Emergency: Wine yeast okay for beer?

I'm halfway thru brewing a Witbeer extract (kit) and just realized that whoever put the kit together forgot the yeast . I have two packs of Lalvin EC-118 wine yeast in the fridge. Can I use one or both of them?

I wouldn't- champagne yeast would give you a very dry unbeerlike result, I'd guess. I Know that some brewers make high gravity ales, though, and use it to finish up a fermentation. Maybe one of them could weigh in and give you a better answer.

No, that Lalvin yeast will ferment your beer too dry. No LHBS to pick up some other yeast from?

LHBS is closed on Sunday, as is everything here in the bible belt, and is 35 miles away. Guess I'm screwed. The LHBS is the one that put the kit together. Gonna be looking for a refund plus on this one.

Also brewing a Weisenbier so at least the day is not a total loss. Bummer though - just finished building my basement brewery and this is the inaugural brew day.

Thanks for the replies.

Just thinking....will the wort hold until tomorrow until i can get some yeast?

unakabrew said:

Just thinking....will the wort hold until tomorrow until i can get some yeast?

Click to expand...

Yes. Just make sure you are completely on top of your santiziation procedures this time around. If you get yeast in there within 24 hrs you should be good.

I have had this experience with extract brews where I was unable to cool the wort sufficiently and had to wait until after work the next day to pitch.

Thanks Blacklab. I just finished getting it all ready. Went ahead and sealed the bucket and inserted airlock. I Starsaned the crap out of everything so hopefully sanitation will be okay.

I have a keg setup with a 20lb Co2 tank but can't see a way to easily purge the oxygen from the fermenter bucket. I'm tired anyway and still have to bottle some Sorghum Stout from a keg so I think I'll just leave it and hope for the best.

Just me, but I would have given it a try. A while back there was a thread from a guy in a similar predicament and he used bread yeast. His beer came out very well, according to his report.