I wouldnt want to ferment a lager yeast above 12*c personally, maybe some strains will let you get away with it but I wouldnt say that W34/70 will...
S-05 around 15*c or slightly higher will be your best bet I reckon, if you pitch at 14/15 the ambient temp from the fermentation should keep it warm enough to stop it dropping out overnight if it gets a bit colder...
I reckon even at 15*c the S-05 still isnt every going to be as crisp as a true lager strain, but for a good lawnmower beer that doesnt matter too much..
If you are tempted to try a lager yeast you could try putting the fermenter in a bucket with water, freeze a few PET bottles of water and circulate them, that way you should be able to easily keep the fermentation temp around 10*c
Haha fair enough, I usually am too, however IMO theres nothing better than reaching for a 1 or 2*c crisp lager on an extremely hot summers day - its just sooooo refreshing, almost like iced water haha
Haha, warra this isnt aussie, 29*c is extremely hot for NZ, we can be hot at a mere 25*c, our humidity is alot higher than in Aussie too (well in Auckland it is, I dont think wellington has any humidity :oP lol)
Looking to brew a Vienna Lager at the weekend with one minor problem: I can't get any Vienna malt in time.
Any ideas how to best substitute? I was thinking something like this:
Gladfield Pilsener Malt 3.842 kg 82.6 %
Global Munich Malt 0.746 kg 16.0 %
Bairds Chocolate Malt 0.063 kg 1.3 %
By my software that gives me 9 SRM at a 1.050 OG.
Also looking for hopping suggestions. I've got Czech Saaz, Motueka, and 20g of Hallertau that could go in.
Any ideas?