So far as I know only SafAle, SafLager and K97 (sold as SafWheat) are available to homebrewers here in OZ. Apparently the DCL distributer buys the K97 in bulk and foil packs them in 11g sachets here in Aus.
I'd like to know of any more DCL yeasts that are available locally.
I have read that I need to pitch saflager at about 20-25C, then let it get down to about 15C and then once it has started fermenting, lower the temp to between 8-12C.
My problem is my fridge will only go as low about about 12C.
Will is shock the yeast if I pitch it now and then wack it in the fridge overnight which is sittiing at 12C?
Or could I pitch now, leave it for about 4 hours at 20 - 25C and then wack it in the fridge at 12C
Basically is it better to leave it at a warmer temperature (22-24C) for 24 hours then drop it (10-12C) or only leave it for a few hours and drop it?
sluggerdog, get the wort down to 8-12 deg as quickly as possible, then pitch the yeast.
During the multiplication phase of yeasts, they are producing off flavours. Letting a lager work at above it's preferred range for 24 hours is a sure recipe for off flavours, excess diacetyl for example.
I have just measured my gravity to see how things are going.
Original Gravity was 1.035 10 days ago. at the 20C
Todays gravity was 1.022 at 10C.
Is this the usual speed of things? Everything looks like it is working nicely but being my first lager yeast I just wasnt sure on the speed of things. Going by this rate I might have another week or so to go....
I used to run my lagers at 10 to 12C and got similar times to you Slugger. Roy at TWOC (who makes a better lager than I) said he was advised by the Wyeast man to run the fermentation at the top end of the temp. range. I now run my lagers at 12 to 14C and save a week on the primary fermentation time and have not noticed any degradation in flavours.
Thanks Tony, for the last week or so I was trying to keep the temp at about 8-10C but if you say that it still is good at 12C without any effect on the taste I will knock the temp up a bit.