Oktoberfest with Kolsch yeast?

Grains, malts, hops, yeast, water and other ingredients used to brew. Recipe reviews and suggestions.

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Ed K
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Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 10:06 pm

Oktoberfest with Kolsch yeast?

Post by Ed K »

Hi,
I just brewed kolsch with whitelabs wlp029 and I was wondering if anyone ever tried an octoberfest with this yeast or one like it.

Ed
Raydownunder
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Post by Raydownunder »

Hi Ed

The Kolsch yeast is an ale yeast that does give you a lager type ale. I wouls ferment this yeast at 16C (65F) for 2 weeks and do a diacetal rest at 20C for 1 week. An Octoberfest yeast is a true lager yeast fermented at 12C which will give you a nice malt flavour. The Kolsch yeast will make the octoberfest beer too clean and not as malty but an interesting beer.
Hope this helps
Ray
Ed K
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Post by Ed K »

Ray,
Thanks, I appreciate the information.

Ed
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KBrau
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Worth a shot

Post by KBrau »

Remember that by brewing your own beer you are free to try anything you want, because you do not have to worry whether or not it will be well received by the public. If people stopped experimenting after the first beer was brewed we would only have one variety of beer right now. Give it a shot with your Koelsch yeast and don't forget to tell us how it comes out. Good luck.

Rich
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Mesa Maltworks
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Kolsch = Altbier strain....

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

Kolsch is a type of Altbier and the yeast traditionally used to brew both exhibits a morphology and performance that has recently led to speculation that this yeast was originally a lager strain that through adaptation and mutation somewhere along the line began performing like an ale yeast. As the matter of fact, there is very recent research that suggests that all brewing yeast strains originated as ale yeasts and the conditions that they were fermented under changed their performance to what we know today.

Another yeast, the California Common strain, has been variously referred to as an ale yeast, a hybrid yeast and now is labeled as a lager yeast since I have been a pro-brewer. So... the facts are not all in regarding questions such as these. Empirical performance data is our only guide.

The advantage of strains labeled as "Alt" or "Kolsch" is that they can be fermented at 60 degrees and impart more of a lager like flavor than an ale like flavor. Using these strains to produce lagers has an advantage in homebrew settings since they produce far less sulfur than typical lager strains which mean that they will condition quicker. At temperatures above this, however, they will start to produce ale like esters which defeats the purpose.


Eric
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