Favorite Lager Yeast

[oldschool]

I know this has been posted times over but never hurts to bring the topic up again.

I have been making trials of different lager yeasts for the past year looking for some that I like. Of course I didn’t try them all. I think I brewed with:

Lallemand Diamond- it was a no go

Fermentis 34/70- fine but wasn’t particularly impressed with the flavor. Maybe it had to do with yeast health being dry and pitching cold? I always have good experiences with their alw strains.

OYL106- I tried this over and over and just decided I didn’t like the flavor profile. I like how fast it reduced diacetyl and how dry it is. Didn’t like that it’s powdery.

OYL114- (Augustiner?) Not sure it’s actually from thw beloved brewery but who knows. It is very banana forward. I even fermented on the low end of temp and of course always pitch what I think is the correct amount. This was a no go because of the banana 3 times in a row.

Wy2124- ferments fairly fast like the 106, is dry, reduces diacetyl quickly but didn’t like the flavor and that it doesn’t drop out quickly.

Wy2007- It’s an old reliable, a local larger brewery uses it and it tastes fine at the warm temps where they ferment it. It floccs well, and tastes bright and crisp.

Wy2206- This was my personal favorite of the listed strains. I love this strain and I think the descriptions are silly saying it’s “malty.” Yeast don’t make malty flavors
The yeast ferments out dry with a clean richness that I think blends very well with german hops. Flocs out well, takes a few more days to ferment AND reduce diacetyl than the 2124 or the OYL106 but the flavor makes up for it. Also ferments. bit slower, even on the 3rd repitch.

I have fermented it cold (46f) and warm (54f) and now settle on the middle.

I don’t really raise the temp much like a lot of people talk about. I just hold fermentation temp and maybe raise 2c towards the end. Fermentation is in primary and no more than 12c for 3 weeks then 3 weeks cold off the bulk yeast.

What are your thoughts? I don’t see a lot of interest in 2206 out there. Maybe because the Czech style has so much interest? I see a lot of folks talking up the 2308 but haven’t tried that one. I was always scared away because of the lesser advertised attenuation.

Anyway let us know what you like and for what styles. I’m mostly brewing German Pils and Helles Export.
Yum savory lager

 

[Beer666]

I have tried a fair few liquid yeasts but in the end mainly use dry. I like MJ Bohemian a lot. Regarding attenuation i mash low at 62c and get the same 90% with whatever i have tried. Mainly making 4 to 4.5% adjunct lagers although 100% pilsner performs the same. I did like the wyeast czech lager and the mexican but i dont like making starters much so i pitch a good few packs and reuse the slurry.

 

[CrashKapowee]

Curious, what was your experience with the Lallemand Diamond yeast? I've used it for my last few lagers and have been impressed with the results. WLP830 is also a go-to for me.

 

[TheMadKing]

WLP833 Bock Lager is by far my favorite. It produce a full bright malt profile that bready and delicious while preserving clean hop flavor. It has never thrown esters on me and doesn't produce much sulfur either

 

[Brooothru]

WLP833 Bock Lager is by far my favorite. It produce a full bright malt profile that bready and delicious while preserving clean hop flavor. It has never thrown esters on me and doesn't produce much sulfur either

I really like WLP-833 as well, but also 835x (Andechs) and 860. Also brewed 1st time with -800 for a Czech Pilsner last spring and won a Best of Show with it, so I guess it’s a “winner.”

The WLP-800 was a strong fermenter (finished quickly and dropped clear). No diacetyl, no sulphur.

 

[TheMadKing]

I really like WLP-833 as well, but also 835x (Andechs) and 860. Also brewed 1st time with -800 for a Czech Pilsner last spring and won a Best of Show with it, so I guess it’s a “winner.”

The WLP-800 was a strong fermenter (finished quickly and dropped clear). No diacetyl, no sulphur.

I'm about to use 800 for the first time next week in a German Pils

 

[Brooothru]

I'm about to use 800 for the first time next week in a German Pils

I think you’ll like it. I pitched an active 2L starter which took a little longer to start than I’d anticipated (pitched at 48F after 4 minute O2 @ 4L/min flow). Started seeing activity around 12 hours later with temperature @ 50F.

At approximately 7 days the SG was within 5 pts. of terminal gravity (fast ferment test), so I capped and spunded for 12 psig and started free-rising the temperature ~2F/day up to 65F. After 7 more days, the SG was stable at the predicted FG, the beer was carbonated, and was already quite clear. A cold crash to 38F took care of whatever cloudiness hadn’t flocced.

Very drinkable after a brief couple of weeks lagering, but kept getting better over the next two months. Still tasting good, now 9 months later. I’ll be using this process again in the future for German Pils and Helles, with the appropriate ingredient adjustments. The WLP-800 should work great for any of them.

 

[Jack Arandir]

I did several A-B tests and here's what I found:

W34/70 vs WY2308 Munich Lager in a Munich Helles:
OG 1.046
FG 1.011 (34/70), 1.012 (WY2308)
34/70: Cleaner, crisper, drier, "emptier", less full-bodied. Dry finish.
2308: Maltier, sweeter, thicker mouthfeel, hint of sulfur that faded with time. Took longer to start and longer to clear.
Winner: 2308 by a slight margin, mainly for the bigger body. I also liked the hint of sulfur. But they were very similar. Some friends preferred the 34/70.

WY2278 Czech Pils vs WLP838 South German Lager in a Czech Pale Lager:
OG 1.042
FG 1.010/1.010
2278: Creamier, earthy, complex, slight coarseness. Lemony floral aroma. Bready yeasty flavors. Closer to Pilsner Urquell. Hazy.
838: Maltier, cleaner, cracker flavors. Maltier aroma. Similar dryness. Crystal clear.
Winner: I liked 838 because I don't like ester or yeast flavors. However, 2278 is much closer to style.

WY2308 Munich Lager vs WLP860 Augustiner strain in a Munich Helles:
OG 1.043
FG 1.010 (2308), 1.007 (860)
This one is lagering/carbonating now, but I can comment from initial taste tests.
860 ripped through the ferment and dried out significantly (pitched at 52F, primary 50-51F). It left the beer thin and watery with a grainy flavor. Note: I gave it a hefty pitch and a highly fermentable wort (3 step, single decoction, 4 hour mash).
2308 was more what I expected: malty, sweet, clean, hint of sulfur. Will see how both turn out.

Other lager yeast experiments:
WY2308: Malty, slightly lower attenuation, lets the malt shine. My go-to lager strain for Helles, festbier, maibock, märzen, doppelbock. Anything malt-centric where you don't mind it masking the hops.
W34/70: A workhorse, reliable, forgiving. No wow factor. My go-to for a hoppy pils for its cleanness and dry finish. Also works great on a hoppy festbier.
WLP800: Leaves a distinctly yeasty creamy flavor characteristic of Pilsner Urquell. I didn't like it in my Czech amber. But my buddy loves it.
WY2278: Made a fantastic Czech Dark Lager, but it needed time to develop the flavors.

 

[oldschool]

Curious, what was your experience with the Lallemand Diamond yeast? I've used it for my last few lagers and have been impressed with the results. WLP830 is also a go-to for me.

The final beer was an absolute bomb if acetaldehyde. I imagine that it was because of something I did which caused this. But in the end decided I didn’t want to pursue it until the beer worked. I should honestly give it another shot.

 

[dmtaylor]

The final beer was an absolute bomb if acetaldehyde. I imagine that it was because of something I did which caused this. But in the end decided I didn’t want to pursue it until the beer worked. I should honestly give it another shot.

That's unusual. You really do need to give it another chance.

My favorites are Diamond and S-189 in dried yeast, 2206 and WLP833 in liquid.

 

[Dog House Brew]

2206 and 2001
I don’t brew a lot of lagers. I’m trying several dry lager yeasts on a batch that is coming up.

 

[505-Brewer]

WY2206 all the way. Have a Baltic Porter going now with it. Down to 1.048 from 1.090 in 3 days at 48 degrees F. Will raise the temp a few degrees in a day or two. Don't brew lagers that often but when I do, I use this yeast. Clean reliable tasty. I have enough various ale and Saison specific strains being juggled so just one lager strain suits me well. Cheers!

 

[AlexKay]

I think 34/70 is perfect when I want the yeast to get out of the way: Doppelbock, Baltic Porter, rauchbier, IPL. It’s missing something for more nuanced beers like Helles. Lord knows it’s easy to use, though…

 

[mrcastellino]

I’ve enjoyed WLP833, WY2206, and WLP835 for malt forward lagers (helles, marzen, dunkel etc.). Overall they re very versatile and produce high quality lagers. Ive never had a side by side comparison so I cant comment if I preferred one over the other but the differences would be subtle at best. There are some yeast performance differences such as WY2206 floccs much better than wlp833 but that point becomes moot if you are willing to do a proper lager period.

I like WLP830 and mexican lager strains for crisp, pils style beers but think it creates too thin of a beer for a helles and the likes.

I have WLP800 going right now for the first time. First gen was in a czech premium pale lager and 2nd gen is in a pre-prohibition lager that is fermenting as we speak. First impressions after sampling the czech lager right after fermentation was very positive. Fairly dry but with a soft, rounded malt character. I did not find this yeast to be particularly aggressive both at the start and finish of fermentation though. Even when making a starter. This seems to line up with many others experiences as well.

 

[Christoff]

What are people’s experiences with omega’s 113 and s-23. I’m deciding between those for a Mexican lager. Half the batch will be pepper lime in secondary

 

[mrcastellino]

Ive used Omega 113 in a mexican/international pale lager. It did well and was as described (crisp and clean).

 

[Steveruch]

I usually use S-189 or W34/70, but used Cellar Science German later yeast in my latest batch with good results.

 

[Panderson1]

Has anyone used mangrove jacks bavarian lagar yeast? I just pitched that yesterday. It was the only yeast I could get on amazon shipped in time for my brew day lol. We'll see how it turns out.

Also ^ surprised S-189 took so long to get brought up.

 

[mrcastellino]

I just used WLP802 for the first time and also for the first time got diacetyl from a lager. Can’t believe it. On paper this would have been the last fermentation I expected to be at risk for D. It was a very vigorous fermentation, pitched big and cold (46F) with 48 hour rise to 50 and reached terminal gravity in 4.6 days. Never got D with this fermentation approach until now. Whats odd is that white labs advertises this strain as a low D producer. As a result i let my guard down assuming there was no chance it was a risk. Still deciding if i let it ride since its a czech amber and some D is ‘allowed’ or if I krausen in it to clean it up (but at the expense of the intended recipe).
Anyway just throwin it out there for others. I plan to use the strain again but im going to either need ALDC or do a real diacetyl rest.

 

[Jack Arandir]

I did a A-B comparison of WY2308 Munich Lager and WLP860 Munich Helles Lager (Augustiner). The 2308 had noticeable amounts of diacetyl, even after a rigorous diacetyl rest. The Augustiner had none at all.

 

[mrcastellino]

I did a A-B comparison of WY2308 Munich Lager and WLP860 Munich Helles Lager (Augustiner). The 2308 had noticeable amounts of diacetyl, even after a rigorous diacetyl rest. The Augustiner had none at all.

Yea it just goes to show how much the strain of yeast matters. I have not used WY2308 but ill keep that in mind if I use it in future brews. I thought most german strains were low D producers but i guess its all relative.

 

[wepeeler]

I'm using WLP833 for the first time this Friday. Can't wait!

Had the best luck with Diamond Lager and Wyeast 2124 so far.

 

[mrcastellino]

I'm using WLP833 for the first time this Friday. Can't wait!

Had the best luck with Diamond Lager and Wyeast 2124 so far.

I think you will love WLP833, especially if it is a malt forward style. One of my favorite strains for sure.

 

[Beermeister32]

WLP833 is my favorite.

 

[BrewMan13]

Wyeast 2206. When I used it in my marzen, I absolutely loved it and use it in nearly all of my lagers now.

 

[rtstrider]

My favorites are Omega Bayern and WLP940 Mexican Lager. I've never pulled banana from the Bayern. However, I've experienced that when I was a new lager brewer way back when. The 2 causes for that I ran into was pitch rate and fermentation time. Bayern works great in continental styles. If you're looking for a yeast that's not even there then WLP940 is it. It's literally ferment and get the heck out of the way. Supposedly Cellar Science Baja is the dry form of this strain. I actually have some on hand that I'm saving for a Cerveza that should be ready on Cinco De Mayo. WLP940 works extremely well on domestic lager styles. Way too well as a matter of fact!

 

[wepeeler]

I think you will love WLP833, especially if it is a malt forward style. One of my favorite strains for sure.

Well, I'm using it for a Pilsner, but I'm going to mash low and long. Probably 146-148ish for 90 min.

 

[rtstrider]

I just used WLP802 for the first time and also for the first time got diacetyl from a lager. Can’t believe it. On paper this would have been the last fermentation I expected to be at risk for D. It was a very vigorous fermentation, pitched big and cold (46F) with 48 hour rise to 50 and reached terminal gravity in 4.6 days. Never got D with this fermentation approach until now. Whats odd is that white labs advertises this strain as a low D producer. As a result i let my guard down assuming there was no chance it was a risk. Still deciding if i let it ride since its a czech amber and some D is ‘allowed’ or if I krausen in it to clean it up (but at the expense of the intended recipe).
Anyway just throwin it out there for others. I plan to use the strain again but im going to either need ALDC or do a real diacetyl rest.

I had the same exact experience with WLP802 in a Pilsner/Saaz smash. I believe that to be a characteristic of the yeast strain.

 

[beersk]

What are people’s experiences with omega’s 113 and s-23. I’m deciding between those for a Mexican lager. Half the batch will be pepper lime in secondary

I used Omega 113 on a string of beers recently. Ferments crisp and dry and clears up really fast. I liked it, but did not care for it in the Helles I made. It made a great light and dark international lager as well as a fantastic schwarzbier.

I have some Wyeast 2007 Pilsen going now in a kellerbier, that will subsequently be used for a dortmunder, dark international lager, vienna lager, and a black IPA. That yeast, to me, is Wyeast's version of a Mexican lager yeast. They don't have one named that specifically and the parameters all pretty much match other Mexi lager yeasts. I've used it once before and it performed similarly to OYL-113.

Other favorite lager yeasts, mainly wyeast 2206; it's just a great yeast. 34/70 is my go-to for dry yeast/convenience.
I've had bad sulfur issues with both S-189, Cellar Science German lager, and Diamond lager. All of those beers took at least 48 hours to get going, and I had to end up pitching more yeast each time, I think. So it's probably not the yeast strain's problem itself, more user error perhaps. But never once had that issue with 34/70. I can use 34/70 for nearly everything that isn't a Belgian or Hefeweizen and be pretty happy with the results. IF I had to choose one yeast though...obviously it's not going to produce GREAT beers for every style.

 

[Christoff]

I used Omega 113 on a string of beers recently. Ferments crisp and dry and clears up really fast. I liked it, but did not care for it in the Helles I made. It made a great light and dark international lager as well as a fantastic schwarzbier.

What in the Helles didn't work? There is osmething I am trying to figure out with my batch that is lagering and I can't tell if its the citra hops or something else. My palate is still refining its self to all the nuances and profiles.

 

[beersk]

Well, now that I think of it, it might not have been the yeast's fault. I think I make the water a little bit too soft and the grain bill wasn't what I normally like to use - it was 90% Best Malz Pils and 10% Briess Bonlander Munich - which the yeast is so clean and crisp that the Bonlander munich's breadiness came through a little more than I like. Normally I like to do about 95/5 or thereabouts Pils/Carahell. I don't know, the beer is good, just not normally what I like in a helles.
But I guess I'd try doing a helles again with OYL-113. The yeast itself is clean, crisp, floccs out super fast.

 

[Red over White]

I used Omega 113 on a string of beers recently. Ferments crisp and dry and clears up really fast. I liked it, but did not care for it in the Helles I made. It made a great light and dark international lager as well as a fantastic schwarzbier.

I have some Wyeast 2007 Pilsen going now in a kellerbier, that will subsequently be used for a dortmunder, dark international lager, vienna lager, and a black IPA. That yeast, to me, is Wyeast's version of a Mexican lager yeast. They don't have one named that specifically and the parameters all pretty much match other Mexi lager yeasts. I've used it once before and it performed similarly to OYL-113.

Other favorite lager yeasts, mainly wyeast 2206; it's just a great yeast. 34/70 is my go-to for dry yeast/convenience.
I've had bad sulfur issues with both S-189, Cellar Science German lager, and Diamond lager. All of those beers took at least 48 hours to get going, and I had to end up pitching more yeast each time, I think. So it's probably not the yeast strain's problem itself, more user error perhaps. But never once had that issue with 34/70. I can use 34/70 for nearly everything that isn't a Belgian or Hefeweizen and be pretty happy with the results. IF I had to choose one yeast though...obviously it's not going to produce GREAT beers for every style.

I have had S189, 34/70 and Diamond kick out sulfur. It's said oxygen levels, pH or pitch rate will increase the sulfur output (even though it is natural o2 protection for lagering). I think I had less viable yeast in my situations, even though they were well within their expiration date. That rabbit hole lead me to make vitality starters and allow growth without setting head pressure at pitch and the problem went away. Sometimes it is the yeast we receive. I have only ever had 1 truly dead pack of dry yeast. Anyway just some of my experience.

 

[beersk]

I have had S189, 34/70 and Diamond kick out sulfur. It's said oxygen levels, pH or pitch rate will increase the sulfur output (even though it is natural o2 protection for lagering). I think I had less viable yeast in my situations, even though they were well within their expiration date. That rabbit hole lead me to make vitality starters and allow growth without setting head pressure at pitch and the problem went away. Sometimes it is the yeast we receive. I have only ever had 1 truly dead pack of dry yeast. Anyway just some of my experience.

Thanks for sharing. I'm thinking it was my pitch rate for sure. In any case, it's pretty frustrating because it's the kind of sulfur that does not go away and ruins the beer in my experience.

 

[oldschool]

I just used WLP802 for the first time and also for the first time got diacetyl from a lager. Can’t believe it. On paper this would have been the last fermentation I expected to be at risk for D. It was a very vigorous fermentation, pitched big and cold (46F) with 48 hour rise to 50 and reached terminal gravity in 4.6 days. Never got D with this fermentation approach until now. Whats odd is that white labs advertises this strain as a low D producer. As a result i let my guard down assuming there was no chance it was a risk. Still deciding if i let it ride since its a czech amber and some D is ‘allowed’ or if I krausen in it to clean it up (but at the expense of the intended recipe).
Anyway just throwin it out there for others. I plan to use the strain again but im going to either need ALDC or do a real diacetyl rest.

I also got bit once and now I always do a force check before cooling. I used to think that pitch temperature and amount would let me make a quick lager (since the books publish this) but in my case it wasn’t much help to pitch at 7c Vs pitching at 10c.

 

[Steveruch]

I recently did an amber lager with cellar science German that came out good.

 

[mrcastellino]

If you havent tried this strain yet, I highly recommend it while its available from the vault. Btw, good riddance to the old white labs packaging. Much easier with the twist off cap!