Hey everyone, My little brother has recently decided he wanted to get into home brewing. He bought this Northern Brewer Modelo de mayo cerveza lager kit. I made him a yeast starter of 1.040 OG with two wyeast 2124 bohemian lager smack packs, I was along with him as he brewed it trying to explain what he has to do with a lager after the fermentation period. We also hit the recommended gravity of 1.050. I am not sure where I went wrong explaining things to him but he decided to throw the primary fermenter into a fridge at 42 degrees three days into the fermentation period for about 20 hours. It was going along pretty good but seems to have stalled out. If I take it out of the fridge should I worry about infection or dead yeast?
Lager question/help
- Thread starter Raenius
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That 2124 yeast does fine at 48-50*F. I'm using some right now on a Munich Dunkel and it's still rockin along at the one week mark.
Does he have a place to put it that's not room temp (way too warm) or the fridge (a bit too cold)? You've got to be able to control temps in the upper 40's to mid-50's to do a lager.
At what temp did he pitch and start the ferment?
Does he have a place to put it that's not room temp (way too warm) or the fridge (a bit too cold)? You've got to be able to control temps in the upper 40's to mid-50's to do a lager.
At what temp did he pitch and start the ferment?
I've fermented every beer i've made in the one room of the basement which stays at 56-62F. We pitched the yeast at 65F and it started to ferment around 70-74F. I took it out of the fridge and the fermometer read in the green section 45F. I put it back into the room to see what happens, I was going to wrap a blanket around it but was afraid it would get to hot. Should I worry about pitching another yeast packet or relax and see what happens with it?
That's WAY too warm for a lager. Most lager yeast strains ferment at 48-53 degrees or thereabouts. Some do ok at 45, but you'll get serious off flavors from 74 degrees.
I'm afraid that doesn't tell the whole story.
Using 2124 for lagers, the range is 45-55*F. Using it for a California Common (aka steam beer), the range is 65-68*F.
I just checked on the beer this morning before I left for work and it seems to be starting to ferment again. I wrapped a blanket around the carboy last night since it was still in the low 40's this brought it up to around 52*F and there is movement inside the carboy just really slow.
I just brewed the Northern Brewer "El Modelo de Mayo" this past Saturday (5/4).
I've got it fermenting at 50 degrees and is doing really well. Nice Krausen.
One thing I've noticed in the NB Instructions -- they don't mention a diacetyl rest.
Once it is done fermenting, take the temperature up to room temp (68-70) for a few days (this allows the yeast to reabsorb the diacetyl), rack into secondary, then proceed with the gradual temperature lowering (lagering).
I've got it fermenting at 50 degrees and is doing really well. Nice Krausen.
One thing I've noticed in the NB Instructions -- they don't mention a diacetyl rest.
Once it is done fermenting, take the temperature up to room temp (68-70) for a few days (this allows the yeast to reabsorb the diacetyl), rack into secondary, then proceed with the gradual temperature lowering (lagering).
