Can I get away with a single packet of 34/70 yeast?

[Cain]

I want to do a lager, fermented at ale temperatures. Ideally, a 5.5 gallon batch. Probably 5.3% ABV. No starter. No rehydration of the 34/70 yeast.
I've read a few different views on this, but most threads seem to be several years old.

What is the current opinion on this? Can I dry pitch a single packet of 34/70 into a lager recipe at 66 degrees and expect good results? Is anyone doing this and getting GOOD beer? If not, I will pitch 2 packets as recommended.

Thanks for any input!

 

[Snark_Wolf_Brewing]

There's an entire thread here on HBT about warm fermented lagers.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/warm-fermented-lager-thread.592169/
General consensus seems to be that 34/70 is great for lagers at ale temps. Personally I would probably go with two packs, just to make sure you have enough yeast cells for a good fermentation start.

 

[GoeHaarden]

I want to do a lager, fermented at ale temperatures. Ideally, a 5.5 gallon batch. Probably 5.3% ABV. No starter. No rehydration of the 34/70 yeast.
I've read a few different views on this, but most threads seem to be several years old.

What is the current opinion on this? Can I dry pitch a single packet of 34/70 into a lager recipe at 66 degrees and expect good results? Is anyone doing this and getting GOOD beer? If not, I will pitch 2 packets as recommended.

Thanks for any input!

The one and only time I've picked up diacetyl with a lager was with a super light rice lager I was making where I was in a rush and pitched the 1 pack of 34/70 I had. But again that was it lager temps.

It's cheap insurance to just pitch two if you have it...

 

[smata67]

You will have no problems at all pitching one packet of 34/70 for this beer. Larger pitching populations are specified for lower temperatures and even then one packet is fine. I just pitched one packet of rehydrated 34/70 into a 1.062 6 gallon lager at 60F for a 52F fermentation temperature and it finished at 1.015. A warm pitch like you want will get a quick start and finish.

 

[passedpawn]

I want to do a lager, fermented at ale temperatures. Ideally, a 5.5 gallon batch. Probably 5.3% ABV. No starter. No rehydration of the 34/70 yeast.
I've read a few different views on this, but most threads seem to be several years old.

What is the current opinion on this? Can I dry pitch a single packet of 34/70 into a lager recipe at 66 degrees and expect good results? Is anyone doing this and getting GOOD beer? If not, I will pitch 2 packets as recommended.

Thanks for any input!

Why not pitch more yeast?
Why not rehydrate the yeast?

I've always had the ability to ferment at cold temperatures, so I can't comment on warm lagers. I will say that I abandoned 34/70 a long time ago due to some off flavors. I only use S-189 for lagers now.

 

[Nate R]

Along the same lines... i have read here NOT to make starters with dry yeast...
I am fast becoming a huge fan of dry yeast and am planning a lager soon...
Could one make a lager starter from one satchet?
Rehydrate per instructions and then pitch that into a 2L starter?

 

[Coookies58]

Will it ferment the beer? Yes
Will it be good? There’s a lot of factors in play there.
will it hurt to pitch two packs? No
To me, it’s cheap insurance on a big batch of beer. And no extra work.

 

[Miraculix]

You'll be fine.

 

[micraftbeer]

There was a really good/informative podcast from Brad Smith recently where he interviewed Chris White from White Labs. A lot of really good info within that. One thing I picked up was that higher pitching tastes terms to suppress esters. And the higher pitch rates for lagers helps suppress esters formation, not necessarily just more because of temperature.

So you could do one, maybe your particular taste buds won't pick up on it, maybe they will.

 

[Mark3885]

I have only ever pitched one packet per 5 gals and ferment at 66 degrees finished about 1.009 to 1.015 for a 1.052 starting gravity

 

[Bobby_M]

The measure of whether you get away with something has to be a comparison between the beer you wanted to the beer you got. Did you want a super clean, low ester, no diacetyl, no acetaldehyde lager that attentuates well? Maybe one pack is not going to hit all those buttons but it has more to do with your perception threshold for all those things than anyone's opinion.

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

I want to do a lager, fermented at ale temperatures. Ideally, a 5.5 gallon batch. Probably 5.3% ABV. No starter. No rehydration of the 34/70 yeast.
I've read a few different views on this, but most threads seem to be several years old.

What is the current opinion on this? Can I dry pitch a single packet of 34/70 into a lager recipe at 66 degrees and expect good results? Is anyone doing this and getting GOOD beer? If not, I will pitch 2 packets as recommended.

Thanks for any input!

No. I've won medals for lagers with 34/70. Two packets is perfect for a 5-6 gal batch or one packet with a starter. That seems to work with all dry lager yeasts. One package seems ok for ales (200 billion cells) but it seems like a bit more would start up faster.

 

[catalanotte]

What is the current opinion on this? Can I dry pitch a single packet of 34/70 into a lager recipe at 66 degrees and expect good results? Is anyone doing this and getting GOOD beer? If not, I will pitch 2 packets as recommended.

Thanks for any input!

I have brewed many times with 34/70 at low ale temps (60-63) with excellent results for Oktoberfests, Bocks, and even a Pilsner that won a contest. I pitch 3 packets in 10 gal, and never make a starter. One packet may work in 5, but I’d err on the higher side.