Recipe Advice Thread

[denimglen]

Thought it might be handy to have a thread for some of the more advanced brewers to give some advice on recipes.

Let's see how it goes eh...

[JackoNZ]

I'm sure I'll get to liquid yeasts eventually but for now I'm sticking to the easy route! I've no doubt you're getting great results with the liquid but I wouldn't go as far as to say S-23 is nasty stuff. If it's his first all grain I reckon he's gonna notice a big step up from kits just using grain alone, even with a dry yeast.

[Reviled]

I see what youre saying but still disagree, id be way more inclined to ferment at 16*c with US-05 than touch S-23

[JoKing]

For a dry lager yeast, you can not go past 34/70. It is from the Weinstephan brewing institute, and is the exact same strain as White Labs WLP830 and Wyeast 2124.

S-23, makes beer - dont get me wrong. But to compare with 34/70 is like comparing apples with oranges. The reason why brewcraft doesn't bring 34/70 in, is because it costs too much compared with a product like s-23.

s-23 is made for mass produced beer. The type where you ferment an unhopped wort at 1.024 with 30% to boost the gravity to 1.034. The yeast will take this down to 1.004 where caramel colour and flavour is added with iso-hop extract just prior to packaging.

34/70 on the other hand was specifically selected for batch fermented beers in a wort with a gravity up to 1.080 that has had actual hop material boiled into it. It accentuates malt flavours, so is ideal for light to dark lagers, bock beers, German pilsners etc.

To me, there is no competition between the two. The only problem is, one costs 4 times as much as the other. If you are trying to produce a cheap product, I know which I'd choose... for a quality product on the other hand?

[Reviled]

Hauraki recently got in some 34/70, its not more expensive, around $7. I had no idea it was a dried version of 2124, interesting... Does it still perform the same way tho Jo?

[JackoNZ]

Agree the 34/70 is much more expensive (or was) I picked mine up from Mike at brewerscoop a few months back for like $14 each! I'm expecting great results!

Will now wait for someone to tell me it would have been cheaper to use the liquid!

[JoKing]

Wholesale, it is significantly more expensive than s-23. From memory half a kilo of s-23 is like $40 - $50. w34/70 is over $140.

They perform exactly the same as their liquid counterparts when properly rehydrated.

[Nick T]

Craftbrewer have twin packs of it, 2x12g for NZD$12 (called Weihenstephan in the catalogue). Plus postage of course, but combined with a few other products should be OK?

How does this (Weihenstephan aka 34/70 aka 2124) compare with 2001 or 2278? For a Boheminan Pilsner I am about to do I got the 2001, but they all have names that would suggest suitability for a bohemian? (ie 2124/Bohemian, 2001/Urquell, 2278/Czech). Or are you going to tell me I need to make 3 brews and try them all for myself...oh the travails of brewing... ;-)

[Reviled]

Nick best way to find out the differences is sadly to brew with all of em ;o) But as Jo said above apparantly 34/70 is the same as 2124 bohemian lager, so it will definately be suitable!

[bj]

Personally iv had great results with s-23 fermenting at 14-16 deg. I got a best in class Silver medal for a New World Pilsner with it.. Its cheap and easy, and IMO it makes great beer.

[denimglen]

2124 and 34/70 are the same strain I believe.

Edit - Ah, should have read further down, Joking beat me to it.

[denimglen]

John, if you want to brew a helles use that munich extract only, maybe even cut it with a bit of the bavarian pilsner extract.

Shoot for about 18 - 20 IBU, if you want to use nz hops try one of the NZ grown German types, like Pacifica or Hallertau aroma. I'd only add a 60 min addition.

You'll want about an OG of about 1.048.

Don't use crystal malt. With so little hops the beer will be sweet enough as it is, and for this style you kinda want a low-key malt character.

Don't worry about the step infusion mash - you only need that if you're brewing all grain.

If you're going to ferment cold - use the S23, but pitch a couple of packets, you'll need the higher number of cells, if you're going to ferment warm use SO5, even though it's an ale yeast it ferments quite clean.

If you decide not to use S23 you can ferment it a bit warmer and treat it like an ale strain, but it gets quite fruity - I used it to brew a California Common beer and it worked pretty well.

[John]

Sorry I am intending to use grain, maybe I should have made that clearer on the ingredients list. I'm not sure if that would change your advice, but I'm going to spend a bit of time looking at other recipes to adapt and have a go at beer smith. Thanks again. : )