First Lager - Primary Fermentation Temperature

[gnatp2]

I'm brewing my first lager and using the Clone Brews recipe for Bitburger pilsner. I'm not sure what temperature I should be fermenting.

For yeast, I'm using White labs WLP802 Czech Budejovice Lager Yeast. White labs says the fermentation should be 50-55 degrees.
Clone brews says the yeast of choice is Wyeast 2278 Czech Pilsner lager yeast which I am assuming is a very close to my white labs yeast. Wyeast recommends fermentation between 50-55 degress as well for this yeast.

But the Clone Brews book recommends significantly lower at 41-46 degrees. That seems like a huge difference to me.

Any advice?

Nate

 

[avidhomebrewer]

For primary, I would ferment around 52 or so, then do a diacetyl rest after it is done, then lager around 32-35 for as long as you can wait.

 

[osagedr]

The thing that is most likely to go wrong with your first lager is you underpitch and/or ferment too cool and your beer does not ferment out properly.

Use the starter guidelines at Mr. Malty and follow them to the letter. Then start your fermentation in the middle to upper part of the yeast's range and if you get good activity quickly, you can consider cooling it down to the lower part/bottom of the temperature range.

Agree with the poster above, when your beer gets to 1.020 or 1.018 raise the temp for a d-rest for at least a few days. You won't always need to do so but it won't hurt anything.

 

[sudbuster]

I'm brewing my first lager and using the Clone Brews recipe for Bitburger pilsner. I'm not sure what temperature I should be fermenting.

For yeast, I'm using White labs WLP802 Czech Budejovice Lager Yeast. White labs says the fermentation should be 50-55 degrees.
Clone brews says the yeast of choice is Wyeast 2278 Czech Pilsner lager yeast which I am assuming is a very close to my white labs yeast. Wyeast recommends fermentation between 50-55 degress as well for this yeast.

But the Clone Brews book recommends significantly lower at 41-46 degrees. That seems like a huge difference to me.

Any advise?

Nate

Well, since you ask, 41- 46 is a good starting temp. Gradually ranp the temp up 2* a day to 51* and keep it steady until fermentation is almost completed (5-6 points above FG). Let the temp rise to 59-60 for two days, then gradually bring it back down to 40 -42. Transfer, and place in lager at 40* for six weeks. I'll not go on about my background here, because some folks don't like my procedure (folks here are very oppinionated, even if they don't know what they are talking about). All I can say is it makes good pilsner....

 

[Andy_LV]

I usually pitch lager yeast at ~70ish and transfer to fermentation place where it cools down during next couple hours. Works fine for me.

 

[gnatp2]

Ok, so many different opinions here. I guess that means there are probably multiple possible answers!!! I guess I'll go for 48 degrees and do a D-rest for 3 days once it is close to done.

 

[RCCOLA]

The thing to be very aware of is that if you pitch cold, then you need a starter anywhere from 3.5 to 7.5 liters. http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
Use this calculator to determine how much you need. Make sure to set growth factor to reflect how many packs you are using--and set to "lager"

I wouldn't recommend pitching warm--defeats the purpose of brewing a lager.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I make a proper sized starter (lean on the larger size) and pitch 5 degrees below my target temp.

For your beer, I would pitch at 46º and slowly raise to 51º over the next two days.

The starter size for lagers is crazy...

Each of those is for a four gallon batch.

 

[RCCOLA]

The starter size for lagers is crazy...

.

Well said. I said after my last 6 liter starter that I wouldn't do another one. I can't bear to dump all that oxidized beer down the drain. Next lager will be on top of the cake from a 2 gallon batch.

 

[gnatp2]

I make a proper sized starter (lean on the larger size) and pitch 5 degrees below my target temp.

For your beer, I would pitch at 46º and slowly raise to 51º over the next two days.

The starter size for lagers is crazy...

Each of those is for a four gallon batch.

Wow. I gotta admit that this sounds nuts to me although I'm sure you're right. For this size starter, do you leave it out at room temp (65ish) or let the yeast multiply in the flasks at the 46 degree mark for several days before pitching? Also, i assume that with this size starter, you need to "decant"?

 

[Wellshooter]

Well said. I said after my last 6 liter starter that I wouldn't do another one. I can't bear to dump all that oxidized beer down the drain. Next lager will be on top of the cake from a 2 gallon batch.

No matter which way you do it, it'll make beer.

I start with a 1500 ml starter, after that I knock out to the yeast cake multiple sessions until I'm either full up or tired. The first round I ferment a little on the warm side after that I ferment on the cold side. Maybe I don't have a discerning palate because I can't tell a nickel's worth of difference in the beers.

 

[12ozrebel]

Brewing my first lager and pitched the yeast a little under 50 degrees and have not seen any activity yet. Does a bottom fermenting beer act the same as a top fermenting during primary? Current temp in reefer is 46-50. Nervous first timer worries.
Cheers, 12oz

 

[kombat]

How long has it been? What size batch? How much yeast did you pitch? Did you make a starter? How did you aerate the wort, and how much?