Can't wait to get into kegging. Lagers would be so much simpler if I could keg up the entire batch after fermenation and forget it for a month, and then put the keg on gas and start drinking it when it's ready. Jealousy.
Still bottling for now so:
The recipe says 3 weeks primary. I'm officially 13 days in and 1.008 sg down from 1.052, on the specified 34/70 yeast
. My fermenting fridge has been a steady 10°C since day 1. I expect the ferment is exhausted, but want a true "lager" taste experience. I did a bit of reading on diacetyl rests, and from what I've read it's too late for that process, since a D-rest is indicated at approximately 2/3 of the way through fermentation.
I sampled the beer when I checked gravity and it tasted like a mixture of bread, beer and God, but no popcorn. Does anyone diacetyl-rest this recipe or does it take care of itself in the specified 3-week primary?
If D-rest is not necessary, is it reasonable to assume that I can prime and bottle this recipe after 3 weeks primary ferment and continue "lagering" in bottle? Any use in ramping up temperature with a FG so low already? Any gains to be had by lagering in bulk vs bottle? I have a gut feeling that somehow bulk secondary/lagering is preferable due to overall yeast population, but I would like some personal "homebrew" anecdotal opinions, if possible.
I would prefer not to rack this beer, because (1) my carboy is not big enough (batch came to 25L), and (2) I'm not sure I can rack softly enough from the spigot in my fermentor to avoid oxygenation. If the bulk lagering is really worthwhile, I'll attempt it though, and just bottle up whatever doesn't fit in the carboy. Any advice?