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Author Topic: First time doing a true lager  (Read 5257 times)

Offline micsager

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2014, 03:21:39 pm »
I read I can't remember where, that lagers require an optimal concentration that only pure o2 can provide.

The word require can be subjective in the brewing world

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Offline Thirsty_Monk

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First time doing a true lager
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2014, 03:26:02 pm »
I read I can't remember where, that lagers require an optimal concentration that only pure o2 can provide.
Not true.

Or in the other words. This is a false statement.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #17 on: April 17, 2014, 04:26:31 pm »
I read I can't remember where, that lagers require an optimal concentration that only pure o2 can provide.

The word require can be subjective in the brewing world
Most lager yeast benefit from more O2. Not required, but the yeast will thank you.
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Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #18 on: April 17, 2014, 08:37:44 pm »
Any yeast with more oxygen will have more growth.


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Offline krebsy

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2014, 07:16:57 am »
Over the next month, will I see any continued fermentation and hit that 1.014 number, or am I stuck with a slightly sweet lager?

If the wort still has fermentable sugars in it, you may be able to warm the beer back up and pitch an active starter of yeast to finish out the last few points.  You could even use a clean ale yeast like 1056 to do it.  I did this to clean up some diacetyl in an early lager of mine and it worked quite well.

Offline blatz

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2014, 07:39:04 am »
Any yeast with more oxygen will have more growth.

I think a better way to make rabeb25's point would have been that lagers need a lot more yeast growth (colder, slower, etc) to make the best lager beer possible.  A higher concentration of oxygen, like that provided from a 90 sec blast of pure O2, helps promote that growth. 

Certainly isn't required, but then again a starter isn't required, but most people find it makes a better beer...
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #21 on: April 18, 2014, 07:44:07 am »
I prefer to view what O2 does for yeast as creating healthier yeast growth in a more predictable, reliable, and sanitary way.  It is not necessary, but its not a bad idea.

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2014, 09:24:20 am »
I've compared using both an O2 setup and a MixStir for aerating lagers.  No difference in the finished product that I could detect.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #23 on: April 18, 2014, 12:59:15 pm »
If you're using a warm pitching lager schedule, then yes, you'd need O2 to get to typical DO targets. But at 50°F, the saturation limit for aeration is 12 ppm, which is what many people target for an average-gravity lager anyway. There are brewers who like to go higher, especially for high-gravity lagers.
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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #24 on: April 18, 2014, 02:46:46 pm »
But isn't normal o2(aeration with a mix stir, etc) max 8ppm?

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #25 on: April 18, 2014, 02:59:18 pm »
But isn't normal o2(aeration with a mix stir, etc) max 8ppm?

I'm not sure how you could define what a maximum would be.  And I personally don't care about the number, just the result.
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rabeb25

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #26 on: April 18, 2014, 03:04:23 pm »
Hah, while I absolutely understand where you are coming from being results driven, I do enjoy the science part of it too :)

Well wouldn't the maximum be defined as the current o2 concentration on the planet? You can't get more than that without using pure 02, correct?

Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #27 on: April 18, 2014, 03:21:07 pm »

If you're using a warm pitching lager schedule, then yes, you'd need O2 to get to typical DO targets. But at 50°F, the saturation limit for aeration is 12 ppm, which is what many people target for an average-gravity lager anyway. There are brewers who like to go higher, especially for high-gravity lagers.
Interesting and probably true statement. Liquid at colder temp cans hold more gases.
I use Venturi tube with great success. My biggest beer is Baltic Porter that is 18 Plato. No problem with fermentation. No need for O2 in the bottle.


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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #28 on: April 18, 2014, 05:32:37 pm »
I agree with Denny and Leos. I use O2 for my BIG beers ( 1.090 +), but have consistently gotten good attenuation with a Mix Stir on beers below that OG. I don't discount using O2 on any beer -  just that pitching the right amount of healthy yeast along with Mix Stir-ring the hell out of my wort gets me good attenuation, reliably. I had solid fermentation in 14 - 16 hours on my recent BoPils (pitched @ 48F, fermented @ 50F), FG (1.012) in 8 days. I think stronger lagers benefit from O2, I just don't think you need it for an average strength beer.
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: First time doing a true lager
« Reply #29 on: April 18, 2014, 05:36:50 pm »
Hah, while I absolutely understand where you are coming from being results driven, I do enjoy the science part of it too :)

Well wouldn't the maximum be defined as the current o2 concentration on the planet? You can't get more than that without using pure 02, correct?

Air is about 20% oxygen,  so 20 parts per hundred, which is way more that 12 parts per million.