Versatile yeast blend for psedou-lager.

[Jesse93]

Like many home brewers, I don't have the option to ferment by beer at colder temperature than my basement. This will make it hard (read: impossible) to brew a pale lager for example.

I'm concidering to blend 3 different yeasts. The goal is to make sure that the beer always will have a healthy fermention and handle temperature variations that naturally will occour in the basement.

The blend will be 3 equal parts of the following yeasts:
1. Kölsch (Wyeast 2565) - Well known yeast for having a lager like character. Ferments from 13-21 celcius.
2. Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast - Fermentation below 12 celcius makes a good psedou lager.
3. Danish Lager (Wyeast 2042) - An actual lager yeast. In case if the temperature gets really low... like, in the winters.

Any feedback on what I can expect from this?

 

[chickypad]

One problem with yeast blends is that there is drift over generations, so you may start with an even mix but that is not what you will end with. Michael Tonsmeire had article in BYO this year that noted at one brewery a white labs blend of 50/50 had drifted to an 85/15 mix over 4 batches. I also think you want to match yeasts that have similar ideal temps, I would be worried about fermenting the lager yeast or notty too hot for example and getting off flavors. Seems to me you might be better off keeping all 3 then pitch the best one according to season/temps that week.