Brewferm Lager yeast

Any one have any experience with Brewferm lager yeast? How well did it work, flavors, ect? Also, any suggestions for the using it (i.e. what styles it works best with and fermenting temps)?

I used it only to add to primer while bottling on couple batches and to start krausen for kegging. It has very good flocculation and drops out really fast which is good for bottling. One thing I noticed - it is not very active or healthy since it took almost 2 days to get to krausen stage and almost 2 weeks to reach good carbonation level in bottles. Yes I did rehydrate it before use.

AdIn said:

I used it only to add to primer while bottling on couple batches and to start krausen for kegging. It has very good flocculation and drops out really fast which is good for bottling. One thing I noticed - it is not very active or healthy since it took almost 2 days to get to krausen stage and almost 2 weeks to reach good carbonation level in bottles. Yes I did rehydrate it before use.

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I'm not certain I follow you? You used it to start a krausen for kegging? What does that mean?

It took you 2 days to get a Krausen during primary fermentation? 2 weeks to carb in a bottle doesn't seem too unreasonable and sounds about on par for most other yeast strains.

srm775 said:

I'm not certain I follow you? You used it to start a krausen for kegging? What does that mean?

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I naturally carbonate beer in keg by adding actively fermenting beer (krausening). So I take a few quarts of saved wort, aerate it, add yeast and wait till it gets to high krausen, then add to the keg. I used almost 1/3 of a pack of rehydrated yeast and it took 2 days to get 3 quarts of wort to that stage of fermentation which I think was a bit too much.

srm775 said:

2 weeks to carb in a bottle doesn't seem too unreasonable and sounds about on par for most other yeast strains.

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2 weeks seems reasonable if I don't add any yeast. I was expecting it to be done faster.

AdIn said:

I naturally carbonate beer in keg by adding actively fermenting beer (krausening). So I take a few quarts of saved wort, aerate it, add yeast and wait till it gets to high krausen, then add to the keg. I used almost 1/3 of a pack of rehydrated yeast and it took 2 days to get 3 quarts of wort to that stage of fermentation which I think was a bit too much.

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Ahh, I've heard of doing that, but never actually known anyone to do that. I think I may be experiencing the same lag times that you did. I pitched a packet on Sunday early evening. Later that evening the airlock was floating, so I thought great. Then Monday evening still no krausen and it didn't look like there was any activity.

I rehydrated a second packet (I didn't hydrate the first packet) and pitched that last night, I'll see if anything is going on today.

Lager yeast is usually slower during fermentation and has longer lag times, so I don't think 2 days is too long.

Iordz said:

Lager yeast is usually slower during fermentation and has longer lag times, so I don't think 2 days is too long.

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In general 24 hours is considered to be OK. From my experience once I had 2 days lag time the beer had some fusel alcohol smell afterwards. Will be interesting to know how it turns out. And again, this yeast drops down really fast, I would give a shake to yur fermenter to re-suspend it.

AdIn said:

In general 24 hours is considered to be OK. From my experience once I had 2 days lag time the beer had some fusel alcohol smell afterwards. Will be interesting to know how it turns out. And again, this yeast drops down really fast, I would give a shake to yur fermenter to re-suspend it.

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Yeah, I checked again and it's bubblin' slightly. Just not very active. I took it out of the water bath and there's a pretty think layer of trub on the bottom so it should be going good, there's just no big krausen like I would expect with a top-fermenting ale yeast.