Have any of you guys messed around with Danish Lager yeast. According to the Wyeast website, it should be good for American typle light lager (which I am not bothering with), Munich Helles and CAP’s. Could you use this stuff for say Octoberfests?
Yes and No. It is a european lager yeast, so it is not going to be like making a Festbier with a London ale strain. And if it mentions Helles as a style it is not way off.
However, the Danish strain does tend to accentuate the hop side of the profile, as well as finishing “crisp” and dry with low flocculation.
Something like an Octoberfest is going to benefit from a yeast that accentuates malt character and sweetness. Both the Munich and Bavarian strains for instance do this specifically and flocculate at a higher range.
So you could make a fairly nice amber lager beer with it, but it may not bring out all the malt character you could be looking for. Of course all of these characteristics can be very subtle. Not sure how nerdy you are looking to get over it.
So easy answer…go for it. Unless a better option is available.
I like the Danish strain for simple, light lagers. It works nicely with a CAP for instance. In the case of an Oktoberfest I would strongly suggest one of the Southern German/Munich yeasts instead. IMO they better emphasize the body and maltiness of the Festbier style.
