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Author Topic: Fast Lager  (Read 1881 times)

Offline djsanta

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Fast Lager
« on: March 29, 2017, 10:28:26 am »
Brewed a Mexican Lager on March 20th.  Pitched a very large starter of WLP940 Mexican Lager yeast.  OG was 1.055.  Started it at 48F, two days later raised it to 50F, four days later raised to 52F.  Just six days later it stopped bubbling.  Checked gravity.  It's at 1.018 and 5.9% ABV (by my math).  This is better attenuation than I was expecting and super fast.  I've brewed this beer a few times before and it always took 2-2.5 weeks to finish...not 6 days.  Was worried about infection, but the sample I took for gravity smelled and tasted fine.

Question: Should I keep it cold?  It's at 54F now.  Or raise it for D-rest, then lager?  Does D-rest still work if it's done fermenting?
On Tap: nada
Conditioning: nada
Fermenting: Mexican Lager
Planned: Doppelbock or Weizenbock, Oatmeal Stout, DIPA

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Fast Lager
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2017, 10:43:17 am »
1.018 seems really quite high for an FG. perhaps a typo and you meant 1.008?

D-rest won't work well if the yeast are dormant. does it have Diacetyl? if not then you don't need one. if it does, you can get another big starter cranking and dump it in to the batch to clear it up.

6 days seem pretty quick but the ramp up method does seem to turn lagers around pretty quick.
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Offline djsanta

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Re: Fast Lager
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2017, 12:10:23 pm »
Oops, was looking at "uncorrected" gravity.  It's at 1.010.  I didn't notice any diacetyl.
On Tap: nada
Conditioning: nada
Fermenting: Mexican Lager
Planned: Doppelbock or Weizenbock, Oatmeal Stout, DIPA

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Fast Lager
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2017, 01:20:44 pm »
Oops, was looking at "uncorrected" gravity.  It's at 1.010.  I didn't notice any diacetyl.

Sounds like you added enough yeast. how does it taste otherwise?
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline 802Chris

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Re: Fast Lager
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2017, 05:05:01 am »
Any updates on this?

Offline majorvices

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Re: Fast Lager
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2017, 06:43:01 am »
Brewed a Mexican Lager on March 20th.  Pitched a very large starter of WLP940 Mexican Lager yeast.  OG was 1.055.  Started it at 48F, two days later raised it to 50F, four days later raised to 52F.  Just six days later it stopped bubbling.  Checked gravity.  It's at 1.018 and 5.9% ABV (by my math).  This is better attenuation than I was expecting and super fast.  I've brewed this beer a few times before and it always took 2-2.5 weeks to finish...not 6 days.  Was worried about infection, but the sample I took for gravity smelled and tasted fine.

Question: Should I keep it cold?  It's at 54F now.  Or raise it for D-rest, then lager?  Does D-rest still work if it's done fermenting?

If you don't detect diacetyl you won't need to bother with a  d-rest. Crash cool and go for it.