Steam beer

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Surfman

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i am doing my 1st steam style beer. my local supply shop is ordering me a california lager yeast, not sure of the strand yet. should i ferment at my usual temps i ferment my ales at (65-70)?? from what i have read this is what to do for a steam beer but any tips would be appreciated.
 
that's my understanding of it. a steam beer is just a lager yeast brewed at ale temps.
I'd try to keep it under 70F for sure.
 
Definitely try to keep it about 68 degrees. It'll ferment out just like an ale, you can turn it around after 3 weeks.
 
I've got some going right now and with white labs 810 (san francisco lager). It's been at 60 degrees for 2.5 weeks and still going pretty steady. The max temp recommended for that strain is 65.

Looks like it can go higher-not sure what mine will end up like-but it seems like it has taken a while
 
call me a noob for asking but what does using lager yeast as opposed to ale yeast bring to the final product??
 
Surfman said:
call me a noob for asking but what does using lager yeast as opposed to ale yeast bring to the final product??

Lager yeasts typically make a crisper beer, and usually add very little flavor. Ale yeasts typically have more esters and other flavors (that's the readers digest version of it). Lager yeasts ferment slow and cold, ale yeasts ferment faster and warmer.
 
Surfman said:
call me a noob for asking but what does using lager yeast as opposed to ale yeast bring to the final product??

"Steam Beer uses bottom fermenting lager yeasts at ale temperatures, which results in a very distinctive flavor profile that includes both ale and lager characteristics."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_beer
 
Professor Frink said:
Lager yeasts typically make a crisper beer, and usually add very little flavor. Ale yeasts typically have more esters and other flavors (that's the readers digest version of it). Lager yeasts ferment slow and cold, ale yeasts ferment faster and warmer.



but do using lager yeast at higher temps add something unique to a steam beer since they're not fermenting at their normal temps, like esters, or do they still leave a cleaner flavor??
 
Professor Frink said:
You really don't have to, since the yeast doesn't have to be lagered.


I agree, I have a steam beer that have I brew repeatedly over the past years. each time I do some thing different I brew this beer because i know exactly what it has tasted like in the past. By far the most notable change in the flavor of this beer came when I set up my temperature control cabinet. You can brew a steam beer at 70 buy if you do it between 64-68ºF it will be Much much better. and like the good professor said, you can condition it at warmer temps
 
Surfman said:
but do using lager yeast at higher temps add something unique to a steam beer since they're not fermenting at their normal temps, like esters, or do they still leave a cleaner flavor??

The Cali Lager yeast is kind of in it's own category, hybrid ale/lager, in that it will give a crisp flavor like a lager, but also has some flavors of an ale. If you fermented a normal lager yeast at ale temp, you'd develop some sulfur flavors.
 
I brew mine at about 60° F. It is still "warm" for a lager yeast but you still get some ale like characteristics and some lager character. I have used Wyeast's strain so far. You do not need to lager it, but you should leave it for a while. Lager strains are still slower acting. I leave mine in primary at that temp (maybe a little cooler at the last week or so, say 56-58° F) for a month.
 
Just opened my first bottle from a 12/12 brew day. It's good.
The first time I used Nottingham yeast because my basement was around 68-70, this time my basement was at 64 so I used san francisco lagar yeast from white labs. it was slow to ferment, 36-40 hours, but it picked up soon. This version of the beer is clearer and lighter than with the danstar nottingham yeast. I think it will be great with one more week in the bottle.
 
Surfman said:
call me a noob for asking but what does using lager yeast as opposed to ale yeast bring to the final product??


Crisp & Clean flavors. The yeast is more tolerant of large temp swings. Especially at the low end. This was done at Anchor Steam Brewing in San Francisco before refridgeration came to the west coast.

Check out this thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=509058#post509058

Superior lager yeast is excellent for this style. Its very forgiving!! Works great from 48-65F It'll go up to 70F with no problem too.
 
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