I have never used a lager yeast but the problem I have is I ferment in my basement where temps have been hovering around 58-60 deg. So my plan is to make a pale ale using the wyyeast california lager which doesnt mind those temps. Just looking for some feedback if anyone else tried this or if that sounds like a decent plan. Thanks all.
My experience is that you’d make a better pseudo lager at those temps with either WY1056 or WY1007. Despite the word “lager” in 2112, I don’t find it as clean as the other 2. It’s really better suited to making a steam beer than a lager.
Denny told me about the same thing a year or so back. I ignored it. But ya, he’s right.
I’m about a week away from trying out 1728 Scottish at 50 deg. I’ve got enough bohemian for one brew but room in my chest for two. So I’m going to make a simple beer about 1.050 and pitch a big chunk of 1728 at 45, let it free rise to 50, bla bla bla.
I know that you all are excited about this, but I chickened out. I decided to step starters this week so I’ll have enough 2124 for two batches. Im sorry to let you all down[emoji12]
The crazy thing about Wyeast 2112 is that it is not a traditional steam yeast strain. Anchor acquired the strain from Wallerstein back in the mid-seventies.
There is an article floating around the Internet where Mike Carpenter mentioned that Anchor used whatever strain they could beg, borrow, or steal before they acquired the strain that they use today from Wallerstein.
With that said, I have a culture in my bank that was used at the old ACME Brewing Company in San Francisco (History of the Acme Brewing Co.). I dug it out of the UC Davis Culture Collection. The culture was deposited in 1942. ACME survived prohibition; therefore, it is more than likely one of their original brewing strains. As ACME was founded by the same person who founded Olympia, the strain may have been brought to San Francisco from Tumwater. What I do know about the strain is that it is typed as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and it is a diploid (2 x 16 chromosomes), which is a unique attribute when it comes to brewing strains. Most brewing strains are polyploids (more than 2x16 chromosomes). Bry 96 (a.k.a. Ballantine “beer,” “Chico,” Wy1056, WLP001, US-05 …) is also a diploid, which is why it is such a unique brewing strain. The difference between Bry 96 and the ACME strain is that the ACME strain is highly flocculent, and it produces just enough sulfur to make a convincing lager at 16C. I mentioned this strain to Chris White at NHC. Hopefully, he has looked into evaluating it for inclusion in the White Labs collection.
I’m about a week away from trying out 1728 Scottish at 50 deg. I’ve got enough bohemian for one brew but room in my chest for two. So I’m going to make a simple beer about 1.050 and pitch a big chunk of 1728 at 45, let it free rise to 50, bla bla bla
Edit
I know that you all are excited about this, but I chickened out. I decided to step starters this week so I’ll have enough 2124 for two batches. Im sorry to let you all down
It’s interesting i just used 2112 for the first time and an not that impressed. I use 1007 a lot and think its better if used right. When i was putting a “Common” together i realized how much the grain bill looks like an Alt. i sure do love a good Alt:)
From what I’ve read, North Coast bought the trademarks back in the 1990s from whoever still held them. The brewery was long gone so I imagine their yeast was, too. Other than what was at UC Davis. I like ACME IPA a lot, but it’s gotten harder to find around here.
Wyeast 1450 (Denny’s Favorite 50) was originally acquired from North Coast by BrewTek (the culture was labeled CL-50 California Pub Brewery Ale in the BrewTek collection). It is well known that Mark Ruedrich obtained the yeast culture that North Coast uses from UC Davis.
With that said, unless the strain known to amateur brewers as BrewTek CL-50/Wyeast 1450 underwent a serious mutation at North Coast, it is not the ACME strain that is held in the UC Davis Collection. The ACME strain is highly flocculent. It drops brilliantly clear at the end of fermentation without the need for cold crashing. I felt like a kid at Christmas the first time that I used the ACME strain. The ACME strain is a major pain in the backside to grow on solid media, but it performs beautifully in wort.