13 replies to this topic

[johnpreuss]

Ok so my mother in law wants me to come up and brew a batch with her in a couple weeks. She has brewed a little - all extract, but she would like me to come to her house and brew an AG batch. She's got nice cool basement so I was thinking maybe something psuedo lager is with 2112. I know we can ferment in the mid 50s but I won't be able to lager it. Any thoughts? I'm open to ideas. I would like to keep in between 1.050 and 1.060 and at or below 35 IBU. I've never used 2112 but would love to hear more about it from the board.

[djinkc]

Lagering would be nice but I don't think it's necessary with 2112. Fermenting in the low 60's should be fine - low 50s might be a bit too cool. Why not get some Northern Brewer hops and make a Steam Beer?

[siouxbrewer]

What Dan said. NB are nice but an all saaz beer would be even awesomer.Kolsch or Alt yeast would also be good for a hybrid beer, especially if you are fermenting colder. 1007 is turning into my house yeast these days.

[denny]

I'd have to say that I don't find 2112 all that great a choice for a pseudo lager. I think Wy1007 is a way better choice.

[johnpreuss]

So is 2112 good for anything but a steam beer? Or is it like a wit beer yeast in the respect that it is very distinct and and basically makes the beer what it is?

[djinkc]

So is 2112 good for anything but a steam beer? Or is it like a wit beer yeast in the respect that it is very distinct and and basically makes the beer what it is?

Wyeast's website had suggestions for beer styles from each of their yeast strains. And you can venture out from there. Several great beers can be made from 2112 IMO. I have a little bit of a Baltic Porter that I took off tap for a while made from it. I think it's a killer. And I've made a lot of Americanized porters with it that I intend to repeat too. It's not one of the yeast that throw the party.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I brewed several beer with 2112 last year. I kicked off with a Common then American Pale Ale, American Amber Ale, Robust Porter, and lastly a Hopbursted Black India Pale Ale. All of those beers were well recieved and went away quickly. I like the yeast and am planning to kick off another pack in a few weeks.

[Big Nake]

I have also branched out with 2112 and I like its profile. I almost always use every yeast I work with 3-4 times so I started with a West Coast Lager (Northern Brewer, some C80, 2112) and then I made some of my other recipes with it... Home Run Red, Bases Loaded Blonde, etc. I guess it depends on what kind of pseudo-lager you're talking about... pils? Oktober? Red or Amber lager? I have mentioned before that you can take a number of ale yeasts, ferment them a little lower than usual (say 55-60°), watch your water profile and make an ultra-smooth beer. I have done this with 2565, 1007, White Labs 01 and 1028. If you're not planning on making a West Coast Lager, you could switch to a different yeast and still ferment in the mid-to-high 50s... just pitch a healthy starter. Cheers.

[johnpreuss]

I have also branched out with 2112 and I like its profile. I almost always use every yeast I work with 3-4 times so I started with a West Coast Lager (Northern Brewer, some C80, 2112) and then I made some of my other recipes with it... Home Run Red, Bases Loaded Blonde, etc. I guess it depends on what kind of pseudo-lager you're talking about... pils? Oktober? Red or Amber lager? I have mentioned before that you can take a number of ale yeasts, ferment them a little lower than usual (say 55-60°), watch your water profile and make an ultra-smooth beer. I have done this with 2565, 1007, White Labs 01 and 1028. If you're not planning on making a West Coast Lager, you could switch to a different yeast and still ferment in the mid-to-high 50s... just pitch a healthy starter. Cheers.

Well I would like to make a sort of a pils for my mother in law but I would really like to brew a bock. Something malty 50% Pale, 40 % munich fill it out with vienna and crystal/caramunich. The water will be well water from the head waters of the Mississippi River. I think the pils will work but I'm concerned about the bock... Does anyone think the 2112 will work? Otherwise I could go more of the Deadguy route w/an ale yeast like 1007/1056 or maybe even pacman.

[zymot]

I was digging through my empty White Labs vials and noticed that California Common was by far the yeast I have used the most. I have used it for Steam and many other styles, like a Baltic Porter.The lager purist on this board will say you can't make a lager using this yeast. I think it will get you pretty close, and you should brew a great beer, regardless of the how well it conforms "to style".I agree with the 1007 yeast as a good substitute. You can use the yeast cake to make an Alt beer.zymot

[strangebrewer]

I've got a pack of this I've been trying to come up with something to do with. My basement stays a pretty steady 60°F. I've got a lagering fridge but I'm curious how this strain will perform at ambient. Right now I'm thinking of being really un-original and brewing a cali-common

[Big Nake]

I've got a pack of this I've been trying to come up with something to do with. My basement stays a pretty steady 60°F. I've got a lagering fridge but I'm curious how this strain will perform at ambient. Right now I'm thinking of being really un-original and brewing a cali-common

A Steam, Cali-Common, West Coast Lager, etc. is a great type of beer. I do like the Northern Brewer/2112 combo but who says you have to try to make Anchor Steam? You could use this yeast with your favorite hops (whatever they are) and make it pale or darker or whatever. I notice that when you ferment the 2112/810 in the mid-fifties, it's really, really clean and nice all the way around. When I fermented it warmer, I got some flavors that I did not care for. It wasn't overly offensive, but a little more estery and just not as clean as when fermented lower. I realize that if you could ferment in the mid-50s, you could use an actual lager yeast... but there is always the swamp cooler/large-plastic-tub-with-10-gals-of-water trick. I think that a yeast like this is just begging for someone to bust out and make something original with it. Let your imagination run wild!

[strangebrewer]

A Steam, Cali-Common, West Coast Lager, etc. is a great type of beer. I do like the Northern Brewer/2112 combo but who says you have to try to make Anchor Steam? You could use this yeast with your favorite hops (whatever they are) and make it pale or darker or whatever. I notice that when you ferment the 2112/810 in the mid-fifties, it's really, really clean and nice all the way around. When I fermented it warmer, I got some flavors that I did not care for. It wasn't overly offensive, but a little more estery and just not as clean as when fermented lower. I realize that if you could ferment in the mid-50s, you could use an actual lager yeast... but there is always the swamp cooler/large-plastic-tub-with-10-gals-of-water trick. I think that a yeast like this is just begging for someone to bust out and make something original with it. Let your imagination run wild!

You're probably right but I'll admit when I'm thinking of doing something different 2112 isn't the strain that comes to mind. I suppose it's an odd strain for someone to pickup who has lagering capacity. I really don't need something that gives lager-like characteristics without lager temps so I'm more inclined to ferment it warmer to see what it does. How would you describe the esters produced at warmer temps?

[Big Nake]

You're probably right but I'll admit when I'm thinking of doing something different 2112 isn't the strain that comes to mind. I suppose it's an odd strain for someone to pickup who has lagering capacity. I really don't need something that gives lager-like characteristics without lager temps so I'm more inclined to ferment it warmer to see what it does. How would you describe the esters produced at warmer temps?

Hard to describe, but just a clunky finish. Not quite as clean and smooth as when it's fermented cooler. Estery, slightly bubble-gummy & fruity I guess I would say. But who knows, maybe the blob of yeast that I was using was in poor health or maybe I mishandled it. The first run (made in a West Coast Lager) was fermented in the mid-50s and it was (by far) the best batch I made with that yeast... it was also the first in the run.