Brewers best yeast (ale vs lager yeast)

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ekjohns

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I read that alot of the brewers best kits say they use "a lager yeast that can be fermented at ale temps" now i am assuming the majority of the brewers best customers are new to brewing and do not have the ability to cool below 65 degrees. Does anyone know if they have a special lager strain? My apartment cannot get down below 68F with the AC on 24/7 and i would like to brew some octoberfest and american lagers. I have heard S-05 works well but i dont know if there is any yeast that works the best for lager taste at 70ish temps

(I have spent a few hours looking at ale yeast to use for lager and all i have found is S-05 and some white lab yeast like notting. As far as lager yeast everyone says cali yeast but that still needs to be kept at low 60s)
 
It's hard to make a lager-like beer with those temperatures. If you can get cooler, like with an ice chest and a water bath, Nottingham makes a passable lager-like beer if fermented at 60 degrees. SO 5 works well and is "clean" tasting like a lager up to about 66 degrees or so. Of course, I'm talking about fermentation temperatures not room temperature. With room temperatures of 68 degrees or higher, it's hard to make any ales. You don't really want to have the fermentation go above 72 degrees, and the fermentation process itself creates heat. You could get a stick on thermometer for the outside of the fermenter and brew a few ales that aren't so temperature critical, just to see what the fermentation temperatures are.

If you can do a water bath for your fermenter, you can bring the temperature down as much as 10 degrees, so that might be a viable option for you.
 
With room temperatures of 68 degrees or higher, it's hard to make any ales. You don't really want to have the fermentation go above 72 degrees, and the fermentation process itself creates heat.

I am brewing a wheat now that is using S-05 at 74 (according to my stick on thermometer) are you saying that even ale yeast dont do well at 74? (the package says opt ferm is 68-75 F)
 
74 is a little warm, in my opinion, but it probably won't ruin the beer. Especial a wheat beer, which benefits from a little estery action I think. I'd say try to get it down from there if you do any Pale Ales or other cleaner beers.
 
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