Warm Fermented Lager Thread

[seatazzz]

Going to brew another batch tomorrow, this one will be a bit different since I'm low on base malt. I've got 6.5lbs of two row, 4lbs of pilsner, and will add a pound of light DME at 10 minutes to end of boil to make up for lack of grain. I know the grain I have should be fine, but the three I've done so far have been about 6.5% and I like it there. Need to get to a point where I've got this fermenting constantly because it's better every time. Will be the second use of the S-23 that did so well, I do like 34/70 but the S-23 did just fine.

 

[Beer666]

Brewed 13th June. Citra and el Dorado IPL. The fastest clearing lager (with the least cold crashing) i have made so far. Dry hopping did not seem to affect clarity what so ever. The latest one ended up fermenting in the mid twenties and got up to 27.3c last night at the end of fermentation. I was a bit worried to be honest and opened the fv to have a sample and possibly crop some yeast. There was no krausen left after 3 days and it had finished fermenting. No detectable off flavours. Extremely happy i can continue brewing lagers in the summer now.
The wyeast bohemian starter i have is still cloudy despite being in the fridge months yet the mj54 is crystal clear after a few days.

 

[Miraculix]

Brewed 13th June. Citra and el Dorado IPL. The fastest clearing lager (with the least cold crashing) i have made so far. Dry hopping did not seem to affect clarity what so ever. The latest one ended up fermenting in the mid twenties and got up to 27.3c last night at the end of fermentation. I was a bit worried to be honest and opened the fv to have a sample and possibly crop some yeast. There was no krausen left after 3 days and it had finished fermenting. No detectable off flavours. Extremely happy i can continue brewing lagers in the summer now.
The wyeast bohemian starter i have is still cloudy despite being in the fridge months yet the mj54 is crystal clear after a few days.
View attachment 578231

How strong is it?

 

[Beer666]

How strong is it?

5% 1048 to 1010.

 

[Miraculix]

5% 1048 to 1010.

Hahaha, I misread your IPL as "imperial pale lager"

This is why I was asking....

 

[Manufacturedevolution]

Brewed my house amber ale today and decided to pitch a 34/70 slurry to switch it up. I'm pretty confident it'll turn out well.

 

[iahebert]

I've been following this thread a bit, and have been VERY interested in a warm ferment lager. I finally bit the bullet and brewed one yesterday.

3 gallon batch,
90% Pils
10% vienna
1oz Tett @ Boil
.43oz Hallertau @ 10min (it's what i had in the freezer)
34/70

Cooled to 55 or so, pitched at 5pm last night, and let free rise to 66 in my fermentation fridge.

It looks like high Krausen already hit, the top of my carboy was a foamy mess. I'm excited to see the results. I've been scared to try a warm lager, but i'm feeling pretty good now. Will post updates as they come.

 

[ramjam]

did an export lager a few weeks ago used saflager 34/70 fermented at +\- 65 just started drinking it, turned out fantastic!

 

[seatazzz]

I've been following this thread a bit, and have been VERY interested in a warm ferment lager. I finally bit the bullet and brewed one yesterday.

3 gallon batch,
90% Pils
10% vienna
1oz Tett @ Boil
.43oz Hallertau @ 10min (it's what i had in the freezer)
34/70

Cooled to 55 or so, pitched at 5pm last night, and let free rise to 66 in my fermentation fridge.

It looks like high Krausen already hit, the top of my carboy was a foamy mess. I'm excited to see the results. I've been scared to try a warm lager, but i'm feeling pretty good now. Will post updates as they come.

You will be amazed, trust me. My first one used the same hops you've got and they give a great flavor. 34/70 is a beast and will do just fine at that temp. If you have the ability to cold crash it should drop out perfectly clear. Looking forward to hearing your results.

 

[z-bob]

I'm sure this has already been covered (I'm too lazy to read the whole thread again) but how important is the cold crashing step?
What if I pitch 34/70 kinda cool (low 60's), let it free-rise in my basement which is in the low 70's, then bottle in a couple of weeks when it seems done? Just like I might do with ale yeast.

 

[Manufacturedevolution]

I'm sure this has already been covered (I'm too lazy to read the whole thread again) but how important is the cold crashing step?
What if I pitch 34/70 kinda cool (low 60's), let it free-rise in my basement which is in the low 70's, then bottle in a couple of weeks when it seems done? Just like I might do with ale yeast.

That's what I have done. I cooled to ~64 and pitch. It ferments at the ambient temperature in my house which is ~72. The two I've tasted so far have had no off flavor or esters. Very clean. Surprisingly. The smaller beer went 2 weeks and the bigger one for 3. They have benefited from some lager time in the keg for sure. I don't cold crash.

 

[iahebert]

If you have the ability to cold crash it should drop out perfectly clear. Looking forward to hearing your results.

Infact I do! I'm cold crashing it now ~34 for the week, then bottle this weekend. It'll be nice to have something crisp for these hot freakin summer days we're having.

 

[SmokinBrews]

I brewed a schwarzbier (partial mash) this weekend. I used Munich malt, Vienna malt, crystal 120, black patent malt and DME. I used Perle and tettnang hops. Pitched with Saflager 34/70 at 66 degrees using my brew jacket fermentation controller to keep it at 66.

Nailed the mash temps and SG. Had very active fermentation at 12 hours and has been going steady since Friday. I am really excited about this. I plan on crashing and fining with gelatin in about 10 days or so. Will post back on my experience.

 

[ramjam]

i am planning on doing a mosaic pilsner this weekend and had a couple of packs of saflager s-23, i have never used this yeast before, does it do good at 65?

 

[Miraculix]

I brewed a schwarzbier (partial mash) this weekend. I used Munich malt, Vienna malt, crystal 120, black patent malt and DME. I used Perle and tettnang hops. Pitched with Saflager 34/70 at 66 degrees using my brew jacket fermentation controller to keep it at 66.

Nailed the mash temps and SG. Had very active fermentation at 12 hours and has been going steady since Friday. I am really excited about this. I plan on crashing and fining with gelatin in about 10 days or so. Will post back on my experience.

This will probably a good beer but a Schwarzbier usually doesn't contain any Crystal malts. As a rule of thumb you can say that basically no traditional German style contains any Crystal malt.

 

[Miraculix]

I'm sure this has already been covered (I'm too lazy to read the whole thread again) but how important is the cold crashing step?
What if I pitch 34/70 kinda cool (low 60's), let it free-rise in my basement which is in the low 70's, then bottle in a couple of weeks when it seems done? Just like I might do with ale yeast.

I think temperature swings are not desirable. Therefore I would pitch at fermentation temperature and try to keep it as stable as possible.

 

[seatazzz]

Just tapped my latest one. Grain bill standard two row & pilsner (80/20) but I kinda went weird with the hops. Bittered with 1oz Cascade and did a 30 minute addition of 1oz Chinook. Beer is beautiful, carbed up perfectly, smells great, but here's the weird part....the aftertaste is like quinine. Not overpowering, but it's not your run of the mill beer "bitterness" that we all know. It lingers for a while. I've got a pretty full pipeline at the moment so I'll let the husband taste it, then take it off tap for a few weeks to see if some extended lagering time will help it settle down. Weird.

I will say that since I found this thread and started brewing "warm" lagers, I've only had one turn out poopy and it was probably the yeast (fruity beyond belief, like someone dropped underripe strawberries in the beer) and I drank about 1/3 of that keg before I gave up on it. Next one I do next month will use some of the FREE pound of Crystal hops I got from Hops Direct, just because I ordered 4lbs last month. Big surprise in the mail yesterday, husband was all suspicious that I was buying brew stuff again until he saw the nice "thank you for ordering with us" card.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

fruity beyond belief, like someone dropped underripe strawberries in the beer

It's not a mistake, it's a New England Lager...

 

[seatazzz]

It's not a mistake, it's a New England Lager...

If I liked strawberries I would have saved it...but I don't. Yes I'm weird that way.

 

[seatazzz]

i am planning on doing a mosaic pilsner this weekend and had a couple of packs of saflager s-23, i have never used this yeast before, does it do good at 65?

I used S-23 in my last two (fresh the first time, slurry the second) and they both fermented clean although didn't get down below 1.020. I've got a weird bitter aftertaste in the second one, but it's pretty young yet and is going to get some extended lager time in the keg. I think if you use both packs you should be safe.

 

[ramjam]

I used S-23 in my last two (fresh the first time, slurry the second) and they both fermented clean although didn't get down below 1.020. I've got a weird bitter aftertaste in the second one, but it's pretty young yet and is going to get some extended lager time in the keg. I think if you use both packs you should be safe.

thanks, i’m going to give it a try and i will post the results.

 

[Dland]

I tried a 'classic american pilsner' last night I brewed in first week in June. 34/70 with fermentation temps in high 60'sF. It came out pretty clear, ABV 6.0, good flavor, finish gravity 1.008.

I hear 34/70 is more heat tolerant than S-23, but have not experimented with that myself.

 

[applescrap]

Just got back after being gone for a couple weeks and pulled a pint of the 10 gallons of the citra pilsner and the 34/70 still hasnt flocced on its own. Well i guess its only six weeks now, but that is a long time for me. If i was home I would have already polished off 5 gallons i bet. That's why I would like to get some more corny kegs I guess so I can let some age and some drink. I want to say it's got much better over the last two weeks but I want to wait and taste it more to make sure it's not just my impression. That being said I do think it's gotten better. I am hoping that I'm just pulling the last of any kind of yeast off the bottom. If not it gives you an idea how die-hard this yeast is. Any kind of acetaldehyde which I think is responsible for green flavors in drinking these two young, is surely gone. As always there are no pronounced esters or off flavors of any kind related to the ferment in my opinion.

 

[Miraculix]

Just got back after being gone for a couple weeks and pulled a pint of the 10 gallons of the citra pilsner and the 34/70 still hasnt flocced on its own. Well i guess its only six weeks now, but that is a long time for me. If i was home I would have already polished off 5 gallons i bet. That's why I would like to get some more corny kegs I guess so I can let some age and some drink. I want to say it's got much better over the last two weeks but I want to wait and taste it more to make sure it's not just my impression. That being said I do think it's gotten better. I am hoping that I'm just pulling the last of any kind of yeast off the bottom. If not it gives you an idea how die-hard this yeast is. Any kind of acetaldehyde which I think is responsible for green flavors in drinking these two young, is surely gone. As always there are no pronounced esters or off flavors of any kind related to the ferment in my opinion.

3470 can be a pain, that's why I switched to mj California lager.

 

[Dland]

34/70 flocks very well at the manufacture's rated temp (53-59F), in my experiance. The lager I mentioned above s not as clear as the very clear lagers I made earlier in season at lower temps, of course it is younger too.

Perhaps that is a limitation on that yeast. Is there a dry version of "mj"? (whatever that is)

I switch to brewing with S-05 (ale) yeast in the warmer months when cellar is warmer, did that last lager in June as an experiment.

3470 can be a pain, that's why I switched to mj California lager.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Gelatin is your friend!

 

[TANSTAAFB]

It looks like the 34/70 I saved is not viable--tossed into starter wort 24 hours ago and I'm getting nada. My LHBS only carries s23 dry and only White Labs liquid. I'm not a fan of 23 so what White Labs strain would y'all recommend? Brewing up Denny's First Alt at the club group brew today

 

[catdaddy66]

It looks like the 34/70 I saved is not viable--tossed into starter wort 24 hours ago and I'm getting nada. My LHBS only carries s23 dry and only White Labs liquid. I'm not a fan of 23 so what White Labs strain would y'all recommend? Brewing up Denny's First Alt at the club group brew today

S-23 is very good I hear, but the strains I've had the most success with have been wlp800 and wlp810.

Dland, MJ stands for Mangrove Jack, a yeast brand that has been getting more popular in the last 8-10 years. I haven't tried any of theirs yet.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It looks like the 34/70 I saved is not viable--tossed into starter wort 24 hours ago and I'm getting nada. My LHBS only carries s23 dry and only White Labs liquid. I'm not a fan of 23 so what White Labs strain would y'all recommend? Brewing up Denny's First Alt at the club group brew today

Well WLP830 is supposedly a liquid version of 34/70, but people here seem to prefer WLP800 Pilsner (actually an ale yeast despite supposedly coming from Urquell) and Mangrove Jack M54 Californian Lager, which is presumably not dissimilar to WLP810 San Francisco Lager (presumably Anchor Steam yeast). @Dland - all Mangrove Jack yeasts are dry...

If you're doing an Alt then WLP036 Dusseldorf??

Presumably Wyeast 1450 would be most appropriate for one of Denny's recipes...?

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Well WLP830 is supposedly a liquid version of 34/70, but people here seem to prefer WLP800 Pilsner (actually an ale yeast despite supposedly coming from Urquell) and Mangrove Jack M54 Californian Lager, which is presumably not dissimilar to WLP810 San Francisco Lager (presumably Anchor Steam yeast). @Dland - all Mangrove Jack yeasts are dry...

If you're doing an Alt then WLP036 Dusseldorf??

Presumably Wyeast 1450 would be most appropriate for one of Denny's recipes...?

I looked at 036 and while I am brewing Denny's recipe and I am making an Altbier, I don't like sweet beers. And I'd use 1450 in a heartbeat if it was an option! 810 might be perfect. I'm getting a few tiny bubbles in my starter so maybe it just needed a little more time