First Lager - Fermentation Going At Slow Rate

I'm doing my first lager beer, a pilsner from German 2 row.  The fermentation is proceeding at a steady but slow rate.  According to "Brewing Lager Beer", the time to rack is after the Kraeusen clumps at the surface and starts to fall in.  I've been in the primary at 50F for 14 days and still have a full foam cover over the surface with no clumping or evidence of breaking up, but the thickness of the foam layer has decreased to about 1/2 it's thickest point.

I'd appreciate some feedback from any lager beer makers out there - give it more time in the primary or go ahead and rack?

I'd leave it alone. Additional time in the primary wont hurt a thing. As long as its fermenting its fine. Yeast is finicky. What's the temp?

3-4 weeks for a lager is not unusual.  Let temps rise at 25 days to allow complete finish and a diacetyl rest. 

Thanks for the advice.  I didn't think it looked ready yet.  Primary fermentation has been at 50 F.  I'll give it another week or two there before I rack it.

I think I'm going to need to clean up a couple more primary and secondary carboys to keep a decent rotation if I continue to make lagers  .

I just racked my second lager an hour ago. Brew date was 3/26.

Lager number one is in secondary. Brew date was 3/3, racked it on 3/19. The level is up the neck of the carboy with little head space, and there are fine little bubbles coming up indicating a wine like slow continuing fermentation.  I figure I'll keg it when that little rim of foam goes away.

I got lazy with some ales and had to pitch them due to autolysis, and now I'm a bit gun-shy. I figured that since the active fermentation was over and the brew had cleared some, that it was time to get it off the yeast. 

How active is it? Is is still real cloudy (lots of yeast in suspension) or has it started to clear?

@MaltLicker - what is the point of diacetyl rest?

Maine Homebrewer said:

@MaltLicker - what is the point of diacetyl rest?

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All yeasts create some diacetyl, and yeast strains have varying ability to remove diacetyl after the primary ferm is over.  Yeast can better remove diacetyl at slightly higher temps, so yeast mfrs recommend a slight temp rise after the main ferm period.  For ales this may be only a couple degrees, but for lagers it is more like 18-ish, from 50F to 68F or so. 

I doubt all brewers do it, but it's the text book approach.  If brewer pitches enough yeast, controls his ferm temps, and allows a full ferm and clean-up period, the need for a true diacetyl rest is likely reduced.

It's still pretty hazy and has a full covering head on it. I'm probably going to rack it this weekend.  The fermentation rate has slowed but is still measurable.  It just doesn't look quite ready yet.  

In the mean time, I'm going to start my next batch - I'm thinking IPA or APA.  Anybody have a good all grain recipe?

DaveinPa said:

In the mean time, I'm going to start my next batch - I'm thinking IPA or APA.  Anybody have a good all grain recipe?

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You can check my Cascade (Epic) Pale Ale.  I am really liking it.  Folks I have shared it with have gone away smiling with a foam mustache.  http://web.jomebrew.com/jomebrew/index.htm It is in the brew log and probably in the recipe file too.

My first two lagers are sitting happy in secondary.

Both are in glass carbs with a ring of white bubbles at the liquid level.
I'm figuring I should keg when it stops making bubbles, but I don't know when that will be.
Not sure how long to leave them there without risking autolysis. 
Anecdotes are encouraged.

"Anybody have a good all grain recipe?"

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I happen to like a Chinook bitter / Cascade flavor hop combo for IPA.
I'll use one oz Chinook (alpha 11%) for 60, one oz Cascade (alpha 5-7%) for 45 and another for 5, mashing English pale with 1/2 lb crystal round 150 with a target gravity of 1.050.
For yeast I happen to like Safeale US-05.
Figure your own amount using your efficiency and target gravity. (I used 13lbs in my last batch)

Head finally broke up and I raised it to 65F for 2 days and then racked it tonight.  Not as hoppy as I'd hoped but the attenuation was pretty good 65% to 5.2% alcohol.  I put back in the fridge and will start lagering at 40F tomorrow.  Keeping my finger crossed it comes out good   .