Hi All,
Im brewing an extract dark lager and it's currently fermenting away happily. My question is whether or not leaving it on the (large) amount of trub for any extended period of time would be a problem? Essentially, I'm off on holiday for about 3 weeks on the 13th of July - if the fermentation is done by then (started on tuesday - but it's refrigerated (being lager) so i'm expecting it to take longer) my plan was to bottle it and allow it to condition for my holiday - which would be fine. However, if it isn't done by then I would have to leave it on the trub for my holiday, or bottle before it was ready... would this cause some serious off flavours? Or is there a way around this that I could do?
Cheers
James
Leaving on yeast cake
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unclepumble
Re: Leaving on yeast cake
If its not done fermenting by 13th july I would be seriously worried, what temp are you fermenting at, and can you control it?
If you can ferment 3-4days at 11-13 deg C raise to 15 for 3 days, then raise to 18-19deg C 3-4 days for a diacetyl rest, it should be well finished fermenting by then. so Bottle
UP
If you can ferment 3-4days at 11-13 deg C raise to 15 for 3 days, then raise to 18-19deg C 3-4 days for a diacetyl rest, it should be well finished fermenting by then. so Bottle
UP
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Wolfy
Re: Leaving on yeast cake
If its lagering in a fridge at lagering temps, simply leave it, it will be fine, rack it to secondary first if you want to, or leave it, no problems either way.
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James2718
Re: Leaving on yeast cake
I can control it but not with any real accuracy, the fridge just has an arbitrary '1-7' setting, I think it's at about 11/12, but I'll check properly tomorrow when I can get to the garage without getting soaked! What is a 'diacetyl rest'? I remember reading once that diacetyl gives butter its taste, I guess it would have the same effect with beer which would be undesirable!
It's not lagering, it's undergoing primary fermentation in a fridge, I was going to let it lager over the holiday
It's not lagering, it's undergoing primary fermentation in a fridge, I was going to let it lager over the holiday
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Wolfy
Re: Leaving on yeast cake
My reply was based on the assumption that you'd keep the beer as cold as possible to lager for the extended period while you are away, if you were going to leave it warmer than even about 1-2C for an extended period, it may be better to rack it off the yeast before then.
A D-rest is when you warm up the beer (to increase yeast metabolism/activity) just as fermentation is starting to finish (for about 24h), that way the yeast can 'clean up' the off-flavours they may have produced earlier in the fermentation.
A D-rest is when you warm up the beer (to increase yeast metabolism/activity) just as fermentation is starting to finish (for about 24h), that way the yeast can 'clean up' the off-flavours they may have produced earlier in the fermentation.
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Manx Guy
Re: Leaving on yeast cake
Hi,
I've lagered an Oktoberfest for 8 weeks in secondary at 2C with no problems - when I came to bottle the beer there was a good amount of yeast and 'haze forming' bits in the bottom of the PB.
I think the key as Wolfy implies in his post is keep it cool.
As you are not going away for about 2 weeks that should be ample time for fermentation to complete and do a diacetyl rest.
My advice would be rack it to secondary once you have performed your diacetyl rest (when SG is approx 1020-1024 - at 15-16C for 24/48 hours) and fermentation is complete eg. SG is 1010-1014 (depending on OG and recipe) then set your fridge at a high enough setting that it is in the 1-3C range (you may want to monitor the temps for 24 hours at the setting first _ i use a fridge datalogger for this but a min Max thermometer like the ones gardeners use will be fine (from wilkos about a fiver)
Unfortuantely I had to tip a brew (tweaked kit luckily) becasue I left it in Primary for 2 weeks after fermentation had finished because I had to go visit my dad in hospital.
I know many people have done similar and got away with it, and indeed I have in the past - but I think the warm tempratures caused the off flavour development to speed up - I bottled anyway hoping it might sort itself out - however it didnt...
Although there is plenty of antecdotal evidence to say leaving on the trub/yeast cake is ok to a point (a week or two)- I dont see that its a reisk worth taking personally.
Hope this helps
Guy
I've lagered an Oktoberfest for 8 weeks in secondary at 2C with no problems - when I came to bottle the beer there was a good amount of yeast and 'haze forming' bits in the bottom of the PB.
I think the key as Wolfy implies in his post is keep it cool.
As you are not going away for about 2 weeks that should be ample time for fermentation to complete and do a diacetyl rest.
My advice would be rack it to secondary once you have performed your diacetyl rest (when SG is approx 1020-1024 - at 15-16C for 24/48 hours) and fermentation is complete eg. SG is 1010-1014 (depending on OG and recipe) then set your fridge at a high enough setting that it is in the 1-3C range (you may want to monitor the temps for 24 hours at the setting first _ i use a fridge datalogger for this but a min Max thermometer like the ones gardeners use will be fine (from wilkos about a fiver)
Unfortuantely I had to tip a brew (tweaked kit luckily) becasue I left it in Primary for 2 weeks after fermentation had finished because I had to go visit my dad in hospital.
I know many people have done similar and got away with it, and indeed I have in the past - but I think the warm tempratures caused the off flavour development to speed up - I bottled anyway hoping it might sort itself out - however it didnt...
Although there is plenty of antecdotal evidence to say leaving on the trub/yeast cake is ok to a point (a week or two)- I dont see that its a reisk worth taking personally.
Hope this helps
Guy