Question about doing a lager.

[Suga]

First Hi All
Relatively new to brewing, started with a 4yrs out of date Mr Beer kit. surprisingly everyone including myself loved the flavors, but overall it was flat. Anyway quickly graduated to 5 gallon kit rave reviews. now want to try a lager. But...I have questions, I have a chest freezer and and ink bird dual temp controller.
From what i've been reading thinking best way to do this is to pitch at around 65 and keep there for couple days. Then bring down to 50-55 for 10-14 days then lager at 33-35 for 3-4 weeks. My question is bottling, I don't have a keg (not sure I will get one pefer to share 6 packs and 22oz with friends) But after so long lagering will it be able to carbonate or do i need to add yeast? And if i add yeast will it remain clear?

 

[J A]

Some folks do it the way you're describing but with variations. Often there's temp raise to mid-60s after 7 to 10 days for a diacetyl rest. That's a good practice unless you're set up to make big starters. easiest thing to do is cool it down to clear and "lager" for a week or so and then bottle, bring it up to carbonation temp, make sure it carbs up (it will) and then store in the bottles for 3-4 weeks to lager further.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I brew lagers at a starting temp of 60F then raise it a degree every 2 days, it usually finishes in 5 to 7 days then I raise it to 70F for 2 days then keg at 33 for a week, a bit unorthodox but it works perfectly, you could do something similar with a fridge or basement at the final stage

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

as far as the carbonation, if you then raise it to 65 to 70 it will carbonate faster

 

[Nosybear]

Get it cold as quickly as possible. Yeast produce most of their off-flavors when they're reproducing so if you don't start fermentation in the "lager" range, you're risking nastiness in your lagers. At least, you're risking esters, never appropriate in lagers. Cool the beer as close to your fermentation temperature as possible, if not below it, then pitch. You want to let the temperature rise near the end of fermentation to dry out the beer and clean up the diacetyl. After that, chill to lagering temperatures slowly (I just put the carboy in the cold refrigerator and let thermodynamics take its course). If you have one chamber, cool a couple of degrees C per day max. Once the beer is clear, you can treat it as any other beer for packaging.

 

[eayste]

I started Lagering myself a few months ago.
There is a lot information out there to research and you can get information overload quickly.

A couple things that have been working for me with a few light lager recipes, so far.

After the boil, cool your wort to near the low end of the recommended temp for the yeast strain before pitching.
I will set my cooler to 50F , then put the wort in there over night, then pitch in the morning.
I mainly do 3 gallon batches.
I just started making yeast starters too, not necessary for small batches... just wanted to try it.

I lager for 10 -14 days at 50-55F , then pull the beer out and leave at 65F or so for 3 to 5 days for the diacetyl rest.
Then secondary at 32-35F for 14 days or so.
Then keg or bottle.

This is just a guidline that I happen to use, and it has been working well.

 

[Suga]

Some folks do it the way you're describing but with variations. Often there's temp raise to mid-60s after 7 to 10 days for a diacetyl rest. That's a good practice unless you're set up to make big starters. easiest thing to do is cool it down to clear and "lager" for a week or so and then bottle, bring it up to carbonation temp, make sure it carbs up (it will) and then store in the bottles for 3-4 weeks to lager further.

Sorry was summoned away shortly after posting my question.. So it's better to do the actual lagering in the bottle is the way i'm understand your answer. I can make a starter(have stir plate and liter glass jar) Just haven't done it before. no need with the kits I've been doing. Not sure what you mean by "big starter" ?

I brew lagers at a starting temp of 60F then raise it a degree every 2 days, it usually finishes in 5 to 7 days then I raise it to 70F for 2 days then keg at 33 for a week, a bit unorthodox but it works perfectly, you could do something similar with a fridge or basement at the final stage

I assume you mean you ferment at 60?

Get it cold as quickly as possible. Yeast produce most of their off-flavors when they're reproducing so if you don't start fermentation in the "lager" range, you're risking nastiness in your lagers. At least, you're risking esters, never appropriate in lagers. Cool the beer as close to your fermentation temperature as possible, if not below it, then pitch. You want to let the temperature rise near the end of fermentation to dry out the beer and clean up the diacetyl. After that, chill to lagering temperatures slowly (I just put the carboy in the cold refrigerator and let thermodynamics take its course). If you have one chamber, cool a couple of degrees C per day max. Once the beer is clear, you can treat it as any other beer for packaging.

So I should pitch and ferment around the same temp. Or ptich at say 60 then ferment in the 50-55 range?

I see most of you saying will be done fermenting in 7-10 days but I thought since it was working at lower temp it takes longer? Thats why I was thinking leave it at 65 for few days to move along quicker then bring it down to finish up.

 

[Hogarthe]

Pitch and ferment at around the same temp. Preferably pitch at a slightly lower temp than you ferment at. Once the yeast start going they create heat and it can be hard to lower the temp of the wort while they are active.
The lower ferment temps can add a few days compared with ales, but 10 days should be enough time. It's better to let the lager yeast do most of the work at the lower temp, since they make better tasting beer at 50ish degrees, then warm it up once it is almost done to get them to finish and clean up diacytl.