Is there a decent dried yeast for lager?

[fbsf]

Hi all,

I'm just about to convert my beer fridge into a brewfridge (I have the STC1000, alll the wiring and a heat tube...), and really fancy doing a decent lager, brewing it at lager temperatures.

I've used a number of different yeasts for ales, and have got on well with most of the dried ones (although my best beer used a recultured RCH Pitchfork yeast). Is there a preferred dried yeast for lagers, or is it necessary to go down the liquid yeast route?

I'm just tight and don't fancy spending half the amount of the ingredients just on the yeast - I probably won't brew lager that often, so won't benefit from making multiple starters from a vial as they will probably expire by the time I want to brew a lager again.

 

[wilsoa1111]

i got on well enough with the safale lager, i did brew it a bit high though so it did come out a tad flavoursome but is definately a nice pilsner, just as good as my brewferm pils kit but fuller bodied which was what i was after- only issue is they recommend using two packs in 23l if ur going to brew at the lower ends of the temp spectrum (where u wanna be)

 

[zgoda]

Saflager W34/70 is highly recommended.

 

[fbsf]

Cheers, 34/70 was on my radar, so good to hear that. I've read that it's worth pitching two packets - is this required, or is it just for a faster fermentation?

 

[rpt]

I've used Saflager S-23. You can pitch just one packet in 23L but ferment at 20C for 24 hours before dropping temperature to 12C. After 5 days at 12C rack to a secondary. Once gravity has been stable for 3 days reduce temperature to 2C for 2 weeks. This has produced a very nice lager for me. Just about to bottle my current brew of this.

 

[zgoda]

Didn't have any noticeable lag when using just 1 packet for a cold start at 9c. I mean, quite usual 48 hrs, that is.
Beer comes out much better if the beginning of fermentation is on cold side. It surely will be drinkable, but not as clean as you'd expect from lager. If you plan to brew something stronger, like märzen or bock, then brew small beer first then reuse whole slurry for big one. Warm start is particularly bad for bigger beers.

 

[fbsf]

Actually, that's an interesting point. If I'm doing an AG lager, and the ambient tap water temperature is say, 14 degrees, I'm not going to be able to cool it much below that at the end of the boil.

Do I just get it as cool as I can using the copper coil, then transfer to FV, put it in my brew fridge on the coolest setting and wait until it's at the right pitching temp?

 

[rpt]

If you pitch Saflager S-23 without rehydrating, then the wort must be at least 20C (although I've done this at 18C with no problems). If you rehydrate then it can be cooler. When I've fermented at 20C for the first 24 hours the lager has still tasted very clean to me.

 

[TidalPete]

Do I just get it as cool as I can using the copper coil, then transfer to FV, put it in my brew fridge on the coolest setting and wait until it's at the right pitching temp?

You can go that route or if you have the time you can continue using your chiller via an esky (Cooler) with ice + enough water in it to cover the inlet of a cheap pond pump & recirculate the iced water through your chiller & back to the esky until the temp drops to your desired level.
Is your fermentation fridge run with a dedicated temp controller?

I'm a big fan of S-189 although S-23 is a good lager yeast too. :)