Warm Fermented Lager Thread

[Bassaholic]

So I brewed a Baltic porter over three weeks ago with about half the yeast cake of 34/70 from an Octoberfest. Both were fermented at 60F and fermentation was normal for both. I’m drinking the Octoberfest now and it’s quite tasty, but rather cloudy despite being fined in the keg with gelatin and sitting for a few weeks. Not a big concern, but I think it may be a factor with the porter.

The porter kicked off super quickly since the yeast cake was fresh and I oxygenated the wort. Fermentation lasted for maybe 4-5 days and then seemed to finish up. I gave it another week or so before checking gravity. At this point it was still very cloudy and smelled a bit sulphury. The SG reading was 1.022 and my OG was 1.070. I’ve given it another week and a half but it hasn’t cleared up at all and the SG has only dropped to 1.021. I raised the temp up to 68F after the first reading but that hasn’t seemed to help.

I was hoping for the FG to be a little lower, in the 1.016-18 range. Would it be worth pitching some ale yeast? Or some of a fresh pack of 34/70? Has anyone had a similar experience of this yeast not clearing and/or finishing a bit high?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I just kegged this beer and it's going to be awesome, it's the fourth generation from a very clean yeast cake ferminted from 60F to 70F in a week and another over night no chill batch, this is my time for ambers and browns to shine and this warm lager is better than anything of them I've brewed, thanks for the idea
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/724487/ozarks-amber-lager

 

[@RoyalGallon]

I had another go at the Bud recipe yesterday this time using the S-189 yeast instead of the M84 I used last time. I'm also changing the fermentation profile from the 17C->13C they use in the brewery to follow Brulosophy's Lager profile.
Ironically it appears to be the complete opposite 13C->18C!

I kept some of the the gluey brew from last time and primed it in bottles. Tried one on Saturday and I must admit it's improving. It's not good or Bud but it's approaching drinkable. Maybe a few more weeks and I'll have salvaged some beer.

So the Budweiser recipe made with S-189 came out significantly better than my previous attempt. Don't get me wrong it's not as light and clean as commercial Bud by quite a way but it is a pretty good lager. There's still a little too much ale type notes in the flavour - I'm wondering if they'll die down a bit as I have it on store, in keg, at 5C.
I'm classing this as a win though!

 

[Miraculix]

So the Budweiser recipe made with S-189 came out significantly better than my previous attempt. Don't get me wrong it's not as light and clean as commercial Bud by quite a way but it is a pretty good lager. There's still a little too much ale type notes in the flavour - I'm wondering if they'll die down a bit as I have it on store, in keg, at 5C.
I'm classing this as a win though!
View attachment 596935

If you are not tired of trying out yeasts and wanna check liquid strains, you can try wy800 which also gives very clean beers at room temperature.

Edit: I meant wlp 800

 

[@RoyalGallon]

If you are not tired of trying out yeasts and wanna check liquid strains, you can try wy800 which also gives very clean beers at room temperature.

Definitely not tired!
This is my ongoing project sort of every other brew try and get something as light and low flavoured as Bud. I reckon if I can do this then all the flavours I get in my other brews are intentional. So it's a test of competency if you like.

I'll add wy800 to my list of improvements to be made. Thanks.

 

[Miraculix]

Definitely not tired!
This is my ongoing project sort of every other brew try and get something as light and low flavoured as Bud. I reckon if I can do this then all the flavours I get in my other brews are intentional. So it's a test of competency if you like.

I'll add wy800 to my list of improvements to be made. Thanks.

I like your approach, I see it the same way.

Edit: I meant wlp800!

 

[jahlinux]

The color of this one is nice. Cant wait to see it.

I’ll be sure to post pictures. I’ve been having issues lately with beer I’ve brewed not turning out as dark as expected so hopefully you are right.

 

[RPh_Guy]

So the Budweiser recipe made with S-189 came out significantly better than my previous attempt. Don't get me wrong it's not as light and clean as commercial Bud by quite a way but it is a pretty good lager. There's still a little too much ale type notes in the flavour - I'm wondering if they'll die down a bit as I have it on store, in keg, at 5C.
I'm classing this as a win though!

I used S-189 for a märzen (at 66°F I think). It did taste a lot like an ale for a few weeks.
It'll improve.

 

[Miraculix]

I think we had quite a few people here in the thread that were not too happy with 189 and I somehow also remember reading about it's genetics being from the group that does not work so well at ale temperatures. Good to hear that this improves with time.

 

[RPh_Guy]

that were built too happy with 189

?? Auto-incorrect strikes again.

I read only favorable reviews for it on this thread, which is why I used it. (I took notes when I read through)
"I've used S-189 at 70F with pretty much no perceptible off flavors. It does wonders in a märzen."

Unfortunately I think I oxidized my märzen by trying to cold crash and gelatin fine, and the beer really didn't come out that great.
So, I really can't provide a good review of S-189 myself. It tasted good when it was young with the ale character, before it started to turn.
Kind of a bummer, but lesson learned.

 

[balrog]

but change the mash temp summer and winter. 156F in the summer for something a little drier/lower alcohol, 150F in the winter that's a little sweeter/higher alcohol.

Isn't that backwards? Higher mash gives less fermentable wort I thought.

 

[brewgar]

balrog, I gotta say, you look like a gator. Maybe comb your hair different?

 

[Sbe2]

I am digging my Lite warm lager made with wlp800

 

[InspectorJon]

So here is a picture of my Doppelbock warm fermented with MJ M54. I was shooting for something like Paulaner Salvator. This is a high bar to reach. I tried them side by side today. I have to say the two beers are very similar. The Salvator had a more substantial mouthfeel, was a little darker and was a bit sweeter. All in all I am very pleased with my results for my first shot at a Doppelbock. It tastes like Salvator. I have no temperature control system so I had not tried lager beer before reading this thread.

Some details: This was a second generation beer brewed with yeast harvested from a California Common. The CC attenuated at 73% and turned out quite well. This one attenuated at 71%. A little lower than advertised or hoped for. The flavors of both beers were very good. Fermentation temperatures for both beers were in the mid to upper 60s. I'll brew this again. Next time I will try a 2 stepped mash temperature and a longer mash. My mash conversion efficiency was lower than hoped for resulting in a lower OG, which likely accounts for the thinner mouthfeel. both beers are very clear. Cold crashed with gelatin. This one was bottled about one month ago. It was 3 weeks in the fermenter.

 

[Beer666]

A red X SMASH. MJ Bohemian yeast. Started this at 16c and went up to 20c. No off flavours. Kegged yesterday and was clear. Force carbed overnight.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Latest sequence data says the Brewferm dry lager yeast is an ale yeast, possibly related to BRY-97, but not related to WLP800. It seems quite widely available here in the UK but I've never used it, it might be another one to try.

 

[dkeller12]

Thanks to this thread I now have my first lager (Munich Dunkel) happily bubbling away that I would never have tried in the past. Only took 6+ years of brewing to try a lager. What makes this on even better is that I hit all my numbers, something I rarely do, which I am taking as sign of good things to come. Cheers!!!

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks to this thread I now have my first lager (Munich Dunkel) happily bubbling away that I would never have tried in the past. Only took 6+ years of brewing to try a lager. What makes this on even better is that I hit all my numbers, something I rarely do, which I am taking as sign of good things to come. Cheers!!!

Great! Which yeast did you use?

 

[dkeller12]

Great! Which yeast did you use?

Saflager 34/70.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Shout out to the guy I had a long chat to at Brewcon this weekend, who read this thread - sorry, I'm hopeless with names, particularly when meeting so many people - IIRC a fan of 2001 Urquell-H ?

Also - the Brits on this thread might be interested in submitting beers to LAB's dedicated lager competition in March, could be useful to have some independent testing?

https://competitions.londonamateurbrewers.co.uk/lagerthanlife/

Apparently there's only a dozen or so spaces left.

 

[Beer666]

Shout out to the guy I had a long chat to at Brewcon this weekend, who read this thread - sorry, I'm hopeless with names, particularly when meeting so many people - IIRC a fan of 2001 Urquell-H ?

Also - the Brits on this thread might be interested in submitting beers to LAB's dedicated lager competition in March, could be useful to have some independent testing?

https://competitions.londonamateurbrewers.co.uk/lagerthanlife/

Apparently there's only a dozen or so spaces left.

I have entered. Will be interesting to get some feedback. I have never brewed a Czech Lager before so going to get some wyeast Czech and give it a go. No idea if it ferments warm though. Will have to try it out.

 

[Numsquat]

Isn't that backwards? Higher mash gives less fermentable wort I thought.

Yep you got me , I blame alcohol consumption while posting. It is the reverse.

I haven't been around since I posted earlier. I have both batches kegged and holding at 45F, will drop to 32F this weekend before carbing Monday to tap the weekend after this. Will run both through cobra taps the the deep freeze I use for carbonating until I have an opening in my keggerator to test the two, see for any differences.

 

[applescrap]

I have entered. Will be interesting to get some feedback. I have never brewed a Czech Lager before so going to get some wyeast Czech and give it a go. No idea if it ferments warm though. Will have to try it out.

Thats the spirit!

 

[applescrap]

I see a light beer in my future. I like the idea of lower calorie and alcohol. Just nice to keep around. Maybe, ......, a third keg! One with hazy ipas/pumpkin/kbs clone, one with hard cider and one with light hoppy pilsner?!

 

[EDF713]

I see a light beer in my future. I like the idea of lower calorie and alcohol. Just nice to keep around. Maybe, ......, a third keg! One with hazy ipas/pumpkin/kbs clone, one with hard cider and one with light hoppy pilsner?!

I'm with you, except with 2 kegs. One usually has cider, the other usually a light one - right now a warm fermented schwarzbier, had a leichtbier, a vienna saaz smash, next something pilsner-ish.

Schwarzbier with MJ54 is freaking awesome.

 

[JohnSand]

I have M54 and 34/70, thinking of making a split batch. The basement floor is 60, I do have a chest freezer ferm fridge that will fit one fermenter. Which one to start at 60, which to control and why? Brewing today, TIA.

 

[applescrap]

^^Sounds like an awesome experiment. I honestly dont know, but I would use the 34/70 outside fridge because we know its very robust.

What would be cool is to quad the batches two in and two out and blind taste test. I remain skeptic that it would even matter either way. Thus the thread. Glad you are giving it a go.

 

[JohnSand]

Thanks. I did what you suggest, partly because the 34/70 part was only a 2.5gal batch. I protected the 5 gallons of M54 with the ferm fridge. I considered using a heat belt only on one, and fridge only on the other, but worried about over steering. I did put the 34/70 close to the outside door, where it's cooler. Right now that batch is at 57, the ferm fridge is set to 66.

 

[jahlinux]

My Marzen just recently tapped. Still very cloudy. It’s only been in the keg 8 days. I’m using the Clear Beer Draught System to draw the beer from the top of the keg.

 

[seatazzz]

Not the last batch, but the one before got seriously overpitched and had autolysis issues. Toyed with the idea of dumping it to have a keg free, but never got around to it. Tapped it again today, and the autolysis flavor (hard to describe, but kinda tastes like old sweaty socks smell) has completely GONE with time. Just a nice lagery beer flavor now, quite refreshing and tasty. Sipping on some now before heading to the company holiday party. And anxiously anticipating brewing an epic Hoppy lager tomorrow morning. This one will be fermented cold (50) however, and will get some Mosaic dry hop after a week or so. Knowing I'm brewing tomorrow is almost like the night before christmas; don't know what I'm going to get but I know I'll love it.