+1 to just about everything said here (except add the appropriate umlauts 
)
The Märzen recipe in BCS is killer, and this is just about the perfect time of year to brew it. The lager talk from this year’s NHC was great - wish I could have tried their beers.
I need a quick refresher for adding umlauts. Working with Windows 7, I want to stop disparaging great German traditional styles and terminology
Use the character map application to figure it out for each letter. ä = alt+0228 (hold alt).
character map application?
+1. I also agree with the reference to the lager recipes in BCS. They’re simple and solid.
This is very true and amply demonstrated by Fix’s VMO book. Many people take it as the VMO bible becasue he wrote it, but in truth the recipes were made to compensate for the lack of ingredients we can get now. I’ve heard he was rewriting it to update it when he died.
I got it now, Märzen it shall be!
Bump for further info:
I brewed this yesterday, chilled overnight, and pitched this morning. My yeast was around 60 and wort was about 50 ish when I pitched. I’m hoping this wont shock the yeast.
Secondly, I am looking for a ferment schedule. I have it in a temp controlled chest freezer at 50. I’m thinking 10 days there, slowly ramp up to 60 for 3 day d-rest, then 4 weeks lagering in secondary at 35.
OG was 1.052(missed projected of 1.055)
It will be bottle conditioned after lagering.
Do the above time frames make sense? I’m just taking a stab at it based on Palmer’s how to brew OFest recipe and Beersmith defaults for 2 stage lager.
Also wondering about bottle priming after 4 weeks at lager temps: will I need extra yeast at bottling or as i saw here earlier this week: there is always yeast in beer, it will carb.
Ideally, I would like to enjoy this beer during the Oktoberfest season, so not looking forward to 6 weeks fermentation/lagering followed by 3 or more weeks to carb up.
Anything anyone can tell me is appreciated
Ten days might do it. But it might not. I’ve found that proper pitching of fresh yeast, pitching slightly cooler than my target fermentor temp, proper O2, and good temp control equals no Diacetyl problems. I let them go till I hit TG, then give them a few more days just cuz.
I like that plan, thanks jim
I pitch at 45F, then set my temp controller to 50 and walk away for a week. Then I start bumping the temp by 3 degrees every 2-3 days. By the end of week 2 you should generally be ready to check for diacetyl, then crash and lager on a beer this size.
If you’re bottle conditioning, you may be better off lagering in the bottles. Cold crash for 1-2 days, bottle, then let them sit warm for 2-3 weeks until fully carbonated. You can then lager them as cold as you can. This way you could drink some right away if you wanted, while the remaining bottles should continue to improve with some added cold-aging. I’ve done this several times, and it’s a great option if you’re not kegging.
I’m about to try something similar. A guy I know on Facebook uses this schedule and people who have tried it have glowing reports…
Chill wort to pitching temp (48°-53°F), pitch adequately sized starter (decanted), set regulator to initial fermentation temp (50°-55°F), and leave beer to ferment 5 days. (+5 days)
On the morning of the 5th day (beer should be over 50% attenuated), remove probe from side of fermentor so it measures ambient temp inside chamber and bump regulator up 3°-5°F; continue raising ambient temp 3°-5°F every 12 hours until you reach 65°F then leave it for 2-3 days to finish fermenting and cleaning up. (+5 days = 10 days)
On day 11, start ramping the ambient temp of the chamber down 5°F every 12 hours until it reaches 30°F and let it cold crash/lager for 3-4 more days. (+8 days = 18 days)
Rack cold (and usually very clear) beer to kegs, put kegs in kegerator/keezer on gas, leave for a week, serve! (+7 days = 24 days)
Full article at Lager Method | Brülosophy
this is not too far off my method either.
Thanks for all the replies. I like what I see. I will be bottle conditioning, and am curious about the lager step. Do I need to secondary, or is this just like all the replies i have seen for ales: just leave it in primary?
There is no need to have a separate vessel just for the lagering step. Lagering is simply cold-conditioning and can be done either in the primary or the bottle/keg.
I’m about to try something similar. A guy I know on Facebook uses this schedule and people who have tried it have glowing reports…
Chill wort to pitching temp (48°-53°F), pitch adequately sized starter (decanted), set regulator to initial fermentation temp (50°-55°F), and leave beer to ferment 5 days. (+5 days)
On the morning of the 5th day (beer should be over 50% attenuated), remove probe from side of fermentor so it measures ambient temp inside chamber and bump regulator up 3°-5°F; continue raising ambient temp 3°-5°F every 12 hours until you reach 65°F then leave it for 2-3 days to finish fermenting and cleaning up. (+5 days = 10 days)
On day 11, start ramping the ambient temp of the chamber down 5°F every 12 hours until it reaches 30°F and let it cold crash/lager for 3-4 more days. (+8 days = 18 days)
Rack cold (and usually very clear) beer to kegs, put kegs in kegerator/keezer on gas, leave for a week, serve! (+7 days = 24 days)
Full article at Lager Method | Brülosophy
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If I follow this schedule, and plan to bottle, when he says he racks cold beer to kegs, should I bottle cold beer or let it come to room temp before bottling.
You can bottle cold but you have to bring it up to room temp to carb. This would probably happen quicker to a bunch of bottles than to 5 gallons in a bucket though.
If I follow this schedule, and plan to bottle, when he says he racks cold beer to kegs, should I bottle cold beer or let it come to room temp before bottling.
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The real trick will be getting your yeast to follow the calendar. I would personally go by hydrometer readings. It might be done fermenting in 11 days, or 21, or ? and the byproducts like diacetyl might be gone by then, or a few days later, but smelling and tasting your hydrometer sample will verify that.
Yes, I won’t plan in crashing without an acceptable gravity reading
I figured. Good on ya