javedian

Recipes 

Anybody have comparative experience with the following? I am looking for strain for Baltic Porter (~OG 1.080),

From BJCP 12C: As with aroma, has a rich malty sweetness with a complex blend of deep malt, dried fruit esters, and alcohol. Has a prominent yet smooth schwarzbier-like roasted flavor that stops short of burnt. Mouth-filling and very smooth. Clean lager character; no diacetyl. Starts sweet but darker malt flavors quickly dominates and persists through finish. Just a touch dry with a hint of roast coffee or licorice in the finish. Malt can have a caramel, toffee, nutty, molasses and/or licorice complexity. Light hints of black currant and dark fruits. Medium-low to medium bitterness from malt and hops, just to provide balance. Perhaps a hint of hop flavor.
Generally lager yeast (cold fermented if using ale yeast). Debittered chocolate or black malt. Munich or Vienna base malt. Continental hops. May contain crystal malts and/or adjuncts. Brown or amber malt common in historical recipes.

CA Common yeast WLP810 (LHBS out of stock), considered for warmer temp tolerance, was first choice
LHBS had following White Labs in stock:
German Lager WLP830
Czech Lager WLP802
Zurich Lager WLP885

I am thinking of a small (3.5 gal) batch of 1.040 basic beer as a starter for this. Is that a viable option?

I am also considering going with a Saflager dry and skipping the starter, or using Safale US-05/56 at the low end of the temp range.

mysterio

Recipes 

Any of your options sound fine to me.

Have you tried Saflager before? I'm eager to know if it's any good, i've heard mixed reports.

javedian

Recipes 

No. I just brewed my first batch (my first PM and it turned out quite nice ) in about 5 years using Nottingham dry. Most of my previous batches used Wyeast, but that was during early to mid 90's. Dried yeast back then was less than great.

azmtnbiker

Recipes 

I am not sure if a lager yeast is what you need for a baltic porter but I am sure it will make a nice crisp one.
If you are set on using a lager yeast I would go with the wlp830. It will let the maly shine and have a nice clean finish.

sonvolt

Recipes 

Saflager-23 is the only lager yeast I have used. I did a Vienna Lager with it a few months ago. I also did a Bitburger clone. The Vienna Lager was one of the most amazing beers that I had ever made. The Bitburger clone is . . . meh . . . but I don't think it is the yeast profile that makes this beer boring.

Currently, I am making my Vienna Lager again as the first in a three part German trilogy. I am going to keep that yeast cake alive for three batches: A Vienna Lager to go on tap in March, a Maibock to go on in May (duh), and an Oktoberfest for . . . well . . . October.

In other words, I am satisfied with that yeast strain, but I have never used a different lager strain.