Kölsch and Altbier Yeast List

For a master list of all beer yeasts, check out my primer on yeast.

Kölsch and Altbier

True to their style, Kölsch yeasts have good attenuation and lend the beer a crisp, clean finish, while giving profile to the malt/cereal characteristics that makes Kölsch a German favourite. Altbiers are darker than Kölsch and yield a smooth brew with medium carbonation and a good balance between malts and hops. Whether your’re going light or dark, you’ll need one of these strains to make your very own German ale.

Wyeast American Wheat 1010

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Low
  • Attenuation: 74-78%
  • Temperature: 58-74°F, 14-23°C
  • Flavour: A strong fermenting, true top cropping yeast that produces a dry, slightly tart, crisp beer. Ideal for beers where low ester profile is desirable.

Wyeast German Ale 1007

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Low
  • Attenuation: 73-77%
  • Temperature: 55-68°F, 13-20°C
  • Flavour: A true top cropping yeast with low ester formation and a broad temperature range. Fermentation at higher temperatures may produce mild fruitiness. This powdery strain results in yeast that remains in suspension post fermentation. Beers mature rapidly, even when cold fermentation is used. Low or no detectable diacetyl.

Wyeast Kölsch 2565

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Low
  • Attenuation: 73-77%
  • Temperature: 56-70°F, 13-21°C
  • Flavour: This strain is a classic, true top cropping yeast strain from a traditional brewery in Cologne, Germany. Beers will exhibit some of the fruity character of an ale, with a clean lager like profile. It produces low or no detectable levels of diacetyl. This yeast may also be used to produce quick-conditioning pseudo-lager beers and ferments well at cold 55-60°F (13-16°C) range. This powdery strain results in yeast that remain in suspension post fermentation. It requires filtration or additional settling time to produce bright beers.

Wyeast Kolsch II 2575-PC

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Low
  • Attenuation: Medium
  • Temperature: 55-70°
  • Flavour: Seasonal Availability. This authentic Kolsch strain from one of Germany’s leading brewing schools has a rich flavor profile which accentuates a soft malt finish. It has Low or no detectable diacetyl production and will also ferment well at colder temperatures for fast lager type beers.

White Labs Belgian Lager WLP815

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Medium
  • Attenuation: Medium
  • Temperature: 50-55°F, 10-12°C
  • Flavour: Clean, crisp European lager yeast with low sulfur production. The strain originates from a very old brewery in West Belgium. Great for European style pilsners, dark lagers, Vienna lager, and American style lagers. Available Jan-Feb.

White Labs Dusseldorf Alt WLP036

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Medium
  • Attenuation: 65-72%
  • Temperature: 65-69°F, 18-20°C
  • Flavour: Traditional Alt yeast from Dusseldorf, Germany. Produces clean, slightly sweet alt beers. Does not accentuate hop flavor as WLP029 does.

White Labs European Ale WLP011

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Medium
  • Attenuation: 65-70%
  • Temperature: 65-70°F, 18-21°C
  • Flavour: Malty, Northern European-origin ale yeast. Low ester production, giving a clean profile. Little to no sulfur production. Low attenuation helps to contribute to the malty character. Good for Alt, Kolsch, malty English ales, and fruit beers.

White Labs German Ale/Kölsch WLP029

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Medium
  • Attenuation: 72-78%
  • Temperature: 65-69°F, 18-20°C
  • Flavour: From a small brewpub in Cologne, Germany, this yeast works great in Kölsch and Alt style beers. Good for light beers like blond and honey. Accentuates hop flavors, similar to WLP001. The slight sulfur produced during fermentation will disappear with age and leave a super clean, lager like ale.

East Coast Yeast Kölschbier ECY21

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: High
  • Attenuation: 75-78%
  • Temperature: 58-66°F, 14-19°C
  • Flavour: Limited availability. Produces a clean lager-like profile at ale temperatures. Smooth mineral and malt characters come through with a clean, lightly yeasty flavor and aroma in the finish.

Mangrove Jack Workhorse Beer Yeast

  • Type: Dry
  • Flocculation: Medium
  • Attenuation: High
  • Temperature: 59-68°F, 15-20°C
  • Flavour: A top fermenting yeast which produces a clean, crisp flavour suitable for a wide variety of styles with different fermenting temperatures. This versatile yeast is well suited to making cask or bottle conditioned beer.

Siebel Inst. Alt Ale BRY 144

  • Type: Liquid
  • Flocculation: Medium
  • Attenuation: High
  • Temperature: 59-68°
  • Flavour: Full flavoured, but clean tasting with estery flavour.