Wyeast 2487-PC Hella-Bock Yeast?

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khiddy

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Has anyone tried the Wyeast 2487-PC seasonal release? This is a different strain than their standard Hella-Bock (which is the Ayinger strain, same as WLP833), according to information in another thread. The description of Wyeast 2487-PC is that it's malt-forward and good for Marzens, so I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this?

I am looking to reproduce the Augustinerbrau Marzen from Salzburg. I brought a bottle of the Augustiner Marzen back with me in September, and cultured the yeast that was left in the bottle. I've built a 300mL starter this week from that culture, which obviously is not enough to inoculate a batch of lager (Mr Malty says I need 380 billion cells for a 5-gal batch, or 2L starter). I can attempt to step it up tonight to pitch tomorrow afternoon, but without a stir plate, this could be tough to get done in time!

So I thought I'd just supplement my 300mL with an entire Activator XL pack of the Wyeast 2487, which will get me close to the recommended pitching rate. Obviously, that means that I'm going to have at best a hybrid yeast, rather than a pure culture of the Augustiner yeast, but since the description of the Wyeast sounds like what I am aiming for in characteristics for my finished beer, I'm hoping for good results. Any ideas?
 
they don't have a "standard" hella bock. 2487 is their Hella Bock. Wyeast has a -PC at the end, but at retail (northern brewer's site, for example) they don't include the PC.

what i'm trying to say is, 2487 = 2487-PC.
 
Thank you for the information.

Am I the only person trying this yeast this year? I've seen nothing about it, and I had a MARVELOUSLY FAST fermentation with it (4 days from 1.061 to 1.014, now down to 1.010), and no diacetyl at all. It's in secondary for another week, then into the keg to lager.

Y'all are missing out! This is an amazing performer!
 
This is a different strain than their standard Hella-Bock (which is the Ayinger strain, same as WLP833), according to information in another thread.
As moto said there is just the one 2487. The PC-2487 Hella-Bock is not the Ayinger strain. I e-mailed the owner of the KotMF and mentioned this and was told that they were aware of this and a few other corrections that needed to be made but hadn't got around to it yet.

EDIT: I did not get any of the 2487 but instead decided to try the PC-2782 Staropramen yeast but it's still in the smack pack and I won't get to it until January.
 
Yeah, I saw your thread when I was originally searching for any information on the Wyeast PC release.

The Wyeast 2487 is actually from Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg in Austria, where they make Samichlaus Bier (among other brews). Of course, Samichlaus used to be made in Switzerland at Hurlimann until they closed, and now Eggenberg has picked it up, but there's no information on whether this particular yeast strain is the same as the vintage Hurlimann. I have some bottles of Samichlaus dating back to 2004, but at 14%ABV, it is quite impractical to harvest any yeast from the bottle that isn't pretty tired.

I'm just amazed at the lack of folks trying this particular Wyeast PC release.
 
Yeah, I saw your thread when I was originally searching for any information on the Wyeast PC release. I kinda laughed when I saw that you'd not heard of Samichlaus. It's only one of the most famous strong beers in the world!
I'm totally in the dark on commercial beers, domestic or not. Basically, I brew what I drink and drink what I brew. I almost never buy beer and haven't even heard of most.:)
 
(I realized after I originally responded that my last comment might look mean, so I went back and edited it out!)

I only discovered Samichlaus on accident while cruising the beer aisle at my local very-well-stocked grocery store. Since then, I've made a point of picking up a bottle or two of Samichlaus each year, so that I can cellar one and try the other. I've even seen it on tap at one of the local pubs, where they serve it in 8-oz pours for obvious reasons (at 14%ABV, you're not going to want much more than one!).
 
I thought about using Hella for a Maibock. My only hesitation is that it has a comparatively low attenuation, and I want a very dry beer.

I've never heard of Samichlaus either.
 
So, khiddy, how did your Marzen ultimately turn out using the WY2487? I've got a Munich Dunkel and a Smoked Traditional Bock planned to brew in the next couple of weeks and had thought about using this yeast. I normally would choose WY2206 as I love the reults I get from it. But the WY2487 sounds like it might be worth a try!

... Samichlaus... I've made a point of picking up a bottle or two of Samichlaus each year, so that I can cellar one and try the other.

I do this each year, too. I grab a 4-pk each year. I'll take one out and leave the rest in the fridge. Then I'll grab one of each previous year I've collected and have a vertical tasting with friends or relatives. It has suttle changes from year to year. Michael Jackson (the late beer writer, not the late singing pedophile) first brought it to my attention when I read an article he penned about it years ago. So far this year, I have only found the Helles (red label) at my local liquor store, not the traditional Samichlaus doppelbock (dark brown label).
 
My marzen has been lagering in the fridge for the past four weeks after it went from primary directly to the keg, and tomorrow (Christmas Eve) is when I will be tapping it. The hydro samples all tasted marvelous, very crisp and clean, with a lovely maltiness. I'll definitely give a report.
 
My marzen has been lagering in the fridge for the past four weeks after it went from primary directly to the keg, and tomorrow (Christmas Eve) is when I will be tapping it. The hydro samples all tasted marvelous, very crisp and clean, with a lovely maltiness. I'll definitely give a report.
Okay, please do. Thanks. I went to the LHBS at lunchtime and they did not have the WY2487. He said they ordered it for somebody, but it hadn't arrived. So, I went with my standby WY2206. Northern Brewer is out of stock on it and Austin Homewbrew doesn't show it. Brewmaster's Whse shows it in stock. I'd still like to give it a try, so I might just order it from them.
 
Yeah, it was a seasonal release, listed as available only October-December 2009, so if it's not in stock, it may be that they're out and won't get it back until Wyeast decides to roll it out again. That's the concept behind the "PC" releases - short-time, specialty yeasts. I really wish I'd gotten in on the Wyeast 1450-PC, Denny's Favorite 50, which is a private strain from a local homebrewer here in Oregon, Denny Conn. But I've seen no word yet of what the next PC releases will be.
 
Okay, so I just drank a half-liter from the lagered keg, and... WOW! It had a great maltiness, a full mouthfeel, and yet it was quite crisp. This beer was VERY reminiscent of the Augustinerbrau Marzen that I was attempting to clone. No diacetyl noted, but I did perform a 24-hour D-rest at the end of fermentation even though I couldn't detect any at that time, on the advice of some smart folks here on HBT.

This was the first lager that I've ever made, and I was able to rely on ambient temperatures for the primary and secondary fermentation due to a lucky spell of weather in Portland. In spite of this serendipitous situation, I would say that, given my very fast fermentation with this particular strain (reached expected terminal gravity on day 4), I would definitely use Wyeast 2487 again when/if it is released.

FYI, my recipe for this beer is listed here. I actually used Briess Dry Pilsner Malt Extract rather than the Pilsner LME listed on the hopville page (the DME isn't in the database). And the yeast was the Wyeast 2487, not the 2633 - again, not in the hopville database.
 
Am I the only person trying this yeast this year? I've seen nothing about it, and I had a MARVELOUSLY FAST fermentation with it (4 days from 1.061 to 1.014, now down to 1.010), and no diacetyl at all. It's in secondary for another week, then into the keg to lager.

Y'all are missing out! This is an amazing performer!

I decided to get the Hella-Bock yeast and since the pack was slightly swelled I decided to use it first instead of the Staropramen yeast. I have only made a starter and just stepped it up last night but if both of these starter steps are any indication you are soooo right about it being fast. And it started UBER fast. The first step started within a few hours and last night when I dumped the wort in it was about to foam over the stirplate less than an hour later! Because it's so fast I jumped the gun on the yeast starter a little because it was already done this morning and I won't brew until Saturday. I like to let lager yeast starters sit at 50 F for at least 24 hours before pitching anyway.

I plan to make a Vienna for the first batch and then a Maibock with the cake.:mug:
 
Any more updates? I just picked up some of this to get a starter going and am planning on using it in a Marzen, or a Pilsner, or maybe a Bock. Interested to see what everyone thinks.
 
I made the Marzen, a Schwarzbier and a Traditional bock with it. The bock was excellent, the others could be better. I've made better ones with safleger 34/70. I'd buy this yeast again just to try to make a bock that good again.
 
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