Oktoberfest questions

[Hastein]

I have a Brewer's Best Oktoberfest kit that has been stuck on 1.019 for about a week. Is it safe to go ahead and put it in the secondary to lager for a few weeks even though the instructions say the FG should be 1.013-1.015?

Also, is it possible to just lager it in a keg inside the kegerator instead of using a carboy as a secondary? This way I can free up my fermentation chamber for another brew. I have a friend coming to visit this weekend and I'd love to take advantage the opportunity to start another batch.

If lagering in the keg is possible, will I need to syphon it out of the keg after it has lagered or can I just force carb it and drink it from the same keg?

Thanks!

 

[freisste]

I have a Brewer's Best Oktoberfest kit that has been stuck on 1.019 for about a week. Is it safe to go ahead and put it in the secondary to lager for a few weeks even though the instructions say the FG should be 1.013-1.015?

Also, is it possible to just lager it in a keg inside the kegerator instead of using a carboy as a secondary? This way I can free up my fermentation chamber for another brew. I have a friend coming to visit this weekend and I'd love to take advantage the opportunity to start another batch.

If lagering in the keg is possible, will I need to syphon it out of the keg after it has lagered or can I just force carb it and drink it from the same keg?

Thanks!

Did you do a diacetyl rest? That sometimes gets another point or two on your FG.

As far as kegging, yes you can use a keg as a secondary and force carb it without moving it again. That's exactly what I did! (Great minds...bounce their ideas of the pros on HBT!)

 

[agcorry00]

Regarding the +/- stuck fermentation, what was the og and which/how much yeast did you pitch? Was this extract, ag, or partial?

I don't lager, so I've got nothing for you there.

 

[Cyclman]

That's a little high FG for a lager, it may taste sweet. It may be too late now, but a huge pitch, good oxygenation, and diacetyl rest are important. You can still try to raise the temp and rouse the yeast, it well might give you a few more points.

OTOH, extracts can be difficult to ferment down to a low FG.

After raising the temp and rousing, after a few days, taste it, if it's not to sweet, you're fine. If it is sweet, don't know what I can offer to help there.

 

[Hastein]

Did you do a diacetyl rest? That sometimes gets another point or two on your FG.

As far as kegging, yes you can use a keg as a secondary and force carb it without moving it again. That's exactly what I did! (Great minds...bounce their ideas of the pros on HBT!)

The hydrometer samples definitely had that buttery off taste and mouth feel. So maybe that is it. I was planning to do the diacetyl rest for a few days to try to get rid of that before I transferred into the secondary, but I haven't yet. I'll go ahead and start it tonight.

I am really glad to hear I can just lager it in the keg. There no way I could have started another batch with the fermentation chamber so cold.

Regarding the +/- stuck fermentation, what was the og and which/how much yeast did you pitch? Was this extract, ag, or partial?

I don't lager, so I've got nothing for you there.

It was a partial kit from Brewer's Best. My OG was 1.051 and I pitched the packet of yeast that came with it as the instructions suggested (12g lager yeast from Brewferm). I had another thread about this same batch when the yeast had trouble taking off. The krausen appeared the night before I was going to buy more yeast for it, so I left it alone.

That's a little high FG for a lager, it may taste sweet. It may be too late now, but a huge pitch, good oxygenation, and diacetyl rest are important. You can still try to raise the temp and rouse the yeast, it well might give you a few more points.

OTOH, extracts can be difficult to ferment down to a low FG.

After raising the temp and rousing, after a few days, taste it, if it's not to sweet, you're fine. If it is sweet, don't know what I can offer to help there.

I am pretty sure I under pitched based on what folks here said in my other thread a while back. Learn by experience I suppose lol. It is slightly sweet now, but I will give it another try in a few days after have done a diacetyl rest.


Thanks for the help, guys.

 

[freisste]

The hydrometer samples definitely had that buttery off taste and mouth feel. So maybe that is it. I was planning to do the diacetyl rest for a few days to try to get rid of that before I transferred into the secondary, but I haven't yet. I'll go ahead and start it tonight.

In the future, a diacetyl rest works best if the yeast are still active. I know its difficult to keep track of the actual SG at any point in time (without a ton of gravity readings), but you want to start raising the temp as you approach FG. Basically, get to about 75-80% of your expected attenuation and start warming it up. For example, OG is 1.050, target FG is 1.010 - start warming it up when it hits 1.018-1.020.

I'm sure this brew will still be good. Award winning? Maybe not. A learning experience? Definitely. Happy brewing.

 

[Hastein]

In the future, a diacetyl rest works best if the yeast are still active. I know its difficult to keep track of the actual SG at any point in time (without a ton of gravity readings), but you want to start raising the temp as you approach FG. Basically, get to about 75-80% of your expected attenuation and start warming it up. For example, OG is 1.050, target FG is 1.010 - start warming it up when it hits 1.018-1.020.

I'm sure this brew will still be good. Award winning? Maybe not. A learning experience? Definitely. Happy brewing.

Does this mean I will be stuck with some of that off taste or will it eventually settle out?

 

[JimRausch]

Warm her up, give her a good swirl to help get the yeast back in solution and she will be able to reduce the Diacetyl. Then after a couple days, test again.

 

[freisste]

Theoretically (at least in my understanding), the yeast will eventually clean up the diacetyl regardless of temperature. It will just take a very long time. A diacetyl rest is a shortcut.

Warming it up will speed up the process, I just don't think it will be as fast as it might have been if you had warmed it earlier. Then again, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. It won't hurt anything now to warm it up to 65ish for a few days before lagering.

 

[Hastein]

That is good news. Thanks guys!