ipsiad

Recipes 

I really really want to brew a smoked Baltic porter, which is usually fermented with a lager yeast. Unfortunately the lowest consistent ambient temp I can find is around 60°F, maybe. That is, unless I use my kegerator as a ferm chamber for a few weeks, which I don't really want to do.

The recipe I put together will have an OG of ~1.082, and I want it to ferment down to around 1.018. Any thoughts on yeast choice and fermentation temperature to approximate a lager? I've looked at multiple threads on this topic and here are some of the suggestions:

Wyeast 2565 - Kolsch
Wyeast 2112 - California Common
Wyeast 1764 - Pacman
Wyeast 1056 - American Ale
Wyeast 2124 - Bohemian Lager (fermented as cool as possible)

The first three are commonly used to make "hybrid" styles, which a Baltic porter certainly is. With 2112 I'd be worried about it not attenuating down to where I want it. 1056 would probably turn out okay, but I'd rather experiment with something else. I've never used 2124 and I don't know how it will turn out if fermented in the 60°F range.

Anyone out there tried one of the above choices to make something lager-like with good results? I might do a split batch, but I'd still have to figure out which 2 to try... Other suggestions are welcome as well.

Thanks!

weirdboy

Recipes 

If you cannot ferment around 50 or maybe a little bit lower, I'd go with 1056 and take that as low as I could. Pacman would be my second choice. I would also pitch very healthy amounts (more than typical for an ale) as a means of reducing the ester profile a bit, too.

GuldTuborg

Recipes 

I've only used it a couple times so far, but I've had great success each time using 2565 right around 60F (I mean to use it again this winter, I liked it so much after last year's blonde ale). It does really well at that temperature, and gives a very subtle but pleasant flavor. In something like a big baltic porter, it might be just clean enough to pass as a lager, if you treat it right. Pitch nice and low, below 60F if possible, and let it end fermentation higher than it started.

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ipsiad

Recipes 

Thanks for the replies! I'll probably split the batch and try the pacman and kolsch yeasts. I've done a robust porter fermented cool with 1056 before, so I think I know how that would turn out. Pitching a bigger starter is a really good suggestion, I'll definitely do that.