Lager Recipe with an ale yeast

[demail]

Hi,

I'm just curious. What happens if you brew a lager type recipe with an ale yeast? Can this be done.

I have a Young's Harvest Pils kit can I still brew this without having to bring my temps down to lager brewing temps?

I'm very new to all this so any help would be apprciated. My final goal after I practice with a kit or two is to brew a lager type beer but I dont have the equipment to keep the fermentation at lower temps can I brew a lager type beer with an ale yeast?

Thanks.

[BarryNL]

Hi,
I'm just curious. What happens if you brew a lager type recipe with an ale yeast?

You brew an ale.

No problem - it should turn out a little sweeter and more full-bodied than the lager would have done, a bit like a summer ale in fact - or maybe a Kolsch.

[demail]

So basically a recipe for lager fermented with an ale yeast at ale temps will give me a light ale? Similar to a lager with more body and a bit sweeter is this correct?

[Barley Water]

Generally speaking, the higher the fermentation temperature (whether using a lager or an ale yeast), the more esters, phenols and if high enough, fusel alcholols will end up in your beer. I can think of strains of ale yeast that will attenuate better than some lager strains so I don't know that I would agree with the statement that the beer will necessarily be sweeter. For instance, Wyeast 1007 which is an alt strain is known to attenuate very well. It also works at colder temperatures which is why the Germans use it to make Alt Bier. Every summer, I make a Saison which is fermented about 80F and that stuff can get pretty dry (if I am lucky that is).

If you want a "lager type" ale, I would be very selective about which yeast I used. If you think you could ferment around 60F, maybe the afore mentioned Alt strain would work well for you (another alternative would be a Kolsch strain if you can keep temperatures down). American ale yeast Wyeast 1056 will also do a pretty good job at somewhat warmer temperatures (say 65F or so). Another idea may be the California Common strain (I forget the number) which is actually a lager yeast that works well at warmer temperatures. At the end of the day thought, if you ferment warmer, it is almost impossible to avoid at least some fruity esters.

You will also want to pitch a pretty big quanity of yeast and oxigenate well. The more you stress the yeast, the more "unlager" type by products will be thrown off so you want to treat the little guys well. The more I participate in this hobby, the more I believe that yeast handling is important to most styles and absolutely critical to several including Weizens, Belgians and of course lagers.

[BarryNL]

So basically a recipe for lager fermented with an ale yeast at ale temps will give me a light ale? Similar to a lager with more body and a bit sweeter is this correct?

Kind of - as BW pointed out, some ale yeasts do produce very lager like ales - I'd defy most people to tell Kolsch and lager apart in a blind tasting. But typical ale yeasts like S-04 will normally be a bit less attenuative than lager yeasts and perhaps a bit more fruity depending on temperature.