# 2278 Czech Pils Yeast



## DaveR (16/6/04)

Has anyone tried this strain, 2278 Czech Pils Yeast. I just did a batch with this yeast and it is realy nice.

2278 Czech Pils Yeast. Classic pilsner strain from the home of pilsners for a dry, but malty finish. The perfect choice for pilsners and all malt beers. Sulfur produced during fermentation dissipates with conditioning. Flocculation - med.. to high; apparent attenuation 70-74%. (50-58 F, 10-14 C)


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## Gulf Brewery (16/6/04)

DaveR

I used this for a while, then the While Labs 800 and 830 (pilsner and german lager yeasts). I have come back to the 2278 because I think it has a maltier profile too.

Cheers
Pedro


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## Batz (16/6/04)

I have one in the fridge , as yet not smacked

Used 2007 Pilsen and liked that , I think the 2278 maybe better , I am a lover of malty beers


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## Justin (17/6/04)

I just bought the same two yeast as Batz did above, 2007 and 2278, but as yet I'm yet to use them. The 2007 is smacked and in a starter that I'm planning to do Doc's James Squire Pilsner with. Will have to think up another pilsner to use the 2278 on. Same deal as Batz too though, I love a malty beer. 

Justin


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## warrenlw63 (17/6/04)

Wyeast 2278 is a good yeast.

I've used it quite a few times. Makes a great Pils. Also is fairly temperature tolerant. This means if your fermentation conditions aren't ideal for lagers. A couple of degrees higher than recommended temps don't seem to effect this yeast as bady as some other Lager/Pils strains.

You can probably ferment at 15c with this yeast and still make an OK (but not perfect) lager.

Warren -


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## JasonY (20/6/04)

ok I grabbed a pack of 2278 on friday and smacked it for an oktoberfest I want to try tomorrow. Now this is the first lager yeast I have used and the pack aint in a hurry to swell. Date is Apr so I would expect maybee a few days (only been 2 now). 

Anyway just a general question about lager yeasts ... are they slower to ferment in general? If thats the case I should get my starters happening a few days earlier than usual.

Looks like this smack pack will just get dumped into the fermenter, will have to harvest from there.

Any tips with this yeast, was going to ferment at about 12degC and take it from there.


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## johnno (20/6/04)

I got a 2007 yesterday morning from Grain and Grape. One of the new packs with the 100 million ? billion cells? Smacked it about 12-1 pm.
It was ready to go last night. I was brewing today and had to wait.
These are designed to be ready within an hour and a half.

cheers


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## warrenlw63 (20/6/04)

Johnno,

Depends on your pitching and fermentation temps. If you are going to pitch at a higher than ideal lager temp. then you should be OK (wouldn't do it myself though because of excess diacetyl). If you are going to pitch at a low temp. (15c or lower). I'd err on the side of caution/patience and make a reasonable starter.

JasonY,

Lager yeasts aren't any slower than ale yeasts per se. If you ferment them at ale temps. then yes, they'll ferment just as quickly, at a cost in flavour. Lagers take longer than ales by virtue of the fact that they're fermented at 10c (or sometimes a little lower).

Rule of thumb is basically to pitch twice as much for a lager as an ale and pitch at a lower temp. I always allow twice the time to get my starters in order for lagers and step them up more patiently

Warren -


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## JasonY (20/6/04)

Alrighty then, the pack isn't looking spectacular but there is an oktoberfest being sparged as I type so this baby is going in tonight. Will pitch at 25deg and throw it in the freezer set at 12deg so it will have a few hours before it gets to lager temps so the yeast will hopefully take advantage of that 

Next time I will have to be more prepared.


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## DaveR (20/6/04)

JasonY,

Mine took 3-4 days. I think they say to add 1 day extra for each extra month. It's just getting ready for it's purpose in life, the oktoberfest.


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## johnno (20/6/04)

g'day warren,
I'm no expert and This is only the second Wyeast I've purchased but i think these new packs have the extra yeast cells so you dont need to use a massive starter.
I pitched at 16c at 2.30 today. 
I even kept a bit and made a starter so I can make another lager.
The fermenter has a lot of condensation on the lid and the airlock is just about to start bubbling. Its at 14c now. The starter is going really well too and that was minimal what I used there.

cheers


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## Jovial_Monk (20/6/04)

hehehehehehe a customer wanted to buy 1278 Scottish

tried to follow instructions re smacking the new blue packs

yeast EVERYWHERE! Be careful smacking the new packs!!

In fact, just pitch into a starter I reckon

Jovial Monk


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## Darren (21/6/04)

Jovial_Monk said:


> hehehehehehe a customer wanted to buy 1278 Scottish
> 
> tried to follow instructions re smacking the new blue packs
> 
> ...


 The whole idea of this larger size pack is to make them "pitchable". The yeast in these packs have been grown under optimal conditions (pure oxygen, nutrients, etc). They are ready to go.
If you pitch one of these packs directly into a small, poorly airated starter you are likely to end up with less healthy yeast than was in the pack. One of those packs will fully ferment a starter in hours. Probably even foam out the top of your starter resulting in a loss of cells too.
If you are going to make a starter just buy a small smack-pack of yeast.


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## Jovial_Monk (22/6/04)

hmmmm not wishing to be totally picky pedantic prick, but the packs do contain nutrient saches and instructions on how to "punch" them.

Not saying you are wrong, just WTF Wyeast dont leave out the nutrients and advise to pitch straight into the beer?

I do stock the small sachets for the more popular WYeasts.

Jovial Monk


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## JasonY (22/6/04)

Well back to the subject of 2278, I think I managed to murder the little buggers  there goes $15 worth of yeast! 

Be warned if you put them on electronic equipt the packs can get a little too warm!  

If there is no action tonight when I get home it will be 48hrs since pitching so I will be turfing the backup dried lager yeast


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## Jazman (22/6/04)

i was there at the shop when it happend even the same happend with luke doing it was funny


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## Scooby Tha Newbie (27/2/14)

Small bump. 

I just put a starter on with this yeast. 
It was a old pack 12/6/12. This pack took 6days to swell. 
I made a dextrose and light malt starter (1.028).
My question is do I need to treat the yeast a certain way?
I understand it needs a low temp ferment. But any other advice?


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## manticle (27/2/14)

Don't put dex in a starter.


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## Weizguy (27/2/14)

G'day Scoob,

I think your bump was a thread resurrection. Well Done! Good to see people doing the reseaerch before posting.

Low temp is for fermenting beer, and warmer/ ale temps are better for yeast numbers. Depending on your final ferment temp, wort size and wort strength, I recommend you consult the Mr Malty yeast calculator.

Yeast starters should have plenty of oxygenation, as should your wort at pitching. You may gain insight from one of the Brew Strong podcasts on lager brewing.

I like the W2278, if you ever bought Kozel pils fresh, it's a very similar profile, and the yeast is meant to be the Urquell D-strain (no longer used, in favour of the H-strain - W2001).

Don't let the ferment temp get to Summer weather temperature. I made some awesome pineapple pils early in my my brew career with W2278

Na zdravie!


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## Scooby Tha Newbie (27/2/14)

Ok cool. Y no dextrose manticle?

I was using (boiled) wort but didn't like the crap at the bottom. I farm the yeast as well so want it as pure as possible.


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## manticle (27/2/14)

Hi Scoob,

Firstly apologies for the brevity of the original post. Secondly apologies for just linking you here but it should explain the idea:

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-6.html


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## Scooby Tha Newbie (27/2/14)

Ok,I've read that book but thought a 1/2 dex1/2 malt would get around that. 
I will revisit my processess and cut the dex out. 

As for the 2278 do I need to process it differently than a lower temp?


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## manticle (27/2/14)

I prefer to start lager yeasts at the low end of their range then bump up the temp by a degree a day once it gets going (I let it spend a day or two cool and active first). Hopefully coincide diacetyl resting temps with being around 3/4 through ferment, hold for a couple of days then a degree a day down till lagering temps.
Pitch plenty of yeast, oxygenate well.
I don't make heaps of pale lagers but this has worked well for me with a few strains.
Make your starter big, especially if pitc hing cool.


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## Black n Tan (27/2/14)

If you make a big starter (as you should) then I let it ferment out for 48 hours so the yeast have glycogen reserves and then cold crash overnight and pitch just the yeast: you don't want oxidised beer in your fermenter for a lager IMO. I pitch into the wort at 10C and then let rise to 12C over a couple of days and then do a diacetyl rest at 18C for at least 2-3 days as it approaches final gravity. In fact I tend to let it sit at 18C for a week or so to let the yeast clean up, because after this rest I cold crash rapidly to -1C and the yeast will no longer be active, so best to let it clean up first. This is my accelerated process because I only can fit one fermenter in my fermentation fridge, so need to get my lager into kegs rather quickly and then keep it at -1C for 4 weeks before drinking. It seems to work. I love 2278.


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## Scooby Tha Newbie (27/2/14)

Thank you very much Les,manticle and black. Great info will post results.


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## TheWiggman (22/9/14)

I'm interested in making an Aussie lager and later, a more classic pilsner. Would this yeast be completely out of style for an Aussie lager? Previous batch was - 

4kg pilsner
0.2kg crystal
0.35kg sugaz

Cluster to about 22 IBU
Wyeast 2042 Danish lager, 13°C

Is using 2278 a worthwhile experiment? Was thinking about splitting the yeast and saving some for later. Otherwise I really enjoyed this beer so will stick to 2042 and leave the 2278 for later.


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## Black n Tan (22/9/14)

2042 would be my pick for an Aussie lager. I have used 2278 in a boh pils which worked well, but worked less well in a german pils (didn't attenuate enough to get that crisp finish).


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