First lager attempt ended before starting?

[bone266]

Howdy all, I have a wee problem. My first lager (Yuengling clone extract Kit AHS) attempt and the boil went fine etc..etc.. but my yeast had been around a couple of months in my fridge. It was liquid White Labs wlp840. I tried making a starter of it but no activity, so I went to my LHBS and got a packet of dried yeast. The packet they handed me was supposed to be safbrew-23 so I went home and pitched it! Then it dawned on me that I didn't look too closely at what they gave me, so I grab the empty packet out of the trash and CRAP...... its safbrew-33. Am I correct in thinking that this has just turned my lager to an ale and not bother with the lagering I had intended to do? Its temp range is 55-75 F, so if I attempt a lager it will just cold crash right?

Let me know watcha think!

 

[WiseEyes]

s-33 is a english/Belgian ale yeast it will not lager, you have made yourself an ale.

 

[QuercusMax]

S-23 is a horrible yeast. You may have dodged a bullet. Aside from an infected batch, it made my worst beer ever. Helles tasted like grape soda. If you're going to do a dry lager yeast, w34/70 is probably your best bet. I've been told by my LHBS that s-23 isn't even a lager yeast at all.

 

[bone266]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I've made myself an expert on s-33 over the last couple of hours. Its not even that good of a yeast, the thing is barely fermenting after 24+ hours. Its working but at super slo-mo levels. The bright side is I don't have to wait 10 weeks to drink it!

 

[QuercusMax]

Maybe you'll end up with a Belgian Pale? Nothing wrong with one of those.

 

[bone266]

As long as its drinkable Ill be ok. Thanks for the heads up on the s-23 too. Most of what I've read about these 2 strains are mostly complaints about them. Maybe ill do a lager later this year.