Re: Lager Yeast
Posted by Dave - Sat 2/19/00 23:00 - 1 of 1

Hi Outlaw,
I really think that to maximize the desirable qualities in our brews, we should always make it a priority to establish prompt, healthy fermentation. One of the most obvious reasons is to prevent off flavors produced by bacterial/wild yeast contaminations. By minimizing the lag time (the period between pitching and log phase AKA high krauesen), we allow our yeast to outcompete the few contaminants that do find their way into our cooled wort.

I really don't think that you should worry about the situation. You worked hard on this brew; do the best you can at this point by pitching a fresh, healthy starter at room temperature, holding the wort at room temp until the early signs of krauesen, then slowly decreasing the temp to about 50°F (optimal for White Labs Pilsner)for the remainder of primary fermentation.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor. I think that a perfect beer is somewhat boring; I rather enjoy my homebrew because I can sit back with glass in hand and contemplate the procedures I performed well, and which I could improve upon the next time I venture a new batch. Good luck! Let me know how your Pils turns out! -Dave