Kolsch with safale s-05?

I"m down to a case of kolsch, and I love the stuff so I want to do another batch, all grain, and keg this time.

last time I did a wyeast kolsch activator pack. this time I wanted to try dry yeast as I hear several of you stick to dry yeast except for specific styles.

would Safale s-05 be appropriate? the specs say it gives a clean finish, and I can control my fementation temps well enough to keep it under 70F to avoid accidental esters.

any comments on this yeast? it made a decent Irish red ale from an extract kit a couple months ago.

I think it would work, but it won't be a true kolcsh. You could just buy one smack pack of Kolsch yeast and reuse a couple of times or for different beers.

i don't think it will be a true kolsch. a kolsch uses a "hybrid" strain...basically a lager yeast that works well at high temperatures (or is it vice-versa?)

anyway...safale-05 might work well at lower temperatures but an actual kolsch yeast but will probably have a different flavour profile

This is a good opportunity to get on my dry vs liquid soap box. If you are just making beer the dry will do just fine (I am told). But if you want to make a classic example of a particlular style you need to use the yeast for that style. It isn't that dry will make bad beer, it just won't have the specific characteritics for the individual styles you may want to create. Kolsch is such a delicate style I would say pop for the liquid and don't look back.

That's not much of a soapbox, BP - I think you're basically preaching to the masses.

For basic styles - American pale ales and IPAs, English pale ales, brown ales, porters, etc. where the yeast is not a significant element of the style, dry is great. When it's a key element of the style (kolsch, hefeweizen, Belgian styles), you've got to spring for the liquid.

As one of the main advocative of dried yeasts here, I'm 100% in agreement with BP. Actually, I think we are basically in agreement across the board, I just don't make many batches that require special yeasts.

A proper Kolsch needs a proper Kolsch yeast. And a proper Kolsch yeast needs a proper long-term cool condition. If you can't get that secondary down to below 60 degrees for a month or more (preferable like 45-55 degrees), go ahead and use the dry yeast and make yourself a nice crisp pils style ale.

Now that everyone has said it, I feel that you can't have kolsch without kolsch yeast and a long, cool, secondary conditioning.

Thanks for the feedback. I will stick with another smackpack of the Wyeast Kolsch, and save the safale for a more 'generic' brew. I'll only try to save cash if it doesn't have an impact on the final beer. My first kolsch was great with the Wyeast....this time I'll wash it and save some for another day to off-set the price.

What about the Safale K-97? It's a suppose to be a German ale strain that looks similar to WLP026 German Ale/Kolsch.

hmmm, I'll have to look into that. my LHBS only stocks s-05 and one of the lager strains. i'll have to put this on a web order sometime and test it out.