Kellerbier Cask Conditioning Lager

[laughingboysbrew]

I have a fair amount of experience cask conditioning ales, but want to experiment with making a kellerbier (cask conditioned lager). I will be making a marzen (10gal batch), fermenting in a 14gal conical (with heating/cooling) so racking to the cask at any point in the process should be easy. I also have a temp controlled freezer which I use to replicate celler temp (~54F) for the cask.

I don't have a lot of experience lagering... any thoughts on when to rack and for how long? the recipe calls for the following schedule: ferm:3wks @ 50F, mature:3-4days @ 58F (diacetyl rest), clear:8wks @ 38F.

My thoughts
3wks at 50F will cover most of the fermentation I need to drop gravity. After the diacetyl rest, I should be at +/- 2 FG. At that point, rack to cask before dropping temp for the remaining beer in fermenter. Prime cask with some slurry and DME in addition to my normal ale routine (isinglass will help clear as well). Leave it in cask for 2-3wks, just long enough to get a good secondary, ~2.1vols...

Any major gotchas anyone sees?

 

[MikeFallopian]

How did your Kellerbier turn out? I'm currently planning on doing one myself.

 

[laughingboysbrew]

How did your Kellerbier turn out? I'm currently planning on doing one myself.

Brewing on Friday Currently debating single, double or no decoction. Will determine how early I have to start. Will post back updates here.

 

[m00se]

I'm planning on brewing a Kellerbier soon too. Would love to hear updates along the way. Still sorting the recipe out.

 

[laughingboysbrew]

Here is the recipe I am using. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f59/worlds-best-oktoberfest-123493/

Just food for thought, currently I'm thinking:
-dough in to protein rest temp (20 min)
-single decoction heat to protein rest (20min)
-raise decoction to sacch rest (20 min)
-raise decoction to boil (20 min)
-return decoction to raise main mash to protein rest (20 min)
-return decoction to raise main mash to sacch rest (20)

It'll be a 10 gallon batch. 3 wks primary 50F, ~10 days 60F diacetyl rest, split rack to keg for lagering, cask for kellerbier both around 38F. Undecided about pulling a yeast slurry for priming the cask. I've read just rack and leave for 2 months...assuming there will be enough secondary ferm over those 2 months to carb.

 

[MikeFallopian]

Here is the recipe I am using. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f59/worlds-best-oktoberfest-123493/

Just food for thought, currently I'm thinking:
-dough in to protein rest temp (20 min)
-single decoction heat to protein rest (20min)
-raise decoction to sacch rest (20 min)
-raise decoction to boil (20 min)
-return decoction to raise main mash to protein rest (20 min)
-return decoction to raise main mash to sacch rest (20)

It'll be a 10 gallon batch. 3 wks primary 50F, ~10 days 60F diacetyl rest, split rack to keg for lagering, cask for kellerbier both around 38F. Undecided about pulling a yeast slurry for priming the cask. I've read just rack and leave for 2 months...assuming there will be enough secondary ferm over those 2 months to carb.

I've been thinking - would it be best to:

a. rack from primary to the serving vessel (I'm going to use a pressure barrel), lager in that vessel and serve without priming;

b. rack to the serving vessel, lager, then prime;

c. rack to the serving vessel, prime, then lager?

I'm not sure how much CO2 would get produced in secondary, so I want to prime it slightly.

 

[m00se]

My plan was to rack to keg, lager, then force carb ever so slightly.

 

[m00se]

My plan was to rack to keg, lager, then force carb ever so slightly.