Good yeast for lager?

[ChefKing]

Coopers yeast doesn't seem the be recommended much on this forum.

I want to brew a coopers lager next, does anyone recommend safbrew s-23?

Thanks in advance

 

[yankinoz]

If you have temperature control, you're buying from your local shop, and they carry Fermentis, S-23 or 34-70 would work.

Port Douglas? If you don't have temperature control, get it. Or else forget a lager, use the Coopers ale yeast and try to keep it as cool as possible with a swamp cooler or whatever Or switch to distilling rum. Or try brewing saisons with the Dupont strain (probably not from a kit), which is WLP565 or Wyeast 3724 liquid.

Among dry yeasts, Fermentis S-189 is easily the nearest to bulletproof. It works over a wide range of temperatures without producing too much sulphur at the low end of the range (9 --10 C.) or esters at the high end (>15). But it's best suited to malty beers--I use it in Oktoberfests and dark lagers in preference to any liquid strains I've tried. That would include your beer only if you sub DME for all the sugar, and use a little extra. Fermentis does not supply the strain in small packets, but Craftbrewer repackages it as "Swiss Lager" yeast.

 

[Bribie G]

Unfortunately Coopers haven't really kept up with their kit yeasts in the same way that companies such as Mangrove Jacks have put in some R&D.
The advice "chuck the kit yeast in the bin" is still pretty good advice for anyone wanting to step beyond just plain kit brews.

I'd also go S-189 that's a true lager yeast that still does nice clean beers at ale fermenting temperatures.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Hitting nails on the head in above posts. Those yeasts mentioned are good in my experience. If you do have temp control. Its so good an not so hard.

As for Coopers kit yeasts its underrated in my opinion. Brewed like an ale with a wide temperature range. Its definitely a good yeast and built for traveling and mishandling as well. Unrefrigerated variable temperature changes etc. Anyone near me got packs to throw away I would grab them. Anyone?

 

[technobabble66]

+1 for S-189 if you have trouble keeping your wort cold ... if you can get it.

 

[MHB]

Not arguing with anything above (well not much) just remember that good temperature control is to my mind more important than going all grain. In fact its the biggest single improvement you can make to your brewing after good hygiene.

Of all the lager yeasts in the world it notable that about 45% of all the lager brewed in Germany is produced with 34/70 (AKA W2124, bohemian lager...) there are really good reasons why this is the case.
Mark

 

[dr K]

....and of course yeast health and population (as mark inferred)
in the case of a lager (which you will ferment at say 10C ..) you need a lot of yeast (say 2 packs of 34/70) and having invested that much you need to look after it..back to temp control
Cleanliness..well just do what you do in the kitchen when you serve food .....dosing your equipment with chemicals will not make better beer, yeast health (which infers temp control) will....
K

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Good point. Yeast calculation is very important. Yeast starters can give you a visual indication of the yeast viability.
Enter the laboratory of home brewing. B)

 

[ChefKing]

Thanks for all the advice folks...

Yes I have a fridge set up with temp control. So safbrew s-23 looks like my choice of yeast...

Though a couple more questions to banging out a decent lager:

1. Pitching temp for lager?

2. Coopers lager + 1 kg dry malt & safbrew s-23 good choice or not?

3. 10c for initial fermentation ?

Small steps at time for me...

I really appreciate all the advice given, thanks lads!

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Sounds all good to me. Pitching temps in the temp ranges of the yeast and all technical notes recorded.

 

[Blind Dog]

If you have decent temp control, you have a reasonably wide choice in dry and liquid. I've had good results with 34/70 at 10C, followed by a D rest and then 3+ weeks lagering at 2C to 4C (it's as cold as the ferment fridge goes depending on the weather). I've not had better results with a liquid yeast

(Edited as OP posted at same time)

 

[ChefKing]

Sounds all good to me. Pitching temps in the temp ranges of the yeast and all technical notes recorded.

So you are saying I should pitch at 10c?

 

[MHB]

10oC is a reasonable choice, the colder you pitch the slower the yeast works so you need to pitch more to get the job done.
There are lots of opinions on the right temperature and there probably isn't a right answer, the Germans mostly pitch around 8oC and let it rise to well... there are lots of answers but less than 12oC.
just remember to condition the yeast to the temperature you are going to ferment at before you pitch, visit the manufacturers website and do exactly what ever they recommend - they have a vested interest in giving good advice.
Mark

 

[burrster]

Ensure you pitch at least 2 packets at those temperatures.
+ 1 for S-189, in my short experience with it. I have no experience with s23.