42 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I've heard of numerous ways to do this but I'm looking for what would be the simplest way. Some say to start at about 50° until 50% done, then increase the temp to x amount for 2 days and then raise the temp again, etc. I do not want to measure gravity. I could change the temp on my controller but last time I think I had a lager in the fridge and just took it out of the fridge after 5 days and left it on the basement floor. That beer is on tap now and it's very good. Is there a specific thing with the quick lager method that you absolutely have to do? Who's been using it and who has a straightforward method? Cheers.

[positiveContact]

I've heard of numerous ways to do this but I'm looking for what would be the simplest way. Some say to start at about 50° until 50% done, then increase the temp to x amount for 2 days and then raise the temp again, etc. I do not want to measure gravity. I could change the temp on my controller but last time I think I had a lager in the fridge and just took it out of the fridge after 5 days and left it on the basement floor. That beer is on tap now and it's very good. Is there a specific thing with the quick lager method that you absolutely have to do? Who's been using it and who has a straightforward method? Cheers.

 

I think what you did is fine.  I tend to let mine free rise as much as they can after 2-3 days and then I'll use a space heater to keep them moving up towards the mid 60s.

[HVB]

I think what you did is fine.  I tend to let mine free rise as much as they can after 2-3 days and then I'll use a space heater to keep them moving up towards the mid 60s.

That is what I have been doing.  I had to put a heater in there this weekend to get it to 60 since my basement was stuck at 52.

[denny]

Read my article in BYO.

[Poptop]

Read my article in BYO.

Check! I'm using Tasty's method. Which I previously read in that book.....

My Vienna (1st) Lager is coming along perfect btw.

Edited by Steppedonapoptop, 09 January 2017 - 02:14 PM.

[Big Nake]

I did re-read the Brulosophy method which sounds like 5 days would work well along with a free rise up to ambient. My basement is probably in the 60s and if I placed the fermenter up off the cement floor it would probably help.
 

Read my article in BYO.

I searched teh Google Machine but could not find it. Denny, do you have a link to it? Cheers and thanks.

[denny]

I did re-read the Brulosophy method which sounds like 5 days would work well along with a free rise up to ambient. My basement is probably in the 60s and if I placed the fermenter up off the cement floor it would probably help.
 
I searched teh Google Machine but could not find it. Denny, do you have a link to it? Cheers and thanks.

 

It's in the current issue so it may not be online yet.

[Poptop]

For Sunday morning's batch and in 42 hours my Doppelbock dropped by half and I increased temp to ~68 F to finish it off. I'll take another reading on Friday and estimate that I'll be at .010 or .012. It's only my second attempt but it's making sense so far.

[Big Nake]

For Sunday morning's batch and in 42 hours my Doppelbock dropped by half and I increased temp to ~68 F to finish it off. I'll take another reading on Friday and estimate that I'll be at .010 or .012. It's only my second attempt but it's making sense so far.

A doppelbock dropped by 50% in 42 hours? Damn, that seems fast. Did you take a hydro reading? I'm trying to avoid that but I suppose I could do it. I was just going to wait until TH or F and take mine out of the fridge. Clearly there is more to it than just getting it warmer while there is still active fermentation going on. I also assume that any chance of creating "unwanted esters in a lager" is out of the question otherwise this method wouldn't work.

[Poptop]

I did take a reading; 1.070 to 1.040 under the assumption terminal is 1.010. I pitched onto a huge cake from my Vienna Lager, I hit the ground running! I couldn't sense anything unwanted in the VL and things are going similar with this batch. Keeping in mind this Doppel is my 2nd lager ever, but I don't get the feeling I'm rushing anything. Brulosophy's and Tasty's write ups are what I'm working with.

[Big Nake]

I did take a reading; 1.070 to 1.040 under the assumption terminal is 1.010. I pitched onto a huge cake from my Vienna Lager, I hit the ground running! I couldn't sense anything unwanted in the VL and things are going similar with this batch. Keeping in mind this Doppel is my 2nd lager ever, but I don't get the feeling I'm rushing anything. Brulosophy's and Tasty's write ups are what I'm working with.

Interesting. I just went downstairs to check my Sam Adams-like lager and the activity has slowed and it's beginning to throw a little sulfur too. This is now 46 hours since I pitched and I would guess that this beer has less than 50% left to go... possibly quite a bit less than that since it was only a 5-point beer to begin with and this yeast was really rocking when I pitched. Maybe I should take it out now. 

[Poptop]

Interesting. I just went downstairs to check my Sam Adams-like lager and the activity has slowed and it's beginning to throw a little sulfur too. This is now 46 hours since I pitched and I would guess that this beer has less than 50% left to go... possibly quite a bit less than that since it was only a 5-point beer to begin with and this yeast was really rocking when I pitched. Maybe I should take it out now. 

Well Ken, with your tons of lagers against my 2, I'd say your instincts greatly outweigh any of my novice

[denny]

If you look through my article, you'll see there are 3 different ways presented and the conclusion is that they all work pretty much equally well.  Meaning that the general theory is much more important than the exact process.

[Big Nake]

Well Ken, with your tons of lagers against my 2, I'd say your instincts greatly outweigh any of my novice

Tons of lagers maybe... but my approach has always been simplicity. I chill the wort down to around 50°, oxygenate, pitch and put it into the fridge set to about 48° and just let it go. It might be in there for 10 days or 25 depending on what else is going on. It always gets taken out of the fridge and allowed to warm up (probably swirled too) for a few days before it gets sent to a keg. I assume that nothing adverse can happen to it at that point. But this new approach (with its vow of making EVEN BETTER LAGER! ) is new to me and I wouldn't want to go backwards by making an estery or phenolic lager.

If you look through my article, you'll see there are 3 different ways presented and the conclusion is that they all work pretty much equally well.  Meaning that the general theory is much more important than the exact process.

That sounds reasonable but, but, but... I can't find the article.

[Brauer]

50°F or so in the basement for 3 or 4 days, then moving to about 62°F in the hallway has worked well, as a minimalistic method.

[Poptop]

If you look through my article, you'll see there are 3 different ways presented and the conclusion is that they all work pretty much equally well.  Meaning that the general theory is much more important than the exact process.

I've said this about culinary science for years. Once you grasp the concept of how food works, cookbooks only help generate ideas on what to make and it's always nice to look at the pictures.

I followed the TastyMcSchott method.

Edited by Steppedonapoptop, 10 January 2017 - 11:02 AM.

[Big Nake]

50°F or so in the basement for 3 or 4 days, then moving to about 62°F in the hallway has worked well, as a minimalistic method.

I've said this about culinary science for years. Once you grasp the concept of how food works, cookbooks only help generate ideas on what to make and it's always nice to look at the pictures.

I followed the TastyMcSchott method.

Okay, good stuff. Thanks for the help gang. This is really the very beginning of my attempt at doing this so eventually I'll have a pool of lager batches to evaluate. My hope would be that the beer would be "as good" as one that I might put more time and effort into. If these are even better... that would be sweet. Cheers.

[Big Nake]

So I made this beer last Sunday, let it go in the fridge for 4 days (ish) and then took it out and left it on the basement floor. I did swirl it and I also placed it on a plastic bucket lid to get it up off the floor because I don't want any diacetyl in this beer. My beer bunker smells so unbelievably good right now I can't even tell you. I don't know if it's just that aroma bubbling up in the room instead of in the fridge or if it's the 2124, the late Mandarina Bavaria or what. Every time I walk in there I say, IT SMELLS LIKE BEER IN HERE! I plan to keg it this coming weekend and use the 2124 for another batch of dark lager. Cheers.

[Poptop]

Your comments are making me consider dry hopping my blonde doppelbock, maybe an ounce of Mandarina for a week???

[Big Nake]

Your comments are making me consider dry hopping my blonde doppelbock, maybe an ounce of Mandarina for a week???

Up to you, Brother. My batch had four ounces of 8.9% MB added in the last 15 minutes and the aroma I'm getting is righteous. I do not detect any citrusy character to this hop, really. It seems very clean, very German, bright, crisp, Noble, etc. I think the newest thinking on dry hopping is that 5 days is plenty but give it a try and see what happens.