I decided to try out the “limited edition” El Modelo de Mayo, based on NB’s advertisements that they tweaked the recipe so that it could be brewed as an ale.
Nonetheless, the instructions for the kit recommend 2-3 weeks of lagering. I’ve been brewing for a decade, but I am not set up for cold conditioning (I prefer ales, and don’t have the space).
Anyone out there have any thoughts of suggestions? The Bohemian Lager Yeast (two Wyeast smack packs) has the added bonus of working with yeast nutrients, and I gave it a healthy dose of diffused O2 before sealing. Very active fermentation at 64-ish degrees… I’m happy to have used a blow off tube.
Admittedly, I should have read the instructions and asked before buying, but NB has always done well by me and it has been years since I’ve received conflicting information like this from them.
Okay, I eventually found a post in the General Forum that touches on using the Bohemian Lager Wyeast at ale temperatures.
Sounds like there is an episode of Brew TV that discusses keeping a Steam Beer using the same yeast in a cool spot of the house (low 60’s F), but I have not found the episode, yet.
My guess is the Modelo de Mayo should be OK at low ale temperatures. The instructions for the kit call for a long stay in the primary, but it seems to me to be a good idea to rack to a secondary once the initial fermentation is done, just to get it off the lager yeast since it won’t be cold conditioned.
If you don’t have the ability to lager, get is as cold as possible for as long as possible. A storage tub filled with water and lots of frozen water bottles can easily get you down to the 40s.
[quote=“theStove”]I decided to try out the “limited edition” El Modelo de Mayo, based on NB’s advertisements that they tweaked the recipe so that it could be brewed as an ale.
Nonetheless, the instructions for the kit recommend 2-3 weeks of lagering. I’ve been brewing for a decade, but I am not set up for cold conditioning (I prefer ales, and don’t have the space).[/quote]
I’m guessing the lagering period might be to let the rhino fart sulfur smell that most lager yeasts produce during fermentation get cleaned up. I’ve never used your particular yeast, so I’m not sure how bad it throws off sulfur during primary fermentation, but I would recommend getting that sucker down as low as possible in temp in your secondary. Someone above suggested frozen jugs of water in the tub, and I agree. It works. When one pair of jugs (did I just say that?) thaws out, put them back in the freezer, and have two more frozen and ready to go. Just keep swapping them back and forth and you should be able to get the secondary down to around 40ish.
There was a moderate sulfur smell during the (very active) first 36-48 hours of fermentation, but over the past five days, things have settled into a nice and not-too-smelly groove.
The small amount of information I’ve been able to find about the Bohemian Lager Yeast indicates that it should be fine into the upper 60’s. Rather than freak out and drop it into the 40’s, I’m going to chalk this one up as an experiment and see how well it works in the low-to-mid 60’s. I’ll post to let folks know how it turns out… just in case anyone else does a search on the yeast strain.
My batch of Modelo de Mayo turned out really great. The Bohemian Lager Yeast performs as well as people say it does at low ale temperatures.
It spent 10 days in the primary, 10 days in the secondary, and 7 days in bottles. The first 20 days had a temperature range of 64-68 degrees. No vegetables or fruit (DMS or esters) that I can detect. It is a very clean-tasting, malty “lager.”
Actually, it’s funny, but I went to see Iron Man 3 last night, and had a Kolsch at the movie theater. It was a perfectly fine Kolsch. Then, I got home and popped open a bottle of my Modelo that had been chilling since the morning. My extract Modelo de Mayo, brewed with lager yeast at ale temperatures, tasted better (to me) than the Kolsch from a semi-major regional brewery. (I know they’re somewhat different styles, but they have similarities, too.)
Anyway, I encourage folks to give the Bohemian Lager Yeast a shot. It gave me cause for concern early on, but it produced a very nice hybrid ale / lager in the end.
Outstanding!!! Glad your Modelo turned out great. It’s awesome when you worry about a particular batch, taste it, then realize you’ve made a damned good beer after all of the worrying! I have to admit that most of my beers taste better than what I can buy at a craft brew shop. I say most because I’ve messed a few up along the way, but I always learned from it and didn’t do it again… LOL
I’m currently doing a Dusseldorf Alt Bier, which is almost opposite of what you did. I am using an Ale yeast at close to lager fermentation temperatures, then lagering it for 6 weeks when it’s done fermenting.
I just kegged the Modelo after 49 days in primary, I didn’t do anything fancy and used dry yeast with 22 seconds of O2. I kept it at 65 and then I did cool it for the last 7 days at 43 and it turned out GREAT. I would suggest adding this to your line of kits. This is to good to serve once a year. :cheers:
Damn you all… Now I’m intrigued, and I have to try brewing ANOTHER type of beer! Thank God my better half is the understanding sort. I just bottled my Dusseldorf Altbier today, put my Munich Helles in the secondary, brewed “Travelin’ Man Pale Ale”, and might have to order this Modelo kit. Addicted to brewing??? Not me!!! :oops:
