Dry Kolsch Yeast Recommendations

[govner1]

I’ve used the Lallemand Kölsch dry yeast for numerous batches with great success. It finishes quickly, cleanly and very clear.
You won’t be disappointed.

 

[Protos]

Kölsch is one of my favourite styles, I brew it often.

As it has been noted above, Fermentis K-97 is excessively tart and cloudy and my experience agrees with that.

Lalbrew Köln is much, much better. It's as clean and neutral as a Kölsch yeast should be, although it might be fussy sometimes in regard of the pitching rate and lag time. It clears well too, given the time. A perfect, very-high-quality beer could be made with it. I got my best results when I treated it like a Bottom-fermented yeast: pitch high, ferment cold, prolonged Lagering etc. It takes very well propagation, harvesting and repitching.

Mangrove Jack M54 Californian Lager. Despite the label, it's the same strain as Lalbrew's but with a twist: it's a wee bit more estery, giving an amazing whiff of pear. Clears and flocculates more readily than Lalbrew's. It gets even better when harvested and repitched. I like this yeast the most.

Some say Gozdawa German Old Ale yeast differs from all those and still makes a nice Kölsch. Haven't tried it yet, bought a sachet and will experiment with it in autumn.

I don't think any neutral English or, worse, Norwegian Farmhouse yeast could make a fair substitute for Kölsch yeasts. If anything, cold-fermented US-05 could be a bit closer substitution, just because it stems historically from the same German Ale yeast root.

I think Kölsch is too much of a style of its own to be successfully imitated just by the absence of fermentation character. It's not just a "top-fermented Pils", it must have some character, just an extremely delicate one, that is the trickiest part. Which is fully attainable with the available dry Kölsch yeasts choice.

 

[Draft Master Flash]

I've had quite a few of the real Kolsch's from Cologne and I think you pretty much have to take it for what it is. You can make a Kolsch that sort of tastes like an authentic one but regardless of what yeast you use you will never get it exact. I have used Koln yeast about 3 times and always pitched 2 packs per 5 gallons. The beer tasted good but if I was to compare it with an authentic Kolsch from Cologne, it just wouldn't quite pass. The time I brewed a Palmer Kolsch kit using W-30/70 the beer tasted the closest to a real Kolsch sort of close to Fruh although that beer took a long time to get to where it was really drinkable. I'll continue to brew Kolsch recipes but will never actually accept it as a real Kolsch regardless of what some beer competion judge's may think.

DMF

 

[monkeymath]

... but will never actually accept it as a real Kolsch

Mediocrely interesting piece of trivia:
"Kölsch" is in fact a term reserved for beer meeting certain criteria, including being brewed in Cologne. So you really can't get any closer than "Kölsch-style". Or maybe "Wiess".

 

[Volare]

I’ve used the Lallemand Kölsch dry yeast for numerous batches with great success. It finishes quickly, cleanly and very clear.
You won’t be disappointed.

I agree. And now of course it has been discontinued. SMH

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

recent discussion on alternatives at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/is-there-a-real-substitute-for-llalemand-kolsch-yeast.732125/

 

[Draft Master Flash]

I agree. And now of course it has been discontinued. SMH

I've heard from a couple of forums that Mangrove Jack's M54 dry yeast is the same as Koln yeast. Have yet to see but maybe worth a try.


DMF

 

[rtstrider]

I've heard from a couple of forums that Mangrove Jack's M54 dry yeast is the same as Koln yeast. Have yet to see but maybe worth a try.


DMF

That's their California lager strain. Logic says that would be the anchor strain but yeast company marketing is wonky so who knows lol

 

[dmtaylor]

Logic says...

Stop right there. When it comes to yeast strain origins, just don't even have this thought, kill the thought before it even starts.

 

[rtstrider]

Stop right there. When it comes to yeast strain origins, just don't even have this thought, kill the thought before it even starts.

Oh I know! Just because it's the yeast strain origin doesn't mean it's that exact strain. Yeast is a living organism that mutates so even a strain touted to be THE strain will be in the ball park...Sure...But will rarely be the exact strain lol