I'm planning to brew a California common "steam" beer. I will be using a bottom fermenting lager yeast, specifically Wyeast 2112 California Lager. This is intended for a warmer fermentation, up to 68 degrees(F). My question is, what will happen if I ferment at 70 degrees? Alternatively, I could move it outside, which would lower the average temperature, yet introduce far more variability. Bad idea? Or should I just give up and find some ale yeast?

I've made three batches with the same colony of WY2112, and each one of them has exhibited the same odd behavior. I pitch a good quantity of yeast into oxygenated wort at 65 degrees F. Within 24 hours I see yeast activity. In a couple more days, the krausen has risen to three or four inches. At this point I figure I've got a healthy fermentation. However, when I check the gravity after two weeks, I've only achieved around 50% …

I brewed a 16-gallon batch of my Lawnmower Lager, popped it into my Brewhemoth and inoculated it with 3 packets of Saflager S-23. My chilling solution isn't working as well as I'd hoped, and it's currently around 60F after about 16 hours - I've just got some bubbling in the blowoff. I expect it'll be in the mid-to-high 60's when I get home from work today due to fermentation kicking into high gear. I was hoping for 53-57F. I've got …