Hi everyone,
I am making this lager
Its been brewing now for 4 weeks in about 12PSI.
Should I swirl or shake the fermentor in order to get those yeasts that have sticked to the sides that are visible in picture?
I am going to drink this lager from this fermentor with friends so I am not going to keg it.
A little residue on the sides and top is normal, just leave it there. Fermentation and carbonation are definitely complete. 12psi should be more than enough. Assuming you want to drink it cold, go ahead and chill it down at whatever rate you think is best. It might taste a little young yet, possibly some farty sulfur or buttery diacetyl, and if so then it just needs a few more weeks of aging, but if not then it is ready to enjoy!
Thanks for the answer! I am not that experienced yet in brewing so could you tell me how long beer lasts in this ”keg”? And does it influence if I tap into that and start drinking it?
It should keep for a good 6 months or longer, especially if you keep it cold, it might last even a year or more. One thing to watch out for, however, is that keeping it on the yeast under pressure for a long time could lead to autolysis, where the yeast basically starts decomposing and eating itself. If this happened, the beer can begin to taste like rubber or meaty. Typically this effect takes at least 2-3 months, IF it happens at all, which is only a maybe but not a certainty. If you plan to keep the beer for a long time, it is best to rack the beer off the yeast into a different container and get most of the yeast out of it. Otherwise, if you can enjoy all of it within 3 months, it should almost certainly be just fine.
Thanks for the answer again!
Cold crashing helps drop yeast out and also clarify the beer. So, yes, if you want to “lager” your beer go ahead and cold crash it. There is no need drop it slowly
The carbonation level is a combination of pressure and temperature, no so much time. As the temperature drops, so does the pressure. I pressure ferment “Lynn’s Lager” at 7.5psi @ 52F for one week, then the pressure and temperature are brought up to 15psi @ 56F or so, and then it’s spunded to 25psi @ 56F. At that pressure and temperature the beer is a little over carb’d, but American Lagers should be very lively IMHO.
I would suggest the beer has been on the yeast long enough already. When the yeast cake is under pressure the yeast cells do not do well and eventually start to break down. 3 or 4 at the most weeks is my limit for beer to be on the cake. It’s best to get it kegged soon and finish lager in the keg. The shorter it’s on the yeast cake the better. Since it’s such a light beer, the risk of the yeast breaking down and adding off flavors increase. I have, however, left beer on the cake longer than that it seemed okay. But best practice is to get the beer off the yeast as soon as the yeast drops, if possible.
No, leave it. The beer just gets more in suspension and then you have to wait for it to clear, best just to let it be.
Caleb is an awesome brewer and I was bested by him in the NHC in 2022, Lynn’s Lager got a silver to his gold. I believe that Caleb won a silver in the US Open professional competition in 2023.
Lynn’s Lager eventually won a gold in 2025 and went on to win the BOS at the NHC and this year it got a gold in the US Open. The American Lager is a tough beer to brew, every little flaw stands out. Even small mistakes show.
Thanks for the thorough answer. I am going to look for how to keg from pressure fermentor and keg like 4 liters and compare if there is any difference in taste.
