Lager fermentation, bottle conditioning temperature and yeast choice

[jake122]

I'm planning on making a lager and was looking for some advice on yeast and bottling conditioning temperature.

I use a brew bucket with cooling coils so can control fermentation temperature. I don't have any way of controlling the temperature when conditioning my bottles though. They'll be stored in a cupboard.

Which yeast would work best in this scenario?

Would like to try a lager yeast if possible.
Would it also be better to use dextrose instead of table sugar when priming?

If I use a lager yeast would this introduce any off flavours during carbonation given the bottles will be conditioned at room temperature?

 

[nickjdavis]

I would start off using something like Safale W34/70...a decent clean dry German lager yeast and ferment around 10/11 degrees.

There is no need to worry about conditioning at room temperatures - you will not get any off flavours.

However...your beer will improve if you can leave it for a period of 6-8 weeks at as low a temperature as you can close to zero degrees. You can either do this after conditioning has completed, or, you can add an intermediate stage and rack your beer to another vessel from the fermentor and age in bulk, before the bottling/conditioning stage.

I have no views on the relative merits of dextrose or table sugar....I have never used the latter.

 

[jake122]

I would start off using something like Safale W34/70...a decent clean dry German lager yeast and ferment around 10/11 degrees.

There is no need to worry about conditioning at room temperatures - you will not get any off flavours.

However...your beer will improve if you can leave it for a period of 6-8 weeks at as low a temperature as you can close to zero degrees. You can either do this after conditioning has completed, or, you can add an intermediate stage and rack your beer to another vessel from the fermentor and age in bulk, before the bottling/conditioning stage.

I have no views on the relative merits of dextrose or table sugar....I have never used the latter.

Thank you for your reply. I think this sounds good. Might be a challenge to condition cold for that length of time though. I may be better waiting until winter, then conditioning in my shed. If I age in bulk prior to bottling, would there be enough yeast in suspension or should I add some more at bottling time. If so, would you be able to advise how much yeast would be needed for a 23 litre batch?

 

[nickjdavis]

Thank you for your reply. I think this sounds good. Might be a challenge to condition cold for that length of time though. I may be better waiting until winter, then conditioning in my shed. If I age in bulk prior to bottling, would there be enough yeast in suspension or should I add some more at bottling time. If so, would you be able to advise how much yeast would be needed for a 23 litre batch?

Even 3-4 weeks would be beneficial.

Yes there will be plenty of yeast left in suspension to carb up the beer when it comes to bottling. I used to "re-seed" my lagered beers at bottling time with maybe 1/2 a gram to 1 gram (never actually measured it!!!) but eventually, took a chance and bottled one batch without "re-seeding"...carbed up perfectly and I've never bothered doing it since.

 

[jake122]

Thanks, so the plan will be to await till later in the year when it gets colder, and bulk age for a few weeks in the shed. Will give the 34/70 a go as well.