Fast fermenting lager

[gratefuld]

I brewed a small partial mash and extract lager 2.75 gallons this past Saturday and pitched nearly an entire packet of expired S-23 I had added to sanitized cup containing about 3 oz of DME boiled in a cup of water at the start of my mash.

Anyway, I figured I may have over pitched a bit but didn't want to take chances with the yeast being expired.

I placed the fermentator in the basement ambient temps 54-62, 58 consistently in my 1956 built bomb shelter.

The airlock was active before I went to bed and bubbled like crazy all through Sunday and still before o went to work Monday morning. When I came home @ noon all quiet.

I checked again in the evening and still nothing. I checked the gravity and it had dropped from OG of 1.045 to 1.017 and yeasties were still active as the hygrometer as it foamed up while I watched NetFlix with the wife.

Figured I should be patient and let nature take its course. Still quiet today, absolutely no airlock activity - micro bubbles in sanitizer solution still where they were when I checked this am. Took another gravity reading and temp. 1.014 and 63 F wort temp with room temp of 59.

I think I should just let it set until the weekend and check gravity again before doing anything regarding temperature. Anything I could do if it may not have been aerated enough???

 

[Gavin C]

With a warm pitch and warm fermentation it's going to happen a lot faster.

I would classify those temperatures as warm for a lager.

Typically I confirm FG a week to 10 days after pitching yeast for a lager.

nothing to do on an aeration front at thsi stage. The window of oportunity closes fast.

One thing to do is not take so many gravity readings. Only take a reading if you plan on acting on the data in some way.

 

[gratefuld]

Thanks. I only thought about aeration as a possible cause of stalled fermentation and would place it in the cold cellar at 52 but had concerns about the yeast being old and/or fermentation stalled.

Thanks for the advice about too many gravity readings. I wanted and got confirmation it's still fermenting with the gravity still dropping.

I know airlock activity isn't the best indicator of fermentation, so I guess I shouldn't be so nervous and just put it in cooler temps and let it sit.

 

[lumpher]

Let it finish out at that temp. You don't want to drop temp mid-fermentation. After about 10 days, put it somewhere to lager and call it a learning experience. It'll still be beer, but usually, California Common is about the only lager fermented at around 58.

 

[gratefuld]

Thanks for the tips. I'm thinking of picking up some new lager yeast and doing an 8 gallon batch of bock in the 52 degree cold cellar from the start.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

You might want to warm it up to mid 60's for a few days of d-rest to let it finish. That might get you a couple more points. Then drop to lagering temps.

 

[passedpawn]

I brewed a small partial mash and extract lager 2.75 gallons this past Saturday and pitched nearly an entire packet of expired S-23 I had added to sanitized cup containing about 3 oz of DME boiled in a cup of water at the start of my mash.

Anyway, I figured I may have over pitched a bit but didn't want to take chances with the yeast being expired.

I placed the fermentator in the basement ambient temps 54-62, 58 consistently in my 1956 built bomb shelter.

The airlock was active before I went to bed and bubbled like crazy all through Sunday and still before o went to work Monday morning. When I came home @ noon all quiet.

I checked again in the evening and still nothing. I checked the gravity and it had dropped from OG of 1.045 to 1.017 and yeasties were still active as the hygrometer as it foamed up while I watched NetFlix with the wife.

Figured I should be patient and let nature take its course. Still quiet today, absolutely no airlock activity - micro bubbles in sanitizer solution still where they were when I checked this am. Took another gravity reading and temp. 1.014 and 63 F wort temp with room temp of 59.

I think I should just let it set until the weekend and check gravity again before doing anything regarding temperature. Anything I could do if it may not have been aerated enough???

I make lagers all the time (sipping a pils atm).

I always need 3 weeks for fermenting. I don't take a hydrometer measurement until 2 weeks. At that point it's within about 5 points of FG. I kick up the temperature 5°F for the last week and it finishes.

I ferment at about 52°F. Even with a lot of yeast, fermentation always takes a couple of days to show signs. Then I get a 1" neat krausen.

After 3 weeks, I cold crash with gelatin for a couple of days, then keg for a week or two and then into the glass.

Regarding aeration, if you had new dry yeast, you should not aerate. Packaged dry yeast does not benefit from aeration according to people that should know.