I have 5 gal of German Helles currently fermenting. It has been in the low to mid 50's for about 2 weeks and I am still seeing active fermentation. There is also a full head of krausen. In the past, the krausen has dropped by now and I can warm up the fermentation a bit. I have had some temp fluctuations this time but I know the yeast is tolerant up to the low 60's. This batch did come out with an OG higher than expected and high for the style.
My question is regarding when I should do my 3-4 day warm-up before I put it in the fridge to lager for a few weeks. Should I let the level of fermentation activity guide me or just check the gravity and use that as the definitive indicator? I believe I'm looking for a gravity of around 1.020 to indicate the warm up step in lager fermentation.
My question is regarding when I should do my 3-4 day warm-up before I put it in the fridge to lager for a few weeks. Should I let the level of fermentation activity guide me or just check the gravity and use that as the definitive indicator? I believe I'm looking for a gravity of around 1.020 to indicate the warm up step in lager fermentation.