Diamond Lager Yeast

Ingredients
1

A big thanks to Denny, for recommending this yeast. It is the best I have used!

We brewed a Czech style Pils (Premium Pale Czech Lager - 3B) with this yeast. The beer is so close to what I sampled at the brewery in Pilsen, Czech Republic.

Brewed a 2nd batch yesterday, using harvested Diamond. It literally erupted like a volcano, running down the countertop, onto the floor. I cleaned it up before my wife saw the disaster! A starter was not needed, as it could have simply been pitched directly. It was only one week old after the harvest.

This will be our new “house yeast” for lagers. I like it much better than W-34/70.

Thanks again!

2

Glad you liked it!  Like you, I prefer it to 34/70.

3

I am definitely going to have to track some of this down when my last couple sachets of 34/70 are gone. Thanks for the post

4

I was happy with the one time I used it and a lot of shops charge less for it than W34/70.

5

When the website was checked, they claim the Diamond yeast is appropriate for many lager styles, including Czech Pilsner.

Being a German yeast, is this a good yeast for a Czech beer? I really like how ours turned out. As good as anything we had in the Czech Republic.

Get this…I got up at 4am yesterday, for a big day of brewing. The harvested Diamond had been sitting on the kitchen countertop since midnight, warming to room temp. A one quart starter was then added to the yeast, and I went to the office to check my email…while drinking a cup of double-shot espresso coffee Americana. Before my coffee was finished, I went back to the kitchen to get some things ready. I noticed a huge puddle of foamy looking liquid, all over the counter, running down the cabinets and going onto the floor. This all happened in less than 10 minutes!!!

That yeast is hyper-potent! I won’t make this mistake again.

6

FWIW, you may get better results pitching it straight from the fridge as opposed to waming it up. I seem to.

7

I’m am glad you’re back to making world class beers especially considering how much you loved 34/70

8

I like this yeast too got good results with Helles and American Pilsner.

9

This yeast was within a few months of it’s expiration date, so initially there was concern. It did take 5 packages to do the first 10 gallon brew. The ferment started slow initially, with about a 48 hour lag.

On this recent brew (10 gallons), there was no lag at all. The yeast was ready to go, and Denny’s advice looks spot on…pitch it straight from the fridge. No need to warm it up, and/or make a starter. Our slurry (1 qt) was hyper-clean. Perhaps the best harvest I have had to date. And it was only one week removed from the previous beer, so it was fresh.

The flavor profile is classic lager, and it is far removed from W-34/70 in taste character.

Good stuff. Highly recommended.

10

Brewed up another awesome Czech Premium Pale Pils, with the Diamond (3rd Gen).
Took Denny’s advice, pitching the yeast straight from the fridge. The wort was chilled to 66 degrees, and the yeast was pitched. Fermentation temp is 50. The yeast took off like gang busters, producing CO2 almost immediately.

Am I impressed with the Diamond? Is the Pope Catholic?

11

I can’t wait to try Diamond! Still have to work through the remaining packets of W34-70 I currently have, but after that I’m definitely going to take Diamond out for a spin. :beer:

12

With Diamond being so neutral in its profile, has anyone out there used it warm and or under pressure?  Just curious of the results.

13

I recently used Diamond to ferment a Cinco de Mayo Vienna Lager at an avg 60*F. The beer is good but there is a slight hint of sulfur on the nose as I take a sip. Not bad per se, but noticeable.

14

Why would increased temperature cause sulfur? Wouldn’t there be less than if it were fermented cold?

15

I dunno. I am not saying one caused the other. That’s the avg temp I used to ferment with that yeast. That’s the smell of the beer. [emoji2369]

16

Hopefully the sulfur fades as the beer ages. People post fairly often that sulfur dies down or disappears over time.

17

Ive got a German Pils fermented with diamond and it is v ery clean, and dropped pretty  bright.

18

Of the beers we made with Diamond, there has been zero issues. No off aromas, or flavors. And no sulphur. None.
In fact, this is our new go-to yeast.

19

I prefer anything Lallemand to anything Fermentis.  Granted, my experience with either manufacturer is limited, but I have used Nottingham, Windsor, and BRY-97 with zero off-flavors.  I cannot say that about Fermentis.

20

[emoji106] I agree