lager yeast - 830 and 940 - pretty close?

Ingredients
1

Hello,
I made a Vienna lager that was basically half pils and half Vienna and was trying to get close to Victoria (Mexican) Lager. 
Last night I did a tasting side by side and could not really tell the difference, they were very very close.

I used 34/70 dry yeast actually which is to be 830 yeast.
I was going to brew a few beers w/ 940 but the fact that my 830 Vienna beer tasted like Victoria brewed with what I assume was 940  were so close has me scratching my head and wondering if I should bother getting the 940 strain going.

So that all said… Can you all taste the difference between 830 (34/70) and 940 lager yeasts?

thanks haeffnkr

2

A friend who is a National judge and a pro, and I, could taste the difference in a split batch of CAP. The 940 was too clean for a CAP.

Try the 940, you might like it better, or not. You don’t know until you try it in your beer.

3

Yeah, 940 is extremely clean. Down side - not much classic European lager character. Up side- being so clean, it brings malt and hop character more to the forefront. Really good in some beers.

4

The styles that white labs says that applies to is american lagers and most german lagers.

https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-bank/wlp940-mexican-lager-yeast

I will try it again in some light lagers and see if I like it more than 830.

thanks Kevin

5

It’s a good strain, but not necessarily best suited in German lagers IMO. But try it out, it makes good beer regardless. Per its name it works really well in Mexican lagers, and IMO American lagers and hoppy /IPL lagers as well. Just my $0.02  .

6

In my comparison for the CAP, the deciding factor was that 830 tasted more German, more what the Brewers would have done at the time.

Locally, Wolverine State Brewing does all lagers, and they have narrowed the house yeast down to 940. I like their beers, and they have done well in some competitions with German styles, especially their Rauchbier.

7

Sounds like a good brewery. I read an article with the brewer from Jack’s Abby a couple years ago and IIRC he said he was using 940 for all their lagers at the time. It’s an under utilized strain IMO.

8

I use 940 almost exclusively, not because I dislike anything about 830, 833 etc but because it handles all american, International, and german styles quite well.  I have done a few side by sides with 940 and 830 and the differences are quite minor in my experience and I prefer 940 outright in my Vienna and Schwarzbier.

I have medaled with German Pilsners, Vienna / International Amber, and Schwarz this year all using 940.

They are both very good strains I would give 940 a try before dismissing it.

9

I can’t say without an actual side by side tasting, but I believe 830 and 940 should be very close.  W-34/70, on the other hand, I don’t think is much like 830 really.  :o