First Lager - using 34 / 70 - any tips

Box of Rocks

Box of Rocks

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Have brewed lots of Ales over the past few years, but have steered clear of Lagers due to a lack of temp control. Will soon attempt my first lager. Here's the recipe:
Crocker Park Lager

Trying to keep it simple.

Any tips / thoughts for this process would be welcome. Specifically, do you recommend spunding, and if so, how much psi and at what point? What temp do you prefer to lager it and for how many weeks? Do you cold crash even colder at the end of it all?

Thanks, looking forward to your thoughts.
 
I am assuming you have temp control now?

a couple things to keep in mind. lagers take longer to ferment than ales, in general. so if it seems to be going really slow. it is :D

make sure you do a diacetyl rest after main fermentation is done.

you can still cold crash as you would with an ale. I usually lager it in a keg for an additional 4-6 weeks after the initial 3-4 weeks of fermentation, but that is up to you and style requirements.

I have never used a spunding valve for fermentation, so no idea on that one
 
I’m a ham-and-egger when it comes to lager brewing, but you picked a great yeast for your first try. I’ve fermented 34/70 in the mid 50’s, raised for diacetyl rest, let it take its time, cold conditioned for weeks. I’ve also fermented 34/70 in the mid to upper 60’s just as I would for a typical ale, conditioned for a week. Couldn’t tell the difference either way.

My one useless data point is this: Don’t sweat it. Lager brewing doesn’t have to be as complicated as it’s often made out to be.

Good luck. Keep us posted!
 
34/70 is a great first lager yeast. It has a number advantages over other yeast, the biggest is that it doesn’t need very much in the way of aeration.

Spunding is great, but it’s not necessary. I spund all my lagers, the pressure depends on temperature. When you bring up the pressure isn’t critical as long as you bring the pressure up the last 15-20% of the fermentation. At 55F I like to get the pressure to 25psi. Above 55F, I would never exceed 30psi. If the beer isn’t completely carbonated during the fermentation, then it can be finished with forced carbonation.

Lagering can last from 2 to 8 weeks. The clarity of the beer indicates if it’s ready, along with the flavor maturation.
 
Love 34/70 because it is so versatile temp wise. I’m not saying you couldn’t or others couldn’t tell warm vs normal lager temp fermentation in a side by side. BUT keeping it in the 60s with a 10-15 psi turns out quite clean for me. And I don’t find the beer tastes anything other than lager I intend it to be. If it is cold outside I use my garage to ferment cold but like HVM I do have some pressure. I try to get 25 psi at the end of fermentation. Pitch a crap load of yeast.

I liked everyone’s posts above since I agree with what they say and conditions dictate if I go warm or cold.
 
Another great yeast I've discovered for lagers this year is the pseudo hybrid lager yeast from Llamand Nova Lager yeast.
It is clean and super versatile.

34/70 is super forgiving.

On the recipe looks like an pale ale recipe flipped for a lager recipe.

Maybe some pilsner malt with a 20% Munich would go well as well coupled with a Noble hop like tettnanger well there's probably hundreds of recipes that follow that Vain on here already.

With or without temp control you'll get good results.

This time last year I did a side by side with 34/70 where one batch got as high as 26c @15psi it was weird the hot fermented beer was cleaner than the cool fermented beer :confused: go figure lol.

I liked the cool fermented beer more though the hot one was clean but drab.

Here's the thread if ya want a little Squizzy

https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/new-zealand-pils-comparrison.16047/
 
Still figuring out the specifics. Not sure if I'll brew this now or wait until I can lager it for a longer time. Want an easy drinking lager or ale on tap for Thanksgiving.
Not much to the recipe, although I get how pilsner and noble hops might result in a more traditional German lager flavor.
Have a boatload of 2 row and am leaning that way. Wondering if folks taste a huge difference of pilsner vs. 2 row. I can imagine there is a maltier outcome with Maris Otter as a base though..
 
Yeah no I doubt I could tell the difference personally.

Good luck with it.
 
Box of Rocks said:
Still figuring out the specifics. Not sure if I'll brew this now or wait until I can lager it for a longer time. Want an easy drinking lager or ale on tap for Thanksgiving.
Not much to the recipe, although I get how pilsner and noble hops might result in a more traditional German lager flavor.
Have a boatload of 2 row and am leaning that way. Wondering if folks taste a huge difference of pilsner vs. 2 row. I can imagine there is a maltier outcome with Maris Otter as a base though..
Click to expand...
If its for Thanksgiving, I would get on it. be surprised how long it takes
 
I have 34/70 lager in the keg carbing, or really just sitting. Its been six weeks since it was brewed. I tasted the hydrometer sample when I kegged and it was a real light Coors Lite.
I did forget to do the diacetal rest, Ill see how that goes.
 
As Josh mentioned, use double the yeast (2 packets for 5 gallons) compared to an ale. The locker room process is purely mechanical, and the only result is a much clearer beer. Even at two weeks, it will taste the same as at 10.
 
If you overpitch 34/70, it will ferment in ale time. I'm on my third one now. I loved the first two. I actually pitch 4 and have a substantial amount of activity at 18 hours. I run in the mid 50s for about 3 days and do a D-rest at low krausen. With that much yeast, low krausen will be in about 3 days. D rest is around 62 for about 2 or three days, and then, I start turning down the temperature in 5-degree increments to around 52 where I let it finish. I keg after 14 days. It will normally take 5 to 7 days to carb in the keg. In that, plus about another week, it is pretty damn drinkable. Give it another couple of weeks, and it starts to get better and better.
I made a 5% Pre-Pro/Dark Mexican Lager with my Porter recipe and Flaked Corn using 34/70 and Crystal hops. I loved it.
I haven't figured out my pressures yet on the picnic tap, but I was running them way too high. I had a long conversation with the people at the HB store last week and was told pretty much what Don preaches all the time. Carb it at 15, release the gas, serve at 3-5.
By the way, this is a very short picnic tap line.
The keg carb topic is probably one of the most difficult to get a straight answer online doing research.
The lager topic can also get frustrating. I used many of the answers here and was lucky enough to be sitting at a bar one night next to an assistant brewer. That conversation helped me really understand the timing.
 
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Box of Rocks said:
Wondering if folks taste a huge difference of pilsner vs. 2 row.
Click to expand...
The difference to me is very noticeable. American malt and European malt are different strains, so that's the beginning of the difference.

I find Weyerman Barke more malty than Rahr Premium Pils. It's noticeable to me when I make a German beer with Rahr, it just isn't as malty. I guess the difference would depend on your expectations. I still like the German Pils made with Rahr, but it's not as full flavored as the Weyerman.

Both are great malts, just different.
 
Current Festbier with 34/70. Fermenting in the mid 50s pitched 26 hours before the picture.
20231016_173130.jpg
 
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