Continuing with the Wednesday video series, here is a quick one as an update to the Midwest Supplies Brew Kit Review and as a starting point to discuss what the best lagering temperature is.
From the Masters of Lager series, I got into a rhythm of lagering my beers as cold as I could get them in my beer fridge.
If I turned the (simple) temperature control dial in the fridge to its lowest setting, I was getting a consistent 34°F or 1°C temperature. The temp. would flux a bit when I was opening the door to get a few bottles but these are sacrifices you make when you are thirsty and your fridge serves dual purposes.
I have read that you can lager at slightly warmer temperatures; that is, 40° F or 4° C but I feel that cold and slow is the way to go with lagering beers at home.
Transitioning to my next thought, temperature is just one factor in the lagering game. Time is the other main one and we have raised the question before of how long to lager.
From my observations, getting the beer down to close to the temperature where water freezes is the best to get clean, crisp, and clear lagers. Holding that temperature for 6 to 8 weeks is the other key.
David
I’m currently doing my first lager – a weizenbock, and the recommendations I’ve seen are higher for this style – 45 F to start, gradually increasing to 53-55 F over the first week. It might be necessary to ferment the Bavarian Lager strain at a slightly higher temperature to encourage ester production and coax out those classic banana/clove flavors.
John
Hi David,
I should make a point in the post that I am writing specifically about lagering temperatures and not fermentation temperatures for lagers. Fermentation temps will be higher and the range you are working with is right on for your brew.
Randy
Brew-Dudes,
I am with yall on lagering. I have a Munich helles in secondary at 33F. Low and slow for great BBQ and great Lagers. Thanks for the great videos/post/etc
John
Thanks Randy – brew on as they say.
Señor Brew
Best lager I ever made actually froze and was thawed. It was lagering in a freezer chest and the temperature control failed. It took first in it’s category in a fairly large competition, and I was told by a judge later that it probably should have won best of show, but that judges in general are biased against the specialty category (it was an Xmas lager).
The rule of thumb I have heard is lager one day for every point of original gravity, so a 1.060 should lager for 2 months, after a long ferment of course.
Señor Brew
I just contradicted myself in the comments section of the post you linked to. There I said 1 week per 10 pts, vs. 1 day per pt. here. Not a huge difference, but still, I would err on the long side.
John
The doppelbock I brewed went 8 weeks which is really 56 days and is 16 days short of how long I should have let it chill out.
Patience is rewarded with lagers. I am learning this bit for sure.