Re: Lagering Temperature (and Time)
Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 8:42 pm
Eureka !!
After some pilot data, I think I have a working hypothesis.
Yeasts strains have an optimal flocculation temperature. This flocculation temperature is not the coldest possible temperature. In general, a lager yeast will flocculate faster when lagering at 5C than when lagering at 0C. This seems to apply to Kolsch yeast as well.
It is possible that the faster flocculation is related to the yeast running out of fuel, but given that I keg condition Kolsch with sugar for 7 days at 22C, the fact that Kolsch yeast drops faster at 5C vs 0C does not seem to be related to fuel.
NOTE that there is NO implication that 5C is better than 0C, it is quite possible that keeping yeast in suspension as much as possible prolongs the life of the beer, and also quite possibly, it is better to keep the beer at 0C once yeast has flocculated.
So, if you have a stubborn non-flocculating yeast and you want beer to clear faster, give warm lagering a shot
After some pilot data, I think I have a working hypothesis.
Yeasts strains have an optimal flocculation temperature. This flocculation temperature is not the coldest possible temperature. In general, a lager yeast will flocculate faster when lagering at 5C than when lagering at 0C. This seems to apply to Kolsch yeast as well.
It is possible that the faster flocculation is related to the yeast running out of fuel, but given that I keg condition Kolsch with sugar for 7 days at 22C, the fact that Kolsch yeast drops faster at 5C vs 0C does not seem to be related to fuel.
NOTE that there is NO implication that 5C is better than 0C, it is quite possible that keeping yeast in suspension as much as possible prolongs the life of the beer, and also quite possibly, it is better to keep the beer at 0C once yeast has flocculated.
So, if you have a stubborn non-flocculating yeast and you want beer to clear faster, give warm lagering a shot