Dry yeast for Kolsch?

[ziggy]

I am trying to make a kolsch style beer and I live in the deep south so there aren't many home brew stores where I can get liquid yeast. If I have it shipped express on ice it costs an arm and a leg.

Has anyone made anything close to a kolsch using dry yeast?

[ajdelange]

I'd advise biting the bullet and paying up. I can't off the top of my head, think of another beer whose qualities are so much in the yeast (well, maybe Weizen). It's just Pils malt with a handfull of wheat and modest fine hopping. Without that chardonay character from the yeast I just can't see it as a Kölsch.

[ziggy]

What I am trying to make is a light psuedo lager for people who usually drink nothing but bud light. I don't have the temp control to do a real lager so I have to try and get as close as I can. I made an authentic kolsch before and it was awesome. I'm just using that as a starting point.

Anyone had any success with either of the saflager strains S-23 or S34/70?

[thatguy314]

I'd buy it and learn how to bank it for future use. It'll let you have these strains when you need them. You should hook up with BayouBrew, who lives over in Shreveport. He's a great guy and he can explain what you need to do. And then you should buy him a few beers.

[Guido]

You need to use the real Kolsch yeast. It won't be the same without it. My first Kolsch was outstanding (I think). We had some brutally hot days here in PA, and I was able to ferment at 60F. I put the carboy in an Igloo cooler filled with chilled water and re-cycled ice packs and/or plastic soda bottles filled with frozen water. After a day or so, the temperature will stabilize. I gradually let it warm up to about 70F for a day or so at the end of fermentation.

[Phil_L]

K97 is dry Kolsch yeast.

[brewinhard]

As stated above, to get that true Kolsch character you really need to pony up and get the proper liquid yeast for it. With that being said (again....) you could probably get away with using fermentis S-23 and maybe US-O5 fermented at 60 deg. Both of those will give you a "pseudo" lager like character and will make a nice beer. Will it be a kolsch? No, but it will still make a good beer for yourself, friends, and family.