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Lagers

Rjezowski75

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I recently brewed a lager. I let it set at about 67 degrees to help with yeast replication. I just transferred it to  56 degrees. What is a good schedule for diacetyl rest and lagering.
 
When fermentation slows, up the temperature to ~65 F. for 2 to 3 days. About 10 points above FG is optimum.
 
Personally, I am a start cold and stay cold for most of my lagers. Will pitch and ferment at 48F with a large pitch county (1.5 to 2 billion cells per ML per degree Plato), and doing that there is no need for diacetyl rest, since at that temp, the precursor to diacetyl does not form.  However, without the ability to hold that low, I would pitch at 50, ferment at 52 and then raise to diacetyl rest when your 80% of the way to estimated final gravity.  For example, say a 1.050 beer is estimated to finish at 1.010, that's a 40 point swing,  40 x .80 = 32...50-32 = 1.018 = the gravity to do diacetyl rest at. 

If you pitch a large starter, this is where yeast calculators come in handy, there is no need to pitch warm then drop temps.  As for how long to lager, should be at least a month, but the rule of thumb is one week for every 0.010 points of gravity, so a 1.050 beer would be 5 weeks.
 
At any given point during the fermentation process do you ever transfer from fermentation container to another container?
 
Kind of late responding, but no, there is no reason to transfer to a secondary fermenter.  In fact, doing so as become a negative in homebrewing unless you are going to be adding fruit, coffee, wood, etc in secondary. It's just an unnecessary step take can lead to oxidation.  Just let it go to done.  I will let my lagers sit in primary for 3-4 weeks, then will cold crash it for 2 days, and then transfer to keg using a closed transfer system to push beer in keg using CO2 (no oxygen intake) and then store in the fridge a month or longer to lager. 
 
Agree. The yeast will continue to work and clean up down to close to freezing temps. I ferment at 50-53 ish and then lager near 30-32 for 2-3 weeks. Keg, continue lagering until clarity is excellent.

Mark
 
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