Hey folks, I'm about to do my first lager, and also interested in doing my first filtered beer (as I get annoyed by stirring up sediment every time I move a keg).
For various reasons, I'd prefer to avoid using kegs as brite tanks, so I want to essentially use this process:
1) Brew an Oktoberfest in the next couple weeks -- I brew 10 gallon batches, and ferment in a Sanke keg that I sterilize and completely seal (except for the blowoff), so I'm not concerned about permeability.
2) Ferment 2-3 weeks or so at 48-50 degrees.
3) Add gelatin, slowly drop the temp over ~2 weeks to 33 degrees, hold ~3-4 weeks.
4) Transfer under CO2 pressure through a 1 micron filter into serving kegs.
I typically don't worry much about autolysis, but even so I rarely have a need to leave beer on the yeast that long since I can usually bulk age my ales in corny kegs. But I understand lagers want to keep some yeast alive during that lagering phase for clean-up, so I don't want to filter prior to lagering, meaning I'd need a brite tank in the middle (and buying 2 more kegs).
Thoughts? Will this process have any serious flaws that I'm missing?
For various reasons, I'd prefer to avoid using kegs as brite tanks, so I want to essentially use this process:
1) Brew an Oktoberfest in the next couple weeks -- I brew 10 gallon batches, and ferment in a Sanke keg that I sterilize and completely seal (except for the blowoff), so I'm not concerned about permeability.
2) Ferment 2-3 weeks or so at 48-50 degrees.
3) Add gelatin, slowly drop the temp over ~2 weeks to 33 degrees, hold ~3-4 weeks.
4) Transfer under CO2 pressure through a 1 micron filter into serving kegs.
I typically don't worry much about autolysis, but even so I rarely have a need to leave beer on the yeast that long since I can usually bulk age my ales in corny kegs. But I understand lagers want to keep some yeast alive during that lagering phase for clean-up, so I don't want to filter prior to lagering, meaning I'd need a brite tank in the middle (and buying 2 more kegs).
Thoughts? Will this process have any serious flaws that I'm missing?