Need a Substitute Yeast

I went to my LHBS to pick up a smack pack of Wyeast 2206 for my late O-fest that I will be brewing next weekend, and they were out of that and most other varieties of lager yeast. My question is this: out of the in-stock yeasts listed below, which would be the best substitute? I have to get one by tomorrow to have time for my starter.

2000 Budvar Lager
2007 Pilsen Lager
2001 Urquell Lager
2035 American Lager
2565 Kolsch
1007 German Ale
WLP001 California Ale

I went ahead and picked up some of the 2000, but I might just save it for a later brew if there is a better choice for my O-fest.

I think I would use either 2000 or 2001.  Maybe 2007.  But I wouldn’t use the rest of them for an o-fest if I could help it.

Of course, that’s assuming you have control over your fermentation temps. :wink:

Here’s what Wyeast recommends for Oktoberfests:   
    2124 - Bohemian Lager™
    2206 - Bavarian Lager
    2308 - Munich Lager™
    2633 - Octoberfest Lager Blend™

I use White Labs yeasts for my Ofests, but I checked the equivalent Wyeast strain and…

WLP830 German Lager Yeast = 2124 Bohemian Lager Yeast
WLP833 German Bock Yeast = 2487 Hella-Bock

I think you’ll be in real good shape with any of these yeast strains.

Guys, the only options are in the list.  Pick one. :slight_smile:

2000 Budvar Lager
2007 Pilsen Lager
2001 Urquell Lager
2035 American Lager
2565 Kolsch
1007 German Ale
WLP001 California Ale

Loosely quoting Denny “why brew if you have your malt and hops, but not your yeast?”

Denny really says that? :-\

I’m more of a “try it and see what happens” kind of person.  Who knows, you might make something great. :wink:

I believe this one is wrong on Kristen England’s chart.  2487 is supposedly the Samiclaus strain.  I think 833 is Ayinger.

2000 or 2001 should be fine.   2007 would be my last choice.

Well, Tom kinda paraphrased it…I was really referring to starters and said “If your yeast isn’t ready, you;re no more ready to brew than if you don’t have malt and hops”.  That said, I’m not enough of a “try it and see what happens” guy that I’d go for a vastly different ingredient.  But it looks like there are some reasonable choices on the OP’s list.

Oh, that’s different.  It is one thing to say “the yeast isn’t ready”, it is something else to say “I can’t get the exact strain I want”.

I would use a vastly different ingredient just to see what happens, but I wouldn’t expect it to taste traditional.  So you could make an o-fest with kolsch yeast, you just shouldn’t expect it to taste like an o-fest.

And if it didn’t taste like an Ofest, then you wouldn’t be making an Ofest, right?  You’d be making a malty beer using kolsch yeast.

Agreed, that’s why I said I wouldn’t use the rest for an o-fest. :slight_smile:

But in terms of short hand description, “o-fest with kolsch yeast” gives you a better idea of the flavor than “malty beer with kolsch yeast”, don’t you think?  Like “black IPA” is a good short hand description of the flavor of the beer, but a stupid name. ;D

Oh, crap.  Here we go…  :wink:

Just read about the Deschutes/Boulevard White IPA in Zymurgy…

Actually, no I don’t think so…at least it doesn’t work for me.  YMMV.

I prefer to make a beer style using the appropriate ingredients. Perhaps it’s the German in me. I wouldn’t try making an Ofest with Kolsch yeast as I think it would not turn out the way I wanted it and that’s just the way I roll.  ;D

That being said, I have used many Heinz 57 type recipes but with the intent of doing so. In other words, when using a mix and match of ingredients I expect a mix and match flavor. Most of the time I try to avoid this but it’s okay in a pinch.

The OP should understand that he will not get a classic flavor profile from the yeasts he’s listed. He will come close but no cigar. IMO. I’m considering the classic examples as the target. Now if he’s okay with something close then I would go with the 2001 as it will lend a more balanced profile. Rich maltiness is the key here.

That’s fine.  You’re just probably not thinking about it the same way I am.  If you were, you’d agree with me  :wink: ;D

Saying it is an o-fest with kolsch yeast tells me what kind of malt to expect - Vienna and probably some Munich character, no caramel or roast.

Just saying malty can mean a lot of things, so you’ve got to describe it further if you want me to be able to imagine what it tastes like.

There’s a new nano in Indianapolis brewing a “Cascadian Light Ale”. ;D

That’s too funny.  :slight_smile:

But if it tastes great and it sells, then it doesn’t matter what you call it.  :wink:

Thanks for the feedback guys. I am going with the 2000. I wish I had the proper yeast, but I have a bunch of coworkers who will be joining me for brew day this weekend, and I can’t really move the date. As long as it tastes like a good “autumn” beer, I don’t care too much about it truly being an O-fest. By the way, here is my recipe:

4 lbs Vienna
3 lbs Munich
2.5 lbs Pilsner
.5 lb Carapils
.5 lb Caramunich
.25 lb Melanoidin
1.5 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 4% (60 min)
0.5 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 4% (20 min)

single infusion @153, batch sparge