Favorite Lager Yeast

[cubalz]

W34/70 is my house strain. A real workhorse!

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Diamond Lager Yeast. Our favorite. Produced in Austria.

 

[ExpatPete]

Thanks all for the information. I finished the brew yesterday and went with W-34/70 for a couple of reasons.

First it was the recommended yeast in the original Cat's Tits recipe. As I do with cooking, I tend to follow a recipe exactly for the first try and then start to modify it. Also, I keep hearing so many good things about W34-70 that I wanted to give it a try.

I will post an update after lagering. Thanks again!!

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Thanks all for the information. I finished the brew yesterday and went with W-34/70 for a couple of reasons.

First it was the recommended yeast in the original Cat's Tits recipe. As I do with cooking, I tend to follow a recipe exactly for the first try and then start to modify it. Also, I keep hearing so many good things about W34-70 that I wanted to give it a try.

I will post an update after lagering. Thanks again!!

Yes, W-34/70 is a good yeast. But next time give Diamond Lager a try. It is way better!

 

[ExpatPete]

Yes, W-34/70 is a good yeast. But next time give Diamond Lager a try. It is way better!

Thank you I will definitely try Diamond Lager next brew. I am partial to Pilsners, I have a Czech Bohemian Pilsner brewed with S-23 on it's 4th week of lagering, and now the German Pils fermenting with W-34/70. Next batch I will use Diamond Lager yeast. I may even do a split batch and compare side by side.

 

[ExpatPete]

Wow! I see what you mean about W34-70! 24 hours into fermentation at 54F and it is rocking!

 

[ExpatPete]

I've brewed that recipe a few times. Actually just finished off a keg of that a few weeks ago. I will say that my favorite has been w34/70 fermented anywhere from 60F to 66F

Hey another question for you since you have brewed this recipe with the yeast I am using W-34/70. About how long did you leave it in fermentation before lagering and did you do a diacetly rest?

My last brew a Czech Pilsner I left in fermentation for three weeks. I am doing my initial fermentation at normal pilsner fermentation temp, 54F. As i noted in my photo, is is really fermenting strongly. I plan to raise it to 66F for a diacetyl rest near the end of fermentation.

Currently I do not have any convenient way to check SG without popping the whole lid off the fermentation bucket, and I don't want to do that for risk of oxygen ingression. I need to buy a refractometer or tilt meter so I can more easily take SG reading with out popping the whole lid. Thanks!

 

[mrcastellino]

If you have a healthy fermentation, around day 7 should be a good target to raise for a D rest.

 

[rtstrider]

Finally tapped the wlp835 keg. The clarity isn't bad but could be better. Flavor wise I could see where this would work extremely well in a darker lager. Going to brew a marzen in a month or two and let it lager till October Thanks again for the yeast @SanPancho !

 

[Brooothru]

Good looking beer. Clarity looks quite good, but a hit of Biofine would ‘polish’ it to brilliance. Letting it hang out in sub-38F temps for 4~5 weeks will do miracles as well.

 

[mrcastellino]

Got a new one to try (at least for me). This will be pitched in a pils. Im assuming this is Carlsberg’s yeast (Copenhagen). Equivalent to WLP850? Anyone have any experience with it? Not much out there from a review standpoint.

 

[rtstrider]

View attachment 818869
Got a new one to try (at least for me). This will be pitched in a pils. Im assuming this is Carlsberg’s yeast (Copenhagen). Equivalent to WLP850? Anyone have any experience with it? Not much out there from a review standpoint.

Actually I just used wlp850 a few weeks ago! Fermented at 50f the first 7 days then stepped up to 60f and let that ride for 7 days. It's currently lagering in the keg now. Loved the sample so much I'm rebrewing the same exact beer next weekend so it'll be ready for the 4th of July!

Edit: I brewed my take on the old Sierra Nevada Summerfest recipe (pre covid) with it

 

[rmr9]

Actually I just used wlp850 a few weeks ago! Fermented at 50f the first 7 days then stepped up to 60f and let that ride for 7 days. It's currently lagering in the keg now. Loved the sample so much I'm rebrewing the same exact beer next weekend so it'll be ready for the 4th of July!

Edit: I brewed my take on the old Sierra Nevada Summerfest recipe (pre covid) with it

Care to share the summerfest recipe?

 

[rtstrider]

Care to share the summerfest recipe?

Title: Summerfest Clone

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: German Pils
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 6.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.046
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

Hop Utilization Multiplier: 1

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 5.1%
IBU (tinseth): 29.7
SRM (morey): 3.75

FERMENTABLES:
10.25 lb - Rahr Premium Pilsner (95.3%)
0.5 lb - BEST Munich (4.7%)

HOPS:
0.86 oz - Perle, Type: Pellet, AA: 5.9, Use: First Wort, IBU: 19.9
0.04 oz - Perle, Type: Pellet, AA: 7.2, Use: First Wort, IBU: 1.13
0.5 oz - Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.1, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 3.63
0.5 oz - Spalt, Type: Pellet, AA: 5.7, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 5.04

YEAST:
White Labs - Copenhagen Lager Yeast WLP850

Mash

 

[Dog House Brew]

Planning my 20g lager batch for Wed. Last shot before things warm up. My basement is sitting around 55. Going to be called close enough. Time to find what dry I like.

 

[wetmk]

I like 34/70. Never tried Diamond Lager. The last two lagers I brewed were marzens with WLP835X... wonderful beers. It'll take some time for me to decide to use a different strain. Only about a gallon left and none in primary or lagering. Sad. Double batch next time for sure.