Excuse the newbie… But what is the range for lagering temps. Is it per the recipe? Or is there a standard range, specifically, what is the lower end…is 40ºF OK?
Lagering is as close to freezing without freezing as you can get.
I like to lager my beer at 34F. I have a ±2 degree differential from my controller so I have to keep set at 34.
40-50F are typical lagering temps, I’ve gone as low as 33F and been just fine. Typically you want to get your lager yeast going at room temp for 24 hours (this can be debate and changed as needed, I’ve also just thrown lager yeast and put in the garage at 40f), and slowly bringing the temperature down to your lagering temperature by decreasing the temperature by 5 degrees per day. I’ll admit I’m not the 20 year veteran of lagering but I haven’t had issue yet with getting my lager yeast going and slowly lowering the temp to my lager temp and then leaving it sit for several months.
Here’s the take from John Palmer’s website.
"The lagering temperature and duration are affected by both the primary fermentation temperature and the yeast strain. These are the four primary factors that determine the final character of the beer. Some general guidelines for fermentation times and temperatures are listed below:
Check the yeast package information for recommended fermentation temperature(s).
**The temperature difference between the primary phase and the lager phase should be roughly 10°F.**Nominal lagering times are 3 - 4 weeks at 45°F, 5 - 6 weeks at 40°F, or 7 - 8 weeks at 35°F.
Stronger beers need to be lagered longer.
Nothing is absolute. Brewing is both a science and an art.
A common question is, “If the beer will lager faster at higher temperatures, why would anyone lager at the low temperature?” Two reasons: first, in the days before refrigeration when lager beers were developed, icehouses were the common storage method - it’s tradition. Second, the colder lagering temperatures seem to produce a smoother beer than warmer temperatures. This would seem to be due to the additional precipitation and settling of extraneous proteins (like chill haze) and tannins that occur at lower temperatures."
I have got the best results from lagering as low as possible. YMMV
Outstanding, this is what I wanted to hear. Reason is, that the beer fridge, soon to move into the freshly completed mud room off the kitchen is about as much as I can introduce into the domestic system. An additional lagering fridge would raise eyebrows…waaayyyy high, I may even get “the look”… :o BUT, beer fridge is big enough to house 3 Corny’s and a carboy, at say, 40ºF, so we can lager and serve at the same temp…
Moving right along here.
Lager means to age.
When you lager a batch you usually are doing it a lower temperatures. This affects the length of time required to get a full fermentation and it also affects what the yeast contributes to the beer. Lagering usually prevents the yeast from producing esters, and fermenting at warmer temperatures runs the risk of having the yeast contribute esters to the flavor of the beer.
I’ve started outside the fridge, and I’ve chilled the wort down to 58°F after the boil and pitched a 42°F starter into it with the same results from each. I usually keep the yeast within the temperature range posted on the package, that’s the best rule of thumb. After primary fermentation is done, you can drop the temperature down to the mid-30s (°F) and lager it there for a few weeks.
This is a very important part of Palmer’s site to read:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10-4.html
It talks about a diacetyl rest. You probably don’t need to worry about this when you’re making your first batch or two, but if you taste diacetyl, this is where is may be coming from and how to prevent it.
I’ve lagered below 32F. Beer doesn’t freeze there. It depends on the ABV.
This is true…I avoid going below 32 as I have had a keg start to freeze up on me once when I had my controller set at 32F and with the +/-2 degree differential the temp dipped below freezing. Ouch! :-[
Don’t do it with session beers, :
I am only a few feet ahead of you, but immensely enjoyed reading this:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Homebrewing-Third-Harperresource-Book/dp/0060531053
I think this is still a great book for a brand new homebrewer. Some of the other books out there like How to Brew or Designing Great Beers can be a bit intimidating if you’re just getting started. Charlie’s book may be a bit dated on some of the technical information but is an enjoyable read and gets you the gist of what you’re supposed to be doing.
This was a book I started with.
I look at how to brew as a “reference” book.