Need some lagering advice.

[rdavidw]

I am making my first lager - a Sam Adams all grain clone with Whitelabs 830 German Lager yeast with a temp range of 50F-55F. I racked to the fermenter at 60F and held it there for about 24 hours and then dropped it to 53F and held it there for two weeks. I then came up to 62F yesterday for the diactyl rest. I was planning on holding it there for two or three days and then kegging it and keeping the keg at 37 for about two or three months. The problem is I am still at 1.022 and am expecting to finish around 1.01 or so. Bubbler is going a little faster at the higher temp. I had made a fairly large yeast starter.

Should I leave it at 62 for as long as it takes to get stable gravity readings or should I drop it down to 37 in a day or two if it’s done or not? I have two individually temperature controlled fermenters but I can’t hold temps under 53F with them. My keg storage chest freezer holds 8 kegs but I don’t have a collar on it so I don’t have the height to get a keg lid with an air-lock. I have three empty kegs right now so I could fit a carboy in there if that would be the best way to go.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[giraffe]

Leave it at 62 until gravity is stable, then rack to a keg and lager in the keg. Its important to have it at 50-55F for the first 50% of gravity being fermented. Leaving it at 62 now wont harm the beer. Sounds underpitched if it took 2 weeks. Lagers need twice as much yeast as ales, -- perhaps the yeast was old, lager yeasts tend to sit around gathering dust at my lhbs.

 

[Gavin C]

Should I leave it at 62 for as long as it takes to get stable gravity readings or should I drop it down to 37 in a day or two if it’s done or not? I have two individually temperature controlled fermenters but I can’t hold temps under 53F with them. My keg storage chest freezer holds 8 kegs but I don’t have a collar on it so I don’t have the height to get a keg lid with an air-lock. I have three empty kegs right now so I could fit a carboy in there if that would be the best way to go.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Let it get to FG before you package the beer. What the FG is remains to be determined.

That will not happen at 37F

If you're going to bump the temperatures to the tail end of fermentation for a diacetyl rest and/or insuring complete fermentation wait for these things to occur.

I doubt the gravity will go lower. Sounds like the beer is just off-gassing at the higher temp.

I pitch cooler, ferment cooler and finish warmer than you outline. FWIW

ETA: Yes it sounds like an under pitch like @giraffe mentioned.

 

[rdavidw]

Awesome! Thanks for the help guys. I will make a larger starter next time. Thanks again.

 

[Gavin C]

Awesome! Thanks for the help guys. I will make a larger starter next time. Thanks again.

No worries

Here is a typical lager profile I use.

All done in the primary before lagering in the keg. Ignore the primary, secondary tertiary titles etc. Just use these to make it easy in Beersmith to create the profile.