Conditioning Lager? I want fizzy lager!

Discuss making up beer kits - the simplest way to brew.
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Wozboy
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Conditioning Lager? I want fizzy lager!

Post by Wozboy » Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:30 pm

OK, I have made up two lager kits, a helles lager and a wilkos lager, wilkos just to see what it's like and if it's palateable!!

I've also built a smaller keezer for lager purely as I want it to keep cooler and also I was of the opinion that if I condition it cooler then it will absorb the co2 and this be proper carbonated lager?

I have it sorted at 4.5 degrees centigrade and at 12psi, as having looked at the carbonation chart that's where it should be I think? I have only had it down to temperature a day and got restless and wanted to try it and whilst it has got some carbonation it's not where I want it to be.

My question is if I leave it a week will it absorsb more co2 and become the lager I want or should I up the co2 with a view to force Carbonating the kegs? Any help and experience here would be really appreciated, I've built a keezer on the strength of hopefully being able to create impressive lager and I do want the right finish.

I eagerly await your responses and guidance!!

Secla
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Re: Conditioning Lager? I want fizzy lager!

Post by Secla » Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:26 am

you need to leave longer than a day, if your in a hurry you can roll/shake the keg and it will absorb it quicker but theres always the chance of over carbonation that way.

Wozboy
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Re: Conditioning Lager? I want fizzy lager!

Post by Wozboy » Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:42 am

I'm not in any hurry really just wanted a taste more than anything just to make sure it was OK, how long does it usually take? I'm presuming around a week? What's your experience? I'm not fond of the idea of shaking the kegs and had read I could do that elsewhere but as you say I don't want to over carbonate

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Cobnut
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Re: Conditioning Lager? I want fizzy lager!

Post by Cobnut » Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:58 am

Have patience, my young paduan. Condition will the lager get in one week about.
Fermenting: Sunshine Marmalade
Conditioning: Festbier, Helles Bock
Drinking: Smoky, lager beer, Irish Export Stout, Hazelweiss 2023:2, Cascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, and more!

f00b4r
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Re: Conditioning Lager? I want fizzy lager!

Post by f00b4r » Wed Sep 08, 2021 12:29 pm

By the way you are force carbonating the keg (using a bottle of CO2 and pressure to force CO2 into solution, in your case at serving pressure). Upping the pressure for a shorter period to try and speed things up is known as “burst carbonation” (although still a type of force carbonation); not hugely important but might help prevent confusion.
It’s also worth at some point trying the beer at a little higher temperature, maybe 7C. Macro lager in the UK tends to be served very cold to hide that it doesn’t taste very good compared to the continental stuff (the colder it is there less you can taste - you can drink a lot of German lager warmer than British cask ale and it still tastes pretty good).

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