Lager Yeast at Room Temp

[danculwell]

So I read on New Belgium's website that for their 1554 Enlightened Black Ale they use a lager yeast at ale temps. Is this something I could recreate at home. What should I expect if I pitch a packet of S-23 and ferment it in my ~68 degree closet? Will the yeast even work at that temp? If it does will I end up with any gross flavors? I'm pretty interested in this idea but don't want to waste the ingredients (and the fermenter space) if it would surely come out better with an ale yeast.

 

[android]

i think you'd have better results with something like san fran lager WLP810, which is ok from 58-65, so you might have to cool down your area just a tad to get the desired results... i think fermenting a normal lager strain at 68 would result in a pretty gross beer, but I've never tried it so I can't say for sure. you could also ferment nottingham at a lower range (60 or even slightly below) and get decent lager-like qualities.

edit: also remember that if the closet is at 68, your fermentation temp will likely be over 70.

 

[BoZzyFresh]

We have done this before and it is normally done to California common beers. It works great although fermentation will take much longer to get started like 1-3 days. Give it a shot...if going with a lighter ale it can make a really good session beer for summer, just be patient with the yeast. Here is some reading for you...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_beer

 

[vtbeerman]

S-23 at ~68 degrees is great. For some reason when that yeast is fermented at regular lager temps it makes a fruity, disgusting mess. I made a lager at 68 and it was really clean and delicious.

 

[android]

S-23 at ~68 degrees is great. For some reason when that yeast is fermented at regular lager temps it makes a fruity, disgusting mess. I made a lager at 68 and it was really clean and delicious.

did you just use one pack or did you dump two in it?

 

[danculwell]

I would also like to know how much you pitched. I'll be making a 2.5gal batch when I do (this will be 2 or 3 beers down the road) and I'll probably pitch a whole packet. I assume that would be plenty.

 

[Saccharomyces]

S-23 should be fine. It's a good yeast for warm ferments and should produce the steam beer type effect you are looking for.

WLP515, the DeKoninck yeast, I am pretty sure is a lager yeast fermented at ale temps... it seems to bottom ferment, produces a tiny krausen, and kicks off lots of sulfur just like many lager strains. At 68*F it is mostly clean but a little spicy, has a great character without all the crazy phenolics a lot of Belgians produce. If you can find it, I would recommend you give it a try, I love that yeast.