Can't Lager

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werb

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My brother, who got me into this glorious hobby, sent me a partial-mash kit, purchased on the internet, for a Double Bock. The problem is that I don't have the ability to ferment or lager this beer at the required temperature using the lager yeast that came with the kit. The best temperature I can sustain is around 65 degrees.

What to do? Brew anyway and ferment at my temperature range with the lager yeast. What will be the effects of this on the beer? Use an ale yeast?

Thanks for your help:fro:
 
Get a California common lager yeast. They were isolated in the 19th century, in San Fransisco, and allow lager ferments at 65F.

What yeast do you have?
 
California Lager gives fairly lager-like results at temps up to about 65--I'd give that a shot. I always try to keep that particular yeast lower in the temp scale (in the 58-60 range) and I've gotten good results from it.
 
Doesn't a steam beer still want a period of cold storage, though? Not necessarily in the 30s, but a couple weeks at 50 degrees? How does the flavor profile change if you can't do this?
 
the_bird said:
Doesn't a steam beer still want a period of cold storage, though? Not necessarily in the 30s, but a couple weeks at 50 degrees?
Click to expand...
I could be wrong, but I thought the point of California Common (Steam Beer ®) was to get a lager-like quality to your brew without the cold storage requirement.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
I could be wrong, but I thought the point of Steam Beer was to get a lager-like quality to your brew without the cold storage requirement.
Click to expand...

Nope, you're right. CC is meant to be brewed in San Fran conditions.

beeradvocate.com said:
The California Common, or Steam Beer, is a unique 100% American style lager. It's usually brewed with a special strain of lager yeast that works better at warmer temperatures. This method dates back to the late 1800's in California when refrigeration was a great luxury. The brewers back then had to improvise to cool the beer down, so shallow fermenters were used. So in a way the lager yeast was trained to ferment quicker at warmer temperatures. Today's examples are light amber to tawny in color, medium bodied with a malty character. Mildly fruity with an assertive hop bitterness.
Click to expand...
 
Ok, re-reading Ray Daniels, Anchor Steam conditions for three weeks at 50 degrees, but only 40% of the NHC second-round beers he examined did the same. Looks to be optional, but he seems to think that's the preferred method.
 
Thank you. I knew there was a solution. I will go with the California Common and call it a Steam Bock.

:fro:
 
werb said:
Thank you. I knew there was a solution. I will go with the California Common and call it a Steam Bock.

:fro:
Click to expand...

I'm basically an ale drinker, and I have found that I my actually prefer the steam-style versions of some lagers to the "real thing." I find some lagers "clean" to the point of being boring. The calfornia lager leaves a bit of the estery flavors of ale yeasts, which is a good thing IMHO.
 

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