2025 Private Collection Preview
Preview the 2025 Private Collection release calendar by Wyeast Laboratories. Each quarter is curated to align with seasonality, iconic favorites, and trends developing across the industry.
Favorites return throughout the year including 1217-PC, 2035-PC, 3942-PC, 2352-PC, 2000-PC, and 3463-PC. By popular demand, additional seasonal lager strains have been added to the calendar, offering at least one new choice each quarter.
1st Quarter: January – March 2025
Species: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Profile: This strain is ideally suited to the production of West Coast-style American craft beers, especially pale, IPA, red, and specialties. Thorough attenuation, temperature tolerance, and good flocculation make this an easy strain to work with. Flavor is balanced neutral with mild ester formation at warmer temperatures, allowing hops, character malts, and flavorings to show through.
History: A Wyeast pioneer, this isolate has been in Wyeast Culture Collections since 1986.
Species: Saccharomyces pastorianus
Profile: A traditional culture of North American and Canadian lagers, light pilsners, and adjunct beers. Mildly malty profile, medium ester profile, well balanced. Malty finish.
History: Originally submitted to Wyeast to isolate and maintain in 1994, this strain later became a part of the Wyeast Culture Collections.
2nd Quarter: April – June 2025
Species: Saccharomyces pastorianus
Profile: A complex and aromatic strain that can be used for a variety of lager beers. This strain is an excellent choice for Pre-Prohibition Lagers, formerly known as Classic American Pilsners.
History: A Wyeast pioneer, this strain was submitted to Wyeast to isolate and maintain in 1987, and was added to the Wyeast Culture Collections in 1988.
Species: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Profile: Isolated from a small Belgian brewery, this strain produces beers with moderate esters and minimal phenolics. Apple, bubblegum and plum-like aromas blend nicely with malt and hops. This strain will finish dry with a hint of tartness.
History: This strain was isolated in 1994 and became a part of the Wyeast Culture Collections the following year.
3rd Quarter: July – September 2024
Species: Saccharomyces pastorianus
Profile: This strain exhibits a very clean and dry flavor profile often found in aggressively-hopped lagers. Produces mild aromatics and slight sulfur notes typical of classic pilsners. This yeast is a good attenuator resulting in beers with a distinctively crisp finish.
History: A Wyeast pioneer, this strain was isolated and selected in 1988. It became a part of the Wyeast Culture Collection several years a later.
Species: Saccharomyces pastorianus
Profile: From a famous brewery in Munich, this strain is a low diacetyl and low sulfur aroma producer. An excellent choice for malt-driven lagers.
History: This lager strain was isolated and added to the Private Culture Collection in the 2010s.
4th Quarter: October – December 2024
Species: Saccharomyces pastorianus
Profile: The Budvar style strain has a nice malty nose with subtle fruit tones and a rich malt profile on the palate. It finishes malty but dry, well balanced, and crisp. Hop character comes through in the finish.
History: This legacy strain was isolated and added to the Wyeast Culture Collections in the 1990s.
Species: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Profile: A widely-used strain in the production of Witbier and Grand Cru. This yeast will produce spicy phenolics which are balanced nicely by a complex ester profile. The subtle fruit character and dry tart finish will complement wheat malt, orange peel and spice additions typical of Wits.
History: This legacy strain was isolated and added to the Wyeast Culture Collections in the 1990s.
Retailers: If you miss out on a quarterly release, we recommend contacting our customer service team and we will see if we still have some of the previous quarter in inventory.