Favorite Lager Yeast

[discokid2k]

I've made many beers in my home brewing life and I could literally talk about yeast all day long. There are so many varieties and I feel like I'm getting a new toy when I buy a new strain. My question is this: what is YOUR favorite lager strain and why?

I'm looking to make a clone of the Victory Pils. The IBU's are pretty high, 51 which I love. I've tried a few different styles when dabbling with IPL's and lagers. I am a fan of 830 for my straightforward lagers, 2112 for any cross overs that I want to be clean, 838 for a slightly softer brew. I haven't tried Wyeast Danish lager, which supposedly accentuates the hop flavors ever so slightly.

The reason I throw in all the extra info is most lager strains I've encountered left the beer a little too malty even after being assualted by hops. So which strains do you like and why?

 

[schematix]

My favorite lager yeast is 835. Second favorite is 2124.

I like the 835 for just about all its characteristics and i think is a suitable 'house' strain. Same for 2124. To me 2124 just doesn't have as much character.

I've also tried 830, 833, 838, and 940 from WL and 2124, 2308, 2035, 2042 and 2633 from Wyeast. The differences across all of them is subtle.

830 / 833 / 835 / 838 / 2124 / 2308 / 2633 - All very similar and IMHO would all work fine in any German style. All are clean. 838 is a little less attenuating

2035 / 2042 / 940 - Again very similar. I found these to end up on the dryer side though. Also tended to have a lemony flavor, but it's possible that was just the recipes.

 

[discokid2k]

Yeah I prefer a drier beer. I have tried many on that list that I didn't mention and I would agree the differences are negligible. I see more flavor variations with ale yeasts than I do with lagers. I recently made a few IPL's to try something different and each one was just too malty. I used 830 on them but I read a BYO article that suggested the danish 2042.

I had a much larger yeast bank at one point but I am starting from scratch. I don't need a whole fridge full of yeast again so any style I buy I want to love. All to save $7 over and over....��

 

[schematix]

I would suggest trying 835 when it becomes available again. It's drier but not TOO dry. I bought one very-expired pack a few months ago, built it up, and i've been on a lager brewing streak with it all fall.

 

[discokid2k]

Thats a big "when" it becomes available. I had Wyeast 2575 PC II a few years back and lost it when I lost my yeast stash. I emailed them and they said it would be available in 2016....2016 is almost over and it hasn't been produced yet as far as I know. I will definitely keep it in mind though. I was hoping some more beer junkies would be as interested to talk about yeast but so far it's just you and I.

 

[discokid2k]

That is a pretty awesome brewery you built yourself. Took most of the ideas on my brewery right out of my head!

 

[schematix]

Yah it turned out pretty good. Wish i had a little more space to work with but it gets the job done quite nicely. The spray wand for the "laundry" sink is fantastic.

 

[discokid2k]

The spray wand is my favorite part. I have a dish sink wand now after not having one for years. Those things are so damn handy and with a few tools/attachments, you can customize your brew days to get "hard to clean" items clean. My girlfriend would love if I built her one of those. She just doesn't know that yet....

 

[catdaddy66]

I have only used two types as I don't do many lagers. Those are S-189 (dry) and my favorite, wlp810 (San Francisco lager).

I will be using a Serbian yeast in my Czech pilsner that I have used in a variety of ales successfully. Got it from my lhbs when the owner's wife returned from Serbia last year.

 

[discokid2k]

Serbian yeast? I would be interested to try that.