Summer Lager Brews

[BilltownBrewingCo]

I've mentioned it several times, but I do a pretty large get together in which I brew about 50-60 gallons of beer for June on Fathers Day weekend. I spend at least 3-6 weekends between January and May 1st brewing for this event, so I rarely brew in the summer months. However, this year I plan to save some of my 34/70 in order to brew a festbier that should be ready to start lagering right after my event, and be ready for harvest... then I am hoping to brew a dopplebock to toss right on top of the festbier's yeast cake sometime in July and have it ready for Chrsitmas. I have attached the recipes for each beer- just seeing what folks think of those recipes. Not sure it says= but I'll be ferming at traditional lager fermentation temps, close to 50-52 degrees. My biggest concern is my 34/70 going from a relatively large beer (6.3%), to a big ol wort (1.073). I should have plenty of yeast for the festbier, but will a 1.057 wort exhaust my yeast before dumping a dopplebock right on top of it?

 

[Sandy Feet]

Your Harvest Beer is very close to what I have in the keg right now, and I love it. Mine is only 6%, I don't have any acidulated, but the Munich and Vienna ratios are very close. Mine is an all Hallertau 5-gallon batch 2oz at 60 and 1oz at 10. I like Spring Water, so I didn't play with the water.

 

[Bigbre04]

Generally you should be ok with the second beer, i would consider a larger pitch then you would normally since the bigger beer will suck some life out of it.

rule of thumb is to stick in the same abv range for pitching and to kill off yeast legs that get used on big beers and ipas, but 6.3% target abv isnt too big. If it was a 7.5+ beer i might not do it, but you should be good. worst comes to worst it might just a slightly slower ferment and may finish a little sweet.

i would dose it with a nice dose of nutrient and O2 if you have the ability to. worst comes to worst you could always toss voss in there.

EDIT:

I miss read the recipes, It will probably be fine fermentation wise. I would probably not try to use the yeast again after that 8% beer. If you are worried, you could also add a fresh partial pitch on top of the yeast cake.

 

[Bigbre04]

i think the recipes look good. I used a higher dose of vienna in mine, mainly because i frequently brew it when im short on 2 row so i toss the high vienna to make a final recipe before my new grain arrives.

this one is really good. i have brewed it a few times for the pirates fest on the island here.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1403499

This is a simpler recipe compared to the above. also a little smaller.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1474638

 

[J A]

I do nearly that beer with a Rice adjunct. I don't think I use any Munich but definitely a good shot of Vienna. It's my summer go-to I either do a couple of quick 5-gallon batches to build up yeast for a 15 or 20 gallon batch or, lately, just pitch big with Apex Munich dry yeast.
I would think that if you started with a high enough count on the .057 batch, going back in with a Dopplebock shouldn't be a problem. I'd want to see short lag and strong fermentation in the Harvest Beer in order to feel really positive about the viability of the yeast and go back in immediately or as quickly as possible, ideally within a week.

 

[BilltownBrewingCo]

Generally you should be ok with the second beer, i would consider a larger pitch then you would normally since the bigger beer will suck some life out of it.

rule of thumb is to stick in the same abv range for pitching and to kill off yeast legs that get used on big beers and ipas, but 6.3% target abv isnt too big. If it was a 7.5+ beer i might not do it, but you should be good. worst comes to worst it might just a slightly slower ferment and may finish a little sweet.

i would dose it with a nice dose of nutrient and O2 if you have the ability to. worst comes to worst you could always toss voss in there.

EDIT:

I miss read the recipes, It will probably be fine fermentation wise. I would probably not try to use the yeast again after that 8% beer. If you are worried, you could also add a fresh partial pitch on top of the yeast cake.

Couldn't agree more- after the dopplebock that yeast will be discarded. Def plan to get some nutrient and O2 on both beers, will likley have plenty to slightly overpitch into the first beer, but will depend on how washing goes.