lagering

[akpolaris]

I intend to start a new batch of beer, a lager. When I was discussing it with the guy at the beer store he mentioned a secondary fermentation stage. I intend to brew this and then leave town for 3 weeks. Upon return do I need to put it in another carboy and let it sit/ferment for another couple of weeks? Or do I move it to a second carboy after a week and let it sit for the 3 weeks I am gone?
Thanks

 

[Gavin C]

I intend to start a new batch of beer, a lager. When I was discussing it with the guy at the beer store he mentioned a secondary fermentation stage. I intend to brew this and then leave town for 3 weeks. Upon return do I need to put it in another carboy and let it sit/ferment for another couple of weeks? Or do I move it to a second carboy after a week and let it sit for the 3 weeks I am gone?
Thanks

You need to do neither of these things.

• Brew beer and place it in the fermentor.
• Leave town for x weeks
• Return and package beer
• Store as is appropriate for the style/yeast being used.
• Consume when it's ready to be consumed.

I would suggest never* using a secondary vessel prior to packaging the beer. It is in my opinion a fool's errand.

Anecdotal evidence: Lager fermented in one vessel for 3 weeks, packaged and then consumed/judged 3 weeks later.

(It's an older brew but it checks out)

*rare valid evidence based exceptions exist. I have yet to encounter one.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Yeah, skip the secondary. What temp are you fermenting at? If it's below 58 you'll want to bring it up to ~66 for a few days to allow the yeast to finish up and take care of any diacetyl before you package. Three weeks is a nice length of time to let it do its thing.

 

[waldoar15]

My lagers all get a month in primary then I lager in the keg for at least another month @32*.

 

[estricklin]

Skipping the secondary is good advice!

 

[smurfjuice]

Happy birthday Gavin, just sayin'

 

[beerlover77]

I think I am the only one here that uses a secondary on a lager lol. Really I do it for two reasons: It gets the beer off the dead yeast for a cleaner flavor (this only should apply if it is going to be in the fermentor for a long time) and second it gets the beer of the sludge for a crystal clear product.

Typically I would ferment until almost complete then do a 3 day diacetyl rest (14 days typical). Rack to a sanitized and C02 flushed secondary and lager for a time. A beer starting from 1.040 would get 4 weeks lager time, 1.050 would get 5 weeks. The last week of lagering some gelatin gets added for clarity.

*BTW this is not a SECONDARY FERMENTATION... it is just a lagering phase.

 

[akpolaris]

I figured on letting the yeast act up for 4 or 5 days then put it in my shop which will be below 55, since I turn the heat down while out of town. Gone for 3 weeks for work. Some literature I have read speaks about dead yeast laying in bottom of carboy affecting the taste.

 

[beerlover77]

Lagers taste best if you ferment cool 50-55f right from the start (as long as you use a true Lager yeast). The dead yeast won't be bad for it unless the beer is on it several months.

 

[GoeHaarden]

I think I am the only one here that uses a secondary on a lager lol.

You are not alone my friend...

I also use a (second) lagering vessel for my lagers, but I usually lager for several months. Just kegged a 1.080 Maibock that I lagered for 3 months, and it is incredibly smooth.
Not sure if leaving it on the trub would have effected the outcome, but I'd rather not experiment with 3 months of waiting...

 

[toxdoc49]

So is the idea of using no secondary just for lagers/pilsners? I have been using a secondary fermentation vessel (glass carboy) for the IPAs I have been brewing. I have not tried a lager recipe yet. Just asking thanks.

 

[waldoar15]

So is the idea of using no secondary just for lagers/pilsners? I have been using a secondary fermentation vessel (glass carboy) for the IPAs I have been brewing. I have not tried a lager recipe yet. Just asking thanks.

Basically they are more of a Brite tank/conditioning vessel. Many home brewers that keg just skip it as it just increases the chance for infection and oxidation. I just lager in the keg.

An IPA (as we know it now days) is usually better consumed rellativilly fresh if you want the most flavor/aroma from your hops.

OTOH Lagers, high alcohol and darker beers generally benifit quite a bit from cold lagering or aging at cellar temps for ales.

It's fine if you want to secondary your beer though.

 

[kh54s10]

The idea of no secondary is somewhat new. In the last decade or so. It is for all beers, The idea of the beer sitting on dead yeast comes from commercial brewing where it may be a bigger problem. It is now considered a minor problem, if one at all, in the home brew setting.

If anything the Lager would benefit from a secondary more than the IPA.

I don't secondary anything unless I add something that makes it difficult to do in primary.