Lager fermentation still going...

[Kellyman]

Greetings all.

About three weeks back I made a simple lager. I do not have lager temperatures available in my house and so I had always stuck to ales, but I was curious about this one recipe and then I read a section in Papazian's book that said you could actually ferment lagers at the higher temperatures proper for ales, but that it takes a bit longer and does not come out quite as good as at the correct temperature. So I gave it a try.

Well three weeks later and that vapor lock is still bubbling like crazy with no real sign of letting up. I've already racked once about 10 days after fermentation began because I assumed I was about half way done.

Three questions:

1) Do I have a big problem?

2) Should I rack again right away to avoid the beer being too yeasty?

3) How long will this thing go?

Thanks to all who respond.

[unkle bik]

What 's your ambient temp?
What yeast did you use?

Ten days really isn't that long. I lagered several times at 48-52 degrees and it took several weeks.

[Kellyman]

Ambient temperature is in the high 60s and it has been going for about three weeks now.

[pjviitas]

Not an expert here but.

I believe that as long as you practiced good sanitation bubbling brew is always a good thing no matter how long it takes.

Not sure about the racking thing.

About how long it takes....as long as it takes to finish.

:-)

[Trogger]

I had a lager that kept going for about 3 weeks. I racked it a second time (into a third vessel--another carboy) and it slowed after a couple days, then I let sit for another month in there. It kinda confirmed my suspicion that the yeast was autolyzing.

[Kellyman]

What do you mean "autolyzing"?

And by the way, thanks to all who have replied thus far.

[Trogger]

Originally posted by Kellyman
What do you mean "autolyzing"?


It means the yeast is feeding on itself. After the sugars are all used up, it has nothing to metabolize so the little buggers revert to cannibalism... Still makes bubbles and looks like fermentation. I've been told it can create off flavors, so I figured rack into a third container and see what happens. You can also do gravity readings to see if it's done. The same reading 3 days in a row means it's done. I don't use that method, I just eyeball it and haven't had a problem yet—when the bubbles stop for a day or two, it’s usually done. Then again, I’m not that sophisticated in my brewing when it comes to that.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by Trogger
It means the yeast is feeding on itself. After the sugars are all used up, it has nothing to metabolize so the little buggers revert to cannibalism...

This is little bit of a mischaracterization.

Autolysis mean "self-lysis" or self dissolution or self destruction. When a yeast dies or is dying it can release an enzyme that ruptures it own cell wall thus releasing its cellular contents. Some of these contents are harmful to other yeasts - the above lysing enzyme for instance. Some of the contents are other enzymes - specifically proteases(head damaging) and esterases(will change the ester profile of your beer). Some of the contents are also nutrients which other live yeast can consume BUT the byproducts of that consumption are nasty tasting.

[Kellyman]

So should I rack right away into a third container, or just take my chances and go straight to bottling?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by Kellyman
So should I rack right away into a third container, or just take my chances and go straight to bottling?

Gravity readings are the best way to guage this. Even if you haven't been taking readings - what is the current gravity of the beer? This is the best guage.

In general, long drawn out ferments are bad things. They are representative of poorly performing, damaged, and/or stressed yeast. That is not necessarily the case...Keep in mind that lager yeast have a different fermentation profile from ale yeasts - they tend to ramp up.

One potential explanation of this ferment might be:

1) Dump in ale and lager yeast. Lager yeast floc's.
2) Ale yeast ferments out the simpler sugars then floc's
3) Racking rouses the lager yeast and it begins to consume the residual complex sugars left behind.

Anyway - check the gravity.