Lagering in the keg

[beerd]

Hi all -

Apologies if this is already covered somewhere - if so, a pointer is appreciated - but after some searching I am coming up with some conflicting info.

Doing my first "lager" - it was really a SMaSH with Maris Otter and EKG, but I decided at the last minute to try out W-34/70 instead of the planned US-05. I have it fermenting around 59. Plan to let it rise to ~65 for a few days once the SG hits 1.020 or so (started at 1.046).

Then I get confused. I am going to be kegging the beer. Once the d rest is finished, if I just do a ~2 day cold crash and fining and then move it to the keg, chill, and slowly force carb, let it sit for ~2 weeks - would that be 'lagering' and would it have any impact on the final product? It seems like in some cases the recommended approach is to lager in the fermenter, but I'm not clear on the difference between just having it chill in the keg. I don't have and don't plan to move to a secondary fermenter.

Thanks in advance!

 

[McKnuckle]

Unless you have a really good way to prevent oxygen ingress during the cold crash, consider just racking the beer directly to a keg after two full weeks in the primary fermenter. Then put the keg on gas in the cold for the duration.

If fining is very important to you, then I suppose you'd opt not to do what I suggested. Although fining has its place, the beer should clear naturally as it lagers, reaching expected clarity around the 3 week mark. It will simply get better all the time, peaking, perhaps, around 6 weeks. It should then remain stable from there forward. Rushing this time frame is counter to the essence of producing a lager.

 

[beerd]

Thanks so much. Definitely not in a rush, just not sure how to proceed.

I have a MacGyver'd jar/ mylar bag monstrosity that I can fill with CO2 to back fill during cold crash. I seems to work well at keeping O2 out and even better at raising my blood-pressure when I have to mess with it. So would be glad to skip that whole process.

So confirming - I'll keep it around 60 degrees for 5 or 6 days (till I'm near FG), then raise it to ~65 degrees for the rest of the time until it's been in primary a total of 2 weeks, then pressure transfer to keg and immediately put on gas at serving pressure, drink someone else's beer for an additional ~3 weeks, then start enjoying this one?

 

[Jag75]

I've heard of people adding gelatin to the keg as well .

 

[beerd]

Thank you. If I do add gelatin in this case, it would be because of the perceived value of doing it in primary and thus dropping out yeast/trub before it goes into the keg - so that the beer is not sitting it on it while lagering and to avoid any being sucked up by the dip tube in the keg while serving (it goes pretty close to the bottom and it seems like a thick enough layer down there would end up in the first few pours at least). I say perceived because, again, I have no idea what I'm doing.

I understand gelatin can also be used to get clear beer faster, but, in this particular case, that is not my goal. If having the layer of yeast and trub in the bottom of the keg for a month or so while I drink my way through it won't impact flavor or clarity (once settled after lagering) then I'm good.

 

[Jag75]

If your not in a rush for clarity then skip the gelatin and keg . Leaving in the keg for a while will do wonders .

 

[waldoar15]

I just keg, gas and leave them around 32* for as long as possible.

 

[giftedeye2]

Do you carbonate the beer? Or do you just purge with gas to get rid of the oxygen the carbonate when you are ready to serve? (I ask because I use my kegerator as a fermentation chamber and I plan on putting the keg in my main fridge disconnected from gas and tap while I ferment my next brew)

 

[VikeMan]

Do you carbonate the beer? Or do you just purge with gas to get rid of the oxygen the carbonate when you are ready to serve? (I ask because I use my kegerator as a fermentation chamber and I plan on putting the keg in my main fridge disconnected from gas and tap while I ferment my next brew)

When lagering in a keg, you can carbonate while lagering, or you can lager first and then carbonate. But you should keep enough pressure in the keg to keep the lid fully sealed. Just bursting with high PSI, disconnecting, and walking away may not be enough.