yeast choices for smoked baltic porter

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ipsiad

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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!
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 

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