First lager fermenting

[jafo28]

Well about a month ago I purchased a chest freezer and Johnson temp controller to use as a fermentation chamber. I wanted to be able to have precise control over my temps, and the ability to brew lagers or ales without having to babysit my fermenting beer. I decided on the AHS Brooklyn lager clone as my first attempt. Last week I made a big starter, and stepped it up once. I brewed it on Saturday, and brought my starter up to 50 degrees in the chamber while I was brewing. I got the wort down to 70 degrees with the IC, and used the cold top off water to get me down to about 52 degrees. Pitched the yeast put on the airlock and let her go. Had krausen forming the next afternoon and this is what it looks like now. I set the controller to 49 degrees and it's working like a charm. Being in the northeast I needed to heat my chamber so I used a reptile heatlamp bulb in a desk lamp, no light just heat.

 

[RMitch]

Interesting. How much the chest cost?

 

[jafo28]

Out the door for $191 at home depot. It's the GE 7cf model, I think it's on the site for $198.

 

[jafo28]

I have a question on the fermenting time on this, not wanting to start a new thread or hijack another I figured I would bump my own thread. My question is this thing has been fermenting one week and has gone from 1.055 to 1.020, the kit said OG 1.053 and FG of 1.013. Being it was at 1.020 I started raising the temp for a d-rest, does this seem fast for a lager fermentation? Everything i've read about lagers is they take typically longer than ales. Any thoughts? BTW i'm using wyeast 2206 bavarian lager yeast.

 

[Yooper]

I have a question on the fermenting time on this, not wanting to start a new thread or hijack another I figured I would bump my own thread. My question is this thing has been fermenting one week and has gone from 1.055 to 1.020, the kit said OG 1.053 and FG of 1.013. Being it was at 1.020 I started raising the temp for a d-rest, does this seem fast for a lager fermentation? Everything i've read about lagers is they take typically longer than ales. Any thoughts? BTW i'm using wyeast 2206 bavarian lager yeast.

That seems about right- I've had all of my lagers done in 10 days or so, I believe.

 

[jafo28]

Thanks Yooper! Thats what I thought. I guess I should trust the hydrometer, and experience. I did notice the krausen falling, this was why I took the hydro reading. If it had been an ale I would not even have cared. I guess i'll be racking to secondary on about Wednesday and start the lagering. Thanks again!