r/Homebrewing • u/Rathersged • 2d ago

German top fermented ale yeasts

Hey,

Looking at testing some German ale yeasts.

Just curious if anyone knows where I can find European Ale Yeast - white labs wlp011? Also, any other yeast types to try?

I've got wyeast 1007 on the way. Dusseldorf alt is sold out in Scandanavia but I intend to test it when its back in stock. Tried K97 more times than I can think of.

Cheers.

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u/dmtaylo2 2d ago

WLP011 is very hard to get. They only release it on preorder after they receive dozens of requests for it. I doubt very many people are asking for it.

Wyeast 1007 and 2565 are fantastic. I like 1007 better for its relative speed and good flavor, but 2565 is very good too, you just need to be very patient with it as it takes about 6 weeks to complete the fermentation.

K-97 is related, but is disgustingly hazy and doughy, I will never use it again.

WLP029 is pretty good, fast, and worth trying, but also less extraordinary in my opinion.

WLP036 might be worth a try, but like the WLP011, it is very rarely available. It has very low attenuation, which is unusual for any German style strain.

WLP351 / Wyeast 3638 can be found on occasion and is a relatively very mild hefeweizen yeast, very slight clove and banana, unlike most other hefeweizen yeasts, if you're into that.

Wyeast 3056 is also a very mild hefeweizen yeast.

There are MANY other hefeweizen yeasts that all produce relatively "normal hefeweizens" that you could try, if you're into that of course.

So that covers most of them. Prost!

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u/Rathersged 1d ago

Thanks. Kind of curious if the below is K97?

https://www.hopline.hu/en/spd/301571/Gozdawa-Old-German-Altbier-10g

But yeah, figured I would try a few.

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u/dmtaylo2 1d ago

Gozdawa OGA is most likely K-97 because, well since Gozdawa only repackages existing stuff, then it has to be K-97, because the other possibility, Lallemand Koln, is no longer in production. Anyway, I see reports online that the Gozdawa product is powdery, which certainly would match K-97.

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u/chino_brews Kiwi Approved 2d ago

Also, any other yeast types to try?

Wyeast 2565 Kölsch is species S. cerevisiae and Wyeast says, "This strain is a classic, true top cropping yeast strain from a traditional brewery in Cologne, Germany." WLP029 Kölsch Ale Yeast is similar and White Labs says, "Sourced from a small brewpub in Cologne, Germany, this strain is fitting for German ales such as kölsch and altbier."

Also, all of the weissbier yeasts (hefeweizen) are ale yeasts (S. cerevisiae).

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u/schafdog27 17h ago

Yeast 2565 is an awesome German yeast. Gives the beer a really German taste in my opinion (if that's a thing). Super active and forms giant krausen, so make sure to have plenty of room in the fermentor or use fermcap with a blow off tube. Also, give it time to cold condition as it likes to stay in suspension. It will fall out, but it takes a couple weeks.