lager options after primary fement

[thomas harris]

I have two lager primaries fementing at 50 degrees. I plan to leave them alone for about 2 or 3 weeks. What are the options at that point? I started the fermentations on both at 50 deg. with half gallon starters at 50 also. Can I go straight to bottles? Should I rack for a long lager, then repitch yeast and prime sugar at bottling? Do I need a diacetyl rest having pitched at lager temp, or is that overkill? Am I talking preferences here or is there a correct protocol? I know sometimes details are obsessed on, but hey, I homebrew..

[grapeadmin]

At the end of 1.5 weeks, raise the temp of both batches to 60 and let it sit at 60 deg F for 3 days. Then cool them back down to 50 deg F over a day or two and then rack to secondaries. Let them sit at 50 deg F. for about a week. Once clear you can bottle if you wish so you are looking at about 3 weeks from start to bottling.

With this protocol you should have very little problem.

thanks
john

[thomas harris]

At the end of 1.5 weeks, raise the temp of both batches to 60 and let it sit at 60 deg F for 3 days. Then cool them back down to 50 deg F over a day or two and then rack to secondaries. Let them sit at 50 deg F. for about a week. Once clear you can bottle if you wish so you are looking at about 3 weeks from start to bottling.

With this protocol you should have very little problem.

thanks
john

new yeast before bottle conditioning? bottle condition at what temp? Does addtional lagering after carbonation then further improve the beer?

[grapeadmin]

You should not need more yeast with this protocol. Bottle condition 50-65 deg F. for at least 2 weeks. Then, if you want, store the bottles at 45 deg F or colder and then serve it from the 'lagering vessel' (i.e. the bottle).

thanks
john

[thomas harris]

thanks, i think this stuff is gonna be real nice. should be ready to enjoy by september when my son is coming home to the u.s. after three years overseas in the u.s.a.f.

[grapeadmin]

Nice! That should be an awesome coming home party!

john

[thomas harris]

ok. The lagers both taste great at secondary racking. One was a GermanMunich Dunkel lager, the other a Vienna Steam Beer lager. Well on checking some info, I find the Steam Beer is supposed to be fermented at a higher temp. Close to ale temps. So what did I make then? It tastes great but it must not have been styled as the reicipe intended with ferment. temps too low. (Both at 50 during primary). Somewhere I found the term Marzen Lager. Is this the animal i have created with the san fran. lager strain? Both batches show good yeast activity with an abv of slightly over 6% for the dark lager and 5% for the steam. I think the munich dark is sweeter than the steam beer if that makes any sense. Grain bills: Vienna Steam---10lbs 2-row vienna,1lb Dark Munich,1lb Chocolate, yielded 7 gallons wort,1.048s.g. German Dark Lager---10lbs 2-row brewers,1lb pale chocolate, 1lb Munich, 1lb Vienna 2-row, yielded 6 gallon wort 1.059s.g. Not sure of the rationale for the larger wort volume on the steam beer, but that's what I did.

[grapeadmin]

I would say that you made a vienna lager. The only reason to call it a 'steam' lager is if you fermented it warm like a steam beer.

thanks
john

[thomas harris]

I would say that you made a vienna lager. The only reason to call it a 'steam' lager is if you fermented it warm like a steam beer.

thanks
john

I don't think it's a vienna. I also believe the culprit was the amount of chocolate malt i added. i added a full pound thinking that a bit extra would not be a big deal. from what i've now read and heard, this malt type can really impact a beer. i guess this will be a good learning experience, but still, what do you think this beer style would be, if anything. it tastes very malty, then slightly sweet, then the bittlerness of the chocolate malt remains. not awful considering it's still flat and not all that chilled yet.

[grapeadmin]

Sorry I did not see that it was 1 full pound of chocolate. Maybe I would call it a Schwarzbier.

thanks
john