First time brewing a Kolsch - lagering question

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Nick Pead

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Hi folks,

I've never brewed a lager, so this Kolsch will be my first experience of lagering. What I've read online, seems to suggest a short diacetyl rest, then crashing for a month of lagering (my brew fridge can probably go down to 4-5C). This I assumed was all in the fermenter.

However, when reading about lagers, everyone seems to suggest racking into a second container for the rest and lagering stages.

Is this necessary for my Kolsch, or is it something unique to lager yeasts?

Cheers.
 
Yes, I know. Hence my question.

Is the need to rack a lager due to some characteristic of lager yeasts, which is not necessary for a Kolsch yeast?
 
lagering is simply aging at low temp. you can lager an ale or an actual lager. ussually people dont lager ales because you dont get much benefit from it.

you can lager in the fermentor, a brite tank, keg or bottles. temp and time are what is important.
 
Thanks Minbari.

I was wondering why Kolsch is lagered at all, to be honest. Especially as the yeast I used (Omega Kolsch II OYL-044) has a recommended range of 18-21C. I've always assumed the off-flavours in lager that require lagering were a result of the lower temps the yeast operate at.
 
Nick Pead said:
Thanks Minbari.

I was wondering why Kolsch is lagered at all, to be honest. Especially as the yeast I used (Omega Kolsch II OYL-044) has a recommended range of 18-21C. I've always assumed the off-flavours in lager that require lagering were a result of the lower temps the yeast operate at.
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no, lagering is done well after fermentation is finished. designed to clear the beer and drop yeast out of suspension.

I think with a Kolsch it is part of the style to lager it, even though it is an ale.
 
Nick Pead said:
Thanks Minbari.

I was wondering why Kolsch is lagered at all, to be honest. Especially as the yeast I used (Omega Kolsch II OYL-044) has a recommended range of 18-21C. I've always assumed the off-flavours in lager that require lagering were a result of the lower temps the yeast operate at.
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Even though a Kolsch is technically an ale, it benefits from a cold lager. Off flavors are not eliminated or even reduced by lagering in either an ale or lager. A bad beer remains a bad beer even after lagering.

The benefits of lagering are that the beer will drop the yeast, drop a lot of the polyphenols, reduce any sulfur compounds and clear. The clearing of the beer is more than aesthetic, it actually improves overall flavor. The yeast can have a flavor of it's own, even in small quantities. The proteins and polyphenols (tannins) bond with each other at colder temperatures to create chill haze. It's a type of haze that clears when the beer is warm. These polyphenols can add a harness to the beer, so dropping them is beneficial to the beer.

The other thing that happens during lagering is that the flavors "mature" and meld, the bitterness often becomes smoother. A bad beer that is lagered will improve slightly, but any off flavors usually persist. A good beer that is lagered gets even better when lagered.

I don't transfer the beer from the fermenter during lagering until it's almost clear, usually 2 weeks. Then I transfer to a keg and finish the lagering in the keg (the beer is fully carbonated), typically 4 weeks total lagering time. The problem with transferring beer from vessel to vessel is that you risk exposes the beer to oxygen. Oxygen will take a great beer and turn it into a dumper in a matter of days, so be careful with post fermentation oxygen exposure.

If you can, crash the beer under some co2 pressure to avoid getting "suck back" during the cooling of the beer. As the beer cools, the co2 in the fermenter goes into solution causing the airlock to suck in some air. The other thing you may read about lagering is that you should cool the beer slowly. I don't do that, I try to drop the temperature as fast as I can. This causes the yeast to drop quickly to clear the beer faster. The other reason to do this is to help clarifiers (gelatin, Biofine, etc.) work better at near freezing temperatures.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I brew a lot lagers and they just get better after lagering. It's worth the wait.
 
The D Rest is for the lager yeast. You don't need a D Rest for an ale yeast.
As for as cold crashing, yes, a decent ale will using get better after a couple or few weeks. A lager yeast will get the crispness associated with a lager in the 4–8-week timeframe. No reason to rack into a secondary. Ferment and bottle or keg. Crash in the bottle or keg.
 
Sandy Feet said:
The D Rest is for the lager yeast. You don't need a D Rest for an ale yeast.
As for as cold crashing, yes, a decent ale will using get better after a couple or few weeks. A lager yeast will get the crispness associated with a lager in the 4–8-week timeframe. No reason to rack into a secondary. Ferment and bottle or keg. Crash in the bottle or keg.
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not 100% true. you can still diactyl in ale yeast if you ferment at the lower end of the yeast temp range. so a D rest can be beneficial. you just have to make that determination based on the yeast being used.
 
HighVoltageMan! said:
If you can, crash the beer under some co2 pressure to avoid getting "suck back" during the cooling of the beer. As the beer cools, the co2 in the fermenter goes into solution causing the airlock to suck in some air. The other thing you may read about lagering is that you should cool the beer slowly. I don't do that, I try to drop the temperature as fast as I can. This causes the yeast to drop quickly to clear the beer faster. The other reason to do this is to help clarifiers (gelatin, Biofine, etc.) work better at near freezing temperatures.
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I totally agree on the just crashing the temp down. no need to be slow lol. Same with the CO2 head pressure. I just crashed a lager from about 17C down to 1C this morning. It will be down around 4C when i come in tomorrow. I put about 4 PSI of CO2 to prevent vacuum on the tank. Ill pull yeast and carb it tomorrow. I wont probably keg it until next week though to let the yeast settle again and I dont currently have an open draft line.

With modern yeasts and time you really dont need finings. Plus clear beer is a lot less important to people these days with hazyies and unfiltered beers.

I also modern yeasts like NovaLager and apparently Apex Munich dont require a diacetyl rest because they produce very little diacetyl.
 
Nick Pead said:
Yes, I know. Hence my question.

Is the need to rack a lager due to some characteristic of lager yeasts, which is not necessary for a Kolsch yeast?
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Lagering is a purely mechanical process for clearer beer. There is no (or nearly so) chemical processes in play. A synonym is 'settling' in this context.
 
Donoroto said:
Lagering is a purely mechanical process for clearer beer. There is no (or nearly so) chemical processes in play. A synonym is 'settling' in this context.
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there are aspects of lagering that relate to aging the beer. so there are some chemical changes that occur. especially with volitile flavors like hops, esters, phenols, etc.
 
Everytime I have seen one of the posts on the chemicals to clean beer, people have been at odds, although respectful. I fall in the camp not to use them, but a personal preference. A little clear is ok, but I normally don't give a shit if it tastes good. Lol.
 
Thanks for your help everyone.

Beer has been fermenting for a week and is down to 1.013. It's pretty clear already. Gonna ramp the temp up a couple of degrees for two days then crash as low as we can get it for a month.
 
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