Lager yeast

[r_Mark]

Hi everyone can anyone recommend a good yeast to brew lager from the can kits please .after looking on threads everyone agrees the yeast with the kits isn't the best but not many yeasts recommended and is it better to harvest your yeast when you have used a good one .

 

[terrym]

First, in my view, there is not a lot of point in spending good money on an expensive yeast to try to elevate the quality of a cheap lager kit. Better spend the money on a better lager kit and use the kit yeast. And that applies to any kit.
Next kit yeast supplied with most lager kits are ale yeasts which ferment at room temperature probably because most kit brewers have not got the capability of fermenting at about 10-12*C which is nominally the range lager yeasts give best performance. Additionally to ferment low you usually need more yeast. Perhaps two packets instead of one.
So what temperature are you intending to ferment at? If you are fermenting at typical room temperatures that opens up the choice of yeast you could use.
And yes you can re-use yeast. I save the trub from a brew, keep it in a sanitised container in the fridge, re-use it within two weeks, and don't keep it past three generations.

 

[foxbat]

There's 37 pages devoted to lager yeasts at room temperature on our US sister site. W 34/70 seems to be getting some praise.

 

[An Ankoù]

There's 37 pages devoted to lager yeasts at room temperature on our US sister site. W 34/70 seems to be getting some praise.

W 34/70 is always my goto lager yeast unless I'm doing a Czech Pils when I use MJ M84 Bohemian Lager.

 

[Tanglefoot]

W 34/70 is always my goto lager yeast unless I'm doing a Czech Pils when I use MJ M84 Bohemian Lager.

I'm just about to bottle a batch of Youngs European Pilsener I brewed with MJ84 a month ago,
it's been slowly fermenting between 10 c - 12c.
Pitched around 15 C and started in my brewfridge initially then reduced the temperature till I could
take it out to sit in my insulated shed

Dry hopped with Saaz leaf a couple of days ago and about to cold crash
- sample tasted very promising.

 

[r_Mark]

First, in my view, there is not a lot of point in spending good money on an expensive yeast to try to elevate the quality of a cheap lager kit. Better spend the money on a better lager kit and use the kit yeast. And that applies to any kit.
Next kit yeast supplied with most lager kits are ale yeasts which ferment at room temperature probably because most kit brewers have not got the capability of fermenting at about 10-12*C which is nominally the range lager yeasts give best performance. Additionally to ferment low you usually need more yeast. Perhaps two packets instead of one.
So what temperature are you intending to ferment at? If you are fermenting at typical room temperatures that opens up the choice of yeast you could use.
And yes you can re-use yeast. I save the trub from a brew, keep it in a sanitised container in the fridge, re-use it within two weeks, and don't keep it past three generations.

Hi I only brew in a cupboard at the moment due to not having much space I need to get a new shed that's bigger so I can put 2 fridges in it one for brewing lagers and one for cooking the brewed beer to drink but that could be a few years down the line as things stand now so I brew at room temperatures I should have put this on my thread .

 

[r_Mark]

W 34/70 is always my goto lager yeast unless I'm doing a Czech Pils when I use MJ M84 Bohemian Lager.

Thank you .

 

[terrym]

Hi I only brew in a cupboard at the moment due to not having much space I need to get a new shed that's bigger so I can put 2 fridges in it one for brewing lagers and one for cooking the brewed beer to drink but that could be a few years down the line as things stand now so I brew at room temperatures I should have put this on my thread .

Two cheapish alternatives to consider
You can brew a 'pseudo lager' using Wilko Ale yeast (alias GV12 or Nottingham) if you ferment at the lower end of its range , say 16-17*C, which should give the clean taste of a lager.
Or use a Kolsch type lager yeast at room temperature. Crossmyloof will sell you some for £1.60 a packet, and there is a small forum discount. And if do that buy some Saaz or Hallertau hops as well for a dry hop to boost your lager. 30g should be about right.
https://www.crossmyloofbrew.co.uk/yeast-specshttps://www.crossmyloofbrew.co.uk/hop-guide

 

[RockTKaz]

I’ve had pretty good results with mj m54 at room temps for both Cali common and lagers, could be worth a look

https://mangrovejacks.com/products/californian-lager-m54-yeast-10g

 

[Flan]

I'm just about to bottle a batch of Youngs European Pilsener I brewed with MJ84 a month ago,
it's been slowly fermenting between 10 c - 12c.
Pitched around 15 C and started in my brewfridge initially then reduced the temperature till I could
take it out to sit in my insulated shed

Dry hopped with Saaz leaf a couple of days ago and about to cold crash
- sample tasted very promising.
View attachment 36853

Tangle when you pitched how much yeast did you use, I’m doing a similar brew but with bavarian m76 and don’t know how much dried yeast i should pitch, imwill be rehydrating it.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Tangle when you pitched how much yeast did you use, I’m doing a similar brew but with bavarian m76 and don’t know how much dried yeast i should pitch, imwill be rehydrating it.

I used 2 packs, it's what MJ recommend if brewing 23l at low temp 10 - 16 c.
Also says best to rehydrate .