Lagers at ale temps

[Dougie63]

I was looking at the NB john Q Adams Marblehead Lager kit from Northern Brewer that is supposed to be able to be fermented at ale temps. ANyone have any experience with this type of brewing? I dont have any refrigeration equipment but a cooler that would not have a problem of keeping the temp to 68 deg. Would I still have to do a dyacetyl rest?

 

[Yooper]

I was looking at the NB john Q Adams Marblehead Lager kit from Northern Brewer that is supposed to be able to be fermented at ale temps. ANyone have any experience with this type of brewing? I dont have any refrigeration equipment but a cooler that would not have a problem of keeping the temp to 68 deg. Would I still have to do a dyacetyl rest?

I wouldn't use lager yeast if you're planning at fermenting at 68 degrees. Sixty eight degrees is even on the higher side for ale fermentation, so if you could keep it in the low 60s that would be better.

I'd get a clean well attenuating ale yeast that is pretty clean at 68- maybe S05 for dry, WLP001 for liquid. Make a big starter with the liquid yeast, so that you don't get stressed yeast that will lead to some fruity flavors out of place in a lager-like beer.

If you can ferment closer to the high 50s, low 60s, you could try a kolsch strain or dry nottingham yeast, to get you more of a lager-like finish.

 

[Dougie63]

I wouldn't use lager yeast if you're planning at fermenting at 68 degrees. Sixty eight degrees is even on the higher side for ale fermentation, so if you could keep it in the low 60s that would be better.

I'd get a clean well attenuating ale yeast that is pretty clean at 68- maybe S05 for dry, WLP001 for liquid. Make a big starter with the liquid yeast, so that you don't get stressed yeast that will lead to some fruity flavors out of place in a lager-like beer.

If you can ferment closer to the high 50s, low 60s, you could try a kolsch strain or dry nottingham yeast, to get you more of a lager-like finish.

So their instructions and descriptions are wrong??
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/allgrain/AG-JohnQAdams.pdf

 

[Yooper]

So their instructions and descriptions are wrong??
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/allgrain/AG-JohnQAdams.pdf

Not wrong, but my experiences with California lager yeast is that it's VERY fruity over about 64 degrees. You'd be better off with a clean ale strain, or ferment it much cooler. It'll "work" at warmer temperatures but I don't really care for the results.

From Wyeast's website:
This strain is particularly well suited for producing 19th century-style West Coast beers with woody/minty hop flavor. It retains lager characteristics at temperatures up to 65°F (18°C) and produces malty, brilliantly clear beers. This strain is not recommended for cold temperature fermentation.

Origin:
Flocculation: high
Attenuation: 67-71%
Temperature Range: 58-68° F (14-20° C)

 

[BradleyBrew]

I agree the cali lager yeast is a really good yeast but can get fruity... it does clear very well once conditioned in the bottle so it does have a very nice lager appearance.