Urquell Yeast for a Bock?

I have a beautiful Pilsener Urquell 2001 yeast cake from a 1.040 OG american pilsener available, and I was thinking about throwing a 1.070 OG bock on it? This being my 4 th lager I don't have all that much experience in the differences between yeast strains, but I am assuming this would be tasty.

Thoughts?

permo said:

I have a beautiful Pilsener Urquell 2001 yeast cake from a 1.040 OG american pilsener available, and I was thinking about throwing a 1.070 OG bock on it? This being my 4 th lager I don't have all that much experience in the differences between yeast strains, but I am assuming this would be tasty.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

Sounds good to me.

Pretty much all the lager yeasts are very neutral & clean -- no esters or phenols from them. This means that they substitute pretty easily. The only major differences are 1) that some tend to accentuate malt while others accentuate hops, and 2) attenuation. Wyeast 2001 attenuates better that many of the typical Southern German bock yeasts (WL830, 833 etc.), so you might take that into account with mash temperature.

I also feel like mentioning, if you havent noticed already, that lagers seem to age REALLY well and only get better with time (3-4 months anyway).

The maibock I made last spring was boring after the first 6 weeks of lagering, but after a couple months in the keg it was sublime.

I kegged my maibock a month ago and will first tap it in May. I bet it will be fantastic after half a year of cold aging.

This bock will recieve a similar treatment

10 gallon batch

12 pounds pilsen
12 pounds munich
1 pound aromatic
1 pound C80
.50 pound chocolate
25 IBU magnum at 90
Mash at 154
OG should hit 1.065 or more
Ferment and pitch at 48-50 degrees.
4-5 week primary fermentation and keg.

I "trust the yeast", no diacytel rest with extented primary.

Personally I do a short diacytel rest because I am very sensitive to it.

3-4 days @65F just before the krausen drops.