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Hey Harmsy, yeah, basically what bullfrog said. I asked this question recently and got this informative reply from drsmurto. As stated, it probably depends mostly on whether a genuine lager yeast has been used.

Okie dokie, I think I'll give this racking a crack with my knappstein. I don't have space to crash chill so I'll rack it after fermentation and them put it back into the brew fridge for a further couple of weeks to larger it (since I'm using the saf s-23 larger yeast)

If the temps aren't to low I might brew an ale on top of the fridge while I wait for it to larger....

So I'm keen to rack a lager I've got fermenting at the moment. How long is too long to rack for? I've got a spare fridge and spare fermenter to use.

Reason I ask is I will he going to Melbourne in 3 weeks and if I wait until fermentation is complete I would be racking the week before I leave.

Just to be clear, racking is the actual transferral of the beer to another vessel. Once the beer is in the secondary vessel the racking is complete.

So I think your question Screamin TE is actually how long is too long to leave your beer in the secondary? A few weeks for a lager, at the right temperature, wouldn't be a problem at all, in fact will benefit the end beer.

Yeah, sorry

Would 8 weeks been too long of a period to leave it before bottling? Would cubing it be a better option?

No eight weeks won't be too long. I havent done it but have done lots if reading.

8 weeks might be too long if you were leaving the beer in the primary, sitting on the trub. But if you rack the beer off the trub, into the secondary, then you could leave it 8 weeks at lager temps. What will be interesting is if there will still be enough yeast in suspension for carbonation once bottled. It might be the beer takes a longer time to carbonate.

Hi STE,

Nothing like resurrecting an old post

I have not lagered either, but what follows is my understanding.

As the guys say, eight weeks will be fine and it will result in a better beer if done properly. In a cube will be fine if the beer is fully fermented before you rack into it then lager the beer.

I assume it's being fermented at lager temperature with a true lager yeast. Make sure you read about diacetyl rest (and, in general, fermenting lagers), and keep the beer as close to freezing as you can while lagering.

It'll be fine.

Cheers,

Oliver

If you rack it into a well sanitised container with a sealable lid (read cube or jerry) leaving it for 8 weeks will be fine. I wouldn't personally use a fermentor with an airlock but each to their own. If you can do it at lagering temps (down around 1-2 degrees) it will be even better. As others have suggested it will take longer to carbonate once bottled. I've lagered for six weeks and it carbed within 2 weeks at 12 degerees but this may be dependent upon use of finings and yeast strain. It's up to you if you want to go to the trouble of pitching fresh yeast at bottling time. If you keg then it's all good.

So, there's been a slight hitch in my lagering plan. I bought a tempmate / temprite on my way home today and in my haste to install it, punctured a gas line on my beer fridge.

Not only that, I haven't really treated this beer with the care it deserved. Temps have been a bit high since the start. When I get a new beer fridge I'll start again and do it properly.

Cheers for all the help though!
Much appreciated

I've lagered beer for 2 months while mrs warra and I were overseas, after primary fermentation for 3 weeks, but I racked to a different container. No problem at all.

I've also lagered for 7 weeks after 3 weeks primary fermentation, all done in the primary fermenter. It also turned out fine.

At what temps Warra?

The first one was a Lager, fermented at 9 to 10ºC, then lagered at as low as my fridge would go, about 1ºC or so.

The second was an Alt, fermented at 17 to 18ºC, and again lagered at about 1ºC or so.

Hey Warra

Just to confirm when you say you largered it in primary vessel you left the yeast cake? As in you didn't rack it?

melykabeer wrote:Hey Warra

Just to confirm when you say you largered it in primary vessel you left the yeast cake? As in you didn't rack it?

The Alt was lagered on the yeast cake in primary. It wasn't racked at all.