Narziss Fermentation
I have been conducting a little research into brewing lagers lately. It’s a goal of mine to get the first lager out of the way (Have you taken the poll yet?) before the end of the year and finally fulfill a long standing Brew Year’s Resolution.
I was reading Brewing Classic Styles last night and it stated that for all the lager recipes that the followed the Narziss Fermentation procedure.
From what I read, this method calls for pitching the yeast into wort that is colder than the optimal fermentation temperature (44°F). Then, you should let the fermentation vessel warm up slowly during the first 36 to 48 hours to the optimal temperature ( 50°F) and hold it there for the rest of fermentation.
The Narziss fermentation procedure is followed to keep fruity esters and diacetyl at bay as these characteristics are not welcome in lager styles. Following this method, there would be no diacetyl rest
Just wondering what our readers thought about the Narziss Fermentation method/procedure.
A guy named Ludwig wouldn’t steer your wrong…or a guy named Jamil.
on November 12th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
It’s also encouraged to rack the beer off of the cold break before pitching yeast.
on November 12th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
That’s sort of how I do it….I’ve tried pitching above fermentation temp twice and had bad results…pitched 56-60 and ferment 50-52. Now, I usually don’t get down to 44, but I do get to 46-48 and ferment 48-50. This has worked quite well & produced super clean beers. Big starters and lots of 02 helps too.
on November 12th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
I’ve only brewed 2 lagers, and am doing my 3rd this weekend. The first time, I chilled my wort to 70 F and pitched my yeast, just like I do for ales, then stuck the carboy in the lagering fridge. That one needed 3 days for a diacetyl rest, and still was a little rough tasting after 6 weeks lagering. My second one, I chilled down to fermentation temp then pitched my yeast. No diacetyl rest needed but a little fruity ester was present after 4 weeks lagering. This time I plan on using the Narziss Fermentation procedure and will let you know how it goes. Oh, and huge starters are a must.
on November 13th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I do try to get the wort to about 45*F at pitching. Then as the fermentation picks up, it naturally raises to about 50*F. And then holding it there or a few below is good. I still will raise the temp in towards the end of the 2-3rd week closer to 60 to finish it off before racking.