe from weyerman. But I now only CC for a week, I don’t taste any difference.

 

[Jason s]

Another lagering question. I have 18 litres of pilsner in the FV that's been fermenting for 2 weeks at 14c. And It's now down to FG of 1010. Today I plan on putting 11 litres into my 12 litre cornie keg and purging to 30 PSI to seal. Then placing back into the fridge off the gas to lager for 6 weeks before carbonating. With the remaining 5 litres I plan to just bottle with sugar and carbonate before chilling for several weeks. Any thoughts, advise on this most welcome.

 

[Leon103]

Another lagering question. I have 18 litres of pilsner in the FV that's been fermenting for 2 weeks at 14c. And It's now down to FG of 1010. Today I plan on putting 11 litres into my 12 litre cornie keg and purging to 30 PSI to seal. Then placing back into the fridge off the gas to lager for 6 weeks before carbonating. With the remaining 5 litres I plan to just bottle with sugar and carbonate before chilling for several weeks. Any thoughts, advise on this most welcome.

Need a D rest

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

I would think about a D rest and cold crash before you keg. Are you able to make a closed transfer to keg? I have never felt the need to pressurise the keg before lagering.

 

[Jason s]

Should I just raise the temp a couple of degrees for a few days to D rest.

I have tried cold crashing once but had suck back. So tend to skip this step.

The FV is just plastic bucket with tap so can't do a closed transfer. Although have seen some videos on you tube of closed transfers from a plastic FV.

I may leave kegging/bottleing today and aquire the extra pieces required to do a sort of closed transfer. Also await some advice on how to avoid suck back when cold crashing.

Cheers

 

[Jason s]

My other idea was to get a keg king pressure fermenter and transfer 16 litres into that and lager. That would mean though that it would only be half full. Would that cause any issues.

Also I'd have to slip that past SWMBO. BIG problem .

 

[Nicks90]

I think you're over complicating this @Jason s
If you are sure it's finished fermenting then move it somewhere warm(er) for a couple of days - corner of kitchen or something - and then chill it for however long you want to complete the lagering
It's up to you if you take it off the trub or not, both methods appear to produce perfectly good results, so I personally wouldn't start panic buying equipment when it's not really necessary at this time.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

Agree with Nicks90 recommendation. No need to go buying stuff at this point. For me, the key thing to do is the d rest. So, put it somewhere warm for a few days (18-20 C ish).

 

[Jason s]

Thanks for the great advice. I will up the temp in the fermentation fridge gradually over the next few days and then crash towards the weekend ready to keg.

Cheers