[DW]

So the primary fermentation is done on my bock, which is now around 7.2%.  Can I lager it under CO2?  Is there a difference between lagering under pressure or not?  I was gonna transfer off the yeast cake into a keg and go ahead and start carbonating at lager temps?  Does this work or should I hold off pressuring it? 

[HoosierBrew]

I lager as I carb every time. No worries.

[wingnut]

I lager as I carb every time. No worries.

same here

[Wort-H.O.G.]

I lager as I carb every time. No worries.

+1

[majorvices]

I don't think it matters but I admit I like to lager while the beer is still. I'm superstitious. And something I seem to remember reading somewhere sometime that the yeast will clear faster with lower co2 levels.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

I don't think it matters but I admit I like to lager while the beer is still. I'm superstitious. And something I seem to remember reading somewhere sometime that the yeast will clear faster with lower co2 levels.

so this makes me think- the term lager used here and the actual schedule. I don't start dropping the temps from 62F until day 12. every 12 hours thereafter I drop 5F until reaching 30F - day 16-17. its then i rack to keg and then i start the carbonation.

[DW]

Interesting thoughts.  It sounds like most people will go ahead and carb.  Honestly, in the past I have always lagered still.  Sounds good.  Thanks

[denny]

I don't think it matters but I admit I like to lager while the beer is still. I'm superstitious. And something I seem to remember reading somewhere sometime that the yeast will clear faster with lower co2 levels.

You're welcome to your superstitions, but I haven't found it to be true in my experience.

[denny]

I don't think it matters but I admit I like to lager while the beer is still. I'm superstitious. And something I seem to remember reading somewhere sometime that the yeast will clear faster with lower co2 levels.

so this makes me think- the term lager used here and the actual schedule. I don't start dropping the temps from 62F until day 12. every 12 hours thereafter I drop 5F until reaching 30F - day 16-17. its then i rack to keg and then i start the carbonation.

IMO, you're making more work for yourself than you need to.  I wait til fermentation is complete and them just crash to lagering temp.  It works equally well and is much easier.

[Black Sands Brewery & Supply]

So the primary fermentation is done on my bock, which is now around 7.2%.  Can I lager it under CO2?  Is there a difference between lagering under pressure or not?  I was gonna transfer off the yeast cake into a keg and go ahead and start carbonating at lager temps?  Does this work or should I hold off pressuring it?

I'd say its just preference. But in my commercial experience we'd always lager the beer still then only start carbing the beer when it's ready to be packaged. With that said we can carb 90 bbls in an 1-2 hours so... It's a lot faster than how we do it when home brewing.

Put it in the keg hit it w/ some co2 and purge out any o2 w/ the PRV then lager in the keg for however long maybe a week or two. Then start to carb it...

[klickitat jim]

I'm one week into fermentation on a pair of Munich Helles'. Pitched at 48, with temp set at 50. 4 days in I noticed a slight slow down in airlock activity so I started a slow walk up I in temp. They are at 54º now. I'll take a gravity reading next weekend and if im at about 75% of the way there I will start walking up to D rest. When they are all done im going to do a one time temp drop (cold crash) to 33º. Hold that for a couple weeks then keg. They'll get carbed and sit at 35º for a couple months. Tap them around garden tilling time.

Cold crashing... I used to do this routinely with every beer and was convinced it was great until a podcaster mentioned that he had read some study... so I quit. Frankly I found no increase in quality by slowly reducing the temp. Then I heard the same podcaster talking about how to make sour beer and it was pretty clear that he didnt really know what he was talking about. Admitted it, but gave an answer anyway... it kind of calls into question the previous cold crashing "study".

[erockrph]

Cold crashing... I used to do this routinely with every beer and was convinced it was great until a podcaster mentioned that he had read some study... so I quit. Frankly I found no increase in quality by slowly reducing the temp. Then I heard the same podcaster talking about how to make sour beer and it was pretty clear that he didnt really know what he was talking about. Admitted it, but gave an answer anyway... it kind of calls into question the previous cold crashing "study".

I know exactly what/who you're referring to. Even though I've learned quite a bit from the aforementioned podcaster, and brewed many of his recipes, he sets off my "BS alarm" pretty often. I now take most of his recommendations with a grain of salt until I can test them myself.

I think the specific suggestion was that yeast can produce off-flavors due to thermal stress if crashed too fast. I also believe the recommendation was to stay above something like 35 or 40F when crashing. Personally, I've never had a problem with going from room temp down to 30F as fast as possible. But I'm pretty sure my yeast is all finished up before I start crashing, since I usually take my time and do a D-rest for 2-3 days whether its needed or not. Maybe it's different in a commercial setting.

[klickitat jim]

Cold crashing... I used to do this routinely with every beer and was convinced it was great until a podcaster mentioned that he had read some study... so I quit. Frankly I found no increase in quality by slowly reducing the temp. Then I heard the same podcaster talking about how to make sour beer and it was pretty clear that he didnt really know what he was talking about. Admitted it, but gave an answer anyway... it kind of calls into question the previous cold crashing "study".

I know exactly what/who you're referring to. Even though I've learned quite a bit from the aforementioned podcaster, and brewed many of his recipes, he sets off my "BS alarm" pretty often. I now take most of his recommendations with a grain of salt until I can test them myself.

I think the specific suggestion was that yeast can produce off-flavors due to thermal stress if crashed too fast. I also believe the recommendation was to stay above something like 35 or 40F when crashing. Personally, I've never had a problem with going from room temp down to 30F as fast as possible. But I'm pretty sure my yeast is all finished up before I start crashing, since I usually take my time and do a D-rest for 2-3 days whether its needed or not. Maybe it's different in a commercial setting.

I've learned a ton there too, including lately learning not to put much weight on a single data point based on a study that they can't remember what the source is. Its all good, just have to test things before trusting.

[HoosierBrew]

I've learned a ton there too, including lately learning not to put much weight on a single data point based on a study that they can't remember what the source is. Its all good, just have to test things before trusting.

Good advice for homebrewing anyway.  And I'm familiar with that podcast, too - agreed.

[JT]

IMO the early shows were way better; before 70% of the show was advertisement.