Favorite Lager Yeast

[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!

 

[ExpatPete]

I would appreciate some input on the best lager yeast for my next brew. I am brewing a German Pilsner recipe tomorrow that I picked up from Homebrew Talk, the "Cat's Tits" Pilsner:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/cats-bitburger-premium-pilsner.100625/
If you don't care to open that thread, here are the primary ingredients:
9lb 8oz Weyermann Pilsner Malt
4oz Carapils Malt
4oz Weyermann Munich I Malt
0.5oz Magnum (60 min.)
0.5oz Perle (10 min.)
0.25oz Hallertauer (10 min.)
0.25oz Tettnang

I am going with the recipe from the initial post in 2009 but am changing from W-34/70 to a more traditional lager yeast since I have the equipment to cold ferment. In reading all of the posts in this thread and others I am leaning to WLP 830, WLP 833 or WLP 800.

What are your thoughts for the most appropriate lager yeast for this recipe?? Thanks in advance!

 

[rtstrider]

I would appreciate some input on the best lager yeast for my next brew. I am brewing a German Pilsner recipe tomorrow that I picked up from Homebrew Talk, the "Cat's Tits" Pilsner:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/cats-bitburger-premium-pilsner.100625/
If you don't care to open that thread, here are the primary ingredients:
9lb 8oz Weyermann Pilsner Malt
4oz Carapils Malt
4oz Weyermann Munich I Malt
0.5oz Magnum (60 min.)
0.5oz Perle (10 min.)
0.25oz Hallertauer (10 min.)
0.25oz Tettnang

I am going with the recipe from the initial post in 2009 but am changing from W-34/70 to a more traditional lager yeast since I have the equipment to cold ferment. In reading all of the posts in this thread and others I am leaning to WLP 830, WLP 833 or WLP 800.

What are your thoughts for the most appropriate lager yeast for this recipe?? Thanks in advance!

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

 

[Broothru]

WLP 830 is the Weihenstephaner 34/70 strain, so it would be appropriate. 833 Bock would also be very good, as would 800. One of my current favorites would be WLP835x (Andechs) or 860 (Augustiner) though both of them are hard to find.

If it comes down between 830 and 833, I’d go with 833 because it ferments strong and fast, and drops clear quickly. That said, 830 is a solid performer and very easy to work with. All of them will work well with your recipe.

Prost!

 

[rtstrider]

WLP 830 is the Weihenstephaner 34/70 strain, so it would be appropriate. 833 Bock would also be very good, as would 800. One of my current favorites would be WLP835x (Andechs) or 860 (Augustiner) though both of them are hard to find.

If it comes down between 830 and 833, I’d go with 833 because it ferments strong and fast, and drops clear quickly. That said, 830 is a solid performer and very easy to work with. All of them will work well with your recipe.

Prost!

wlp860 can be found via Imperial Harvest or Omega Bayern. I can second Broothru here! Omega Bayern (Augustiner) is darn good! I have a keg conditioning with wlp835 at the moment so can't really comment yet there.

 

[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 !

 

[Broothru]

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.