Lagering Question

Brewing processes and methods. How to brew using extract, partial or all-grain. Tips and tricks.

Moderator: slothrob

Post Reply
john_galt
Light Lager
Light Lager
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2002 8:47 pm

Lagering Question

Post by john_galt »

I have 5 different german style lagers going right now.....it is starting to get too warm on my backporch though.....If I bottle these and condition them...then can I just throw them in the fridge to lager after they are properly carbonated????Will this have the same effect as long term lagering in the actual carboy?
Fraoch
Double IPA
Double IPA
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri May 18, 2001 5:36 am

Im no expert on this one but..

Post by Fraoch »

I made a lager last year and lagered it for 6 weeks at just above freezing, it was real good stuff. I bottled some of it and found a bottle lurking in the garage some 12 months or so later.Upon trying it, i wish i had waited much longer before drinking it. It had gone from real good to an absolutely crystal clear dry pilsner style beer.fabulous stuff! So my guess is that a long maturation in the bottle is equal to lagering the whole batch for longer than you practically can.
Fraoch
fitz
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
Posts: 442
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2002 8:36 am

Prefer

Post by fitz »

I prefer to lager mine in the bottle, because it get the beer away from the most yeast the quickest. After all, lagering is aging the beer, it has nothing to do with fermentation.
Gravity Thrills
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
Posts: 285
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2001 10:12 pm

bulk up?

Post by Gravity Thrills »

I rarely do lagers and am absolutely not an authority. but, as ageneral rule, beer matures more predictably and somewhat more rapidly in bulk form (lagering tank)rather than bottle form. That said, yeah, I'd want it away from most of the yeast. But, if the lagering tank is a tertiary polishing stage, yeast should be minimal - no more than the total that would be sedimented in all your bottles.

Cheers,
Jim
fitz
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
Posts: 442
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2002 8:36 am

Maybe

Post by fitz »

Maybe I'm racking into a secondary too quickly then, because there is usually plenty of spent yeast at the bottom of my secondary. I figured the lagering process I was using was just fine, because the beer is always good.
You may be right Jim, but I was letting John know that it wouldn't hurt his batches to bottle and finish conditioning.
I don't know if I have ever done anything "text book" or not, but it seems to work for me.
Fraoch
Double IPA
Double IPA
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri May 18, 2001 5:36 am

yeast sediment conundrum

Post by Fraoch »

When we buy a natural conditioned commercial beer we wish for lots of sediment so we can nick it and use it for ourselves.When conditioning our own beers we aim for a light dusting on the bottom of the bottle.You cant win!
Fraoch
Post Reply