Lagering in plastic bucket fermenter

[Bill Tong]

I have a Pilsner thats been fermenting for 2 weeks, think it's done now. I used W 34/70 and kept temps down using an ice bath.

If, hypothetically, Santa brings me a fermentation chamber and i try to lager it for about 2 weeks (why not??), how would i do this? I dont have any carboys to transfer to so just want to do it in primary.

My questions are:

1) i have not taken a FG reading yet. If i open the fermenter i will let air in. If i do this and then place in the fridge, will it cause oxidation?

2) do i just keep the airlock on when dropping the temp? Ive heard there is this suck back thing going on. How do i prevent/deal with that?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Miraculix]

If it's done and you plan on kegging or bottling it, just do so now and lager in the bottle/keg.

A bucket will oxidise the beer, especially after opening it.

 

[Bill Tong]

If it's done and you plan on kegging or bottling it, just do so now and lager in the bottle/keg.

A bucket will oxidise the beer, especially after opening it.

Thanks. Another question is what about cold crashing then? If i take a sample and then cold crash, does that not also lead to oxidation?

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks. Another question is what about cold crashing then? If i take a sample and then cold crash, does that not also lead to oxidation?

Cold crashhing in itself leads to oxidation as you inevitably suck in some air through the airlock. If you would do it in a pressurised keg, this would be different.

 

[Beer666]

I use a blow off tune with a tap which i close when cold crashing. Its horrible watching all that air suck into your fermenter through an airlock.
I never take samples to prevent oxygen exposure but i am not in a rush to finish fermentation and always leave it 21 days plus.

 

[Vale71]

I use a blow off tune with a tap which i close when cold crashing. Its horrible watching all that air suck into your fermenter through an airlock.
I never take samples to prevent oxygen exposure but i am not in a rush to finish fermentation and always leave it 21 days plus.

Having the air sucked in through the lid might be less evident but will lead to exactly to the same amount of oxidation.

 

[Beer666]

I

Havin the air sucked in through the lid might be less evident but will lead to exactly to the same amount of oxidation.

It doesn't suck in through the lid because its air tight. The lid expands during fermentation and contracts when crashing.

 

[Vale71]

I

It doesn't suck in through the lid because its air tight. The lid expands during fermentation and contracts when crashing.

If it were really airtight it would implode as the forces involved are really huge. The contraction you see is due to at most a few millibar vacuum which is the most your fermenter's seal will maintain before letting in more air.

 

[charlesbrewer]

In my earlier days I was having same constraint and used the exact same method to lager 2 cubes while I have 2 other ales kegs on tap. No issue whatsoever.

I just left everything inside. I swap out the airlock with cap and tighten. Together with the lower serving temperature just enough to slow down the yeast to enter lager phase. And my yeast even survive for harvest when I finally keg them. I keg them in 1-2 months depends on how fast I finish the ales.