Omega Pilsner 1 and 2

[Brew252]

On their website, Omega states Pils 1 is the H(house?) strain for the famous Czech brewery(Urquell). For Pils 2 it is essentially the same first sentence but the call it the "D" strain. Anyone have any insight into what this means or what it is supposed to be an approximation of?

 

[Robert65]

Pilsner Urquell used to (like all breweries before modern microbiology) use a mixed culture, not a single yeast strain. Most brewers switched to pure yeast cultures soon after it was possible in the 19th century. Urquell used a multi cell culture until much later, although ultimately they were fermenting separate batches with the separate strains (up to 6 separate fermentations using open and closed fermentation and different strains) and blending the beers for packaging. Around 1990, they switched to modern unitanks and a single strain. H is the strain they ultimately chose from their original mix to be the only one now used in production. D was another of the strains in the old mix. (Interestingly, gene sequencing has shown H to be a cerevisiae strain closely related to Bavarian wheat beer strains, not pastorianus! At least that's the most current story...)

 

[Brew252]

Pilsner Urquell used to (like all breweries before modern microbiology) use a mixed culture, not a single yeast strain. Most brewers switched to pure yeast cultures soon after it was possible in the 19th century. Urquell used a multi cell culture until much later, although ultimately they were fermenting separate batches with the separate strains (up to 6 separate fermentations using open and closed fermentation and different strains) and blending the beers for packaging. Around 1990, they switched to modern unitanks and a single strain. H is the strain they ultimately chose from their original mix to be the only one now used in production. D was another of the strains in the old mix. (Interestingly, gene sequencing has shown H to be a cerevisiae strain closely related to Bavarian wheat beer strains, not pastorianus! At least that's the most current story...)

You are awesome! Thanks for the info. Any experience comparing the two aside from the website description?

 

[Robert65]

You are awesome! Thanks for the info. Any experience comparing the two aside from the website description?

Sorry, no, I've never used the D strain myself. I'm sure someone here has insight.

 

[Robert65]

Clarification: H strain is even closer to Kölsch strains (see as WLP800 in the dendrograph,) which makes sense. D strain (WY2278 here) is a lager yeast.

 

[brownni5]

Where did you find that dendrograph? As a biologist, I could stare at that thing for hours!

 

[couchsending]

Issue is Wyeast lists 2001 as the H strain, which you can see falls in the lager family tree...

 

[Robert65]

Where did you find that dendrograph? As a biologist, I could stare at that thing for hours!

Well then you'll just love this blog (the source) http://beer.suregork.com/


EDIT And I presume you've noticed this thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/interesting-genome-sequencing-of-some-yeasts.670056/

 

[Robert65]

Issue is Wyeast lists 2001 as the H strain, which you can see falls in the lager family tree...

There's been a lot of discussion about who mixed up what where and when. Obviously if 800 and 2001 are different, thay aren't both H. But H has long been known to be a cerevisiae, so Wyeast may have misidentified their yeast. This kind of thing happened a lot in the accession of strains by labs selling to home and craft brewers . Most of them came to the labs via chain of homebrewers banking and trading yeasts back in the early days.

 

[brownni5]

Well then you'll just love this blog (the source) http://beer.suregork.com/


EDIT And I presume you've noticed this thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/interesting-genome-sequencing-of-some-yeasts.670056/

Very cool - thank you!