White Labs WLP800-O Organic Pilsner Lager Yeast

White Labs WLP800-O is the certified organic edition of one of the most storied lager strains in brewing — the classic Czech pilsner yeast from the premier pilsner producer in the Czech Republic, now delivered in White Labs' PurePitch Next Generation format. If you're chasing the authentic Bohemian pilsner profile — clean and crisp, somewhat dry, with that unmistakable soft malty finish that separates a Czech pils from its drier German cousins — this is the strain the style is measured against.

The character is deliberate Czech balance. WLP800 ferments clean and cold at 10–13°C, attenuating to a moderate 72–77% that leaves the gentle malt roundness a Bohemian pilsner needs — where German lager strains finish leaner, this one keeps the pillow under the Saaz. Medium-to-high flocculation drops it reasonably bright after lagering, and beyond its home style it's a genuinely versatile cold-side workhorse: Helles, Dunkel, Vienna Lager, Märzen, Schwarzbier, Amber Lager, and clean American lagers all sit comfortably in its range. As with any traditional lager strain, plan a diacetyl rest near the end of primary and give it proper lagering time — this is slow beer, and it rewards the patience.

PurePitch Next Generation is the packaging worth explaining: the yeast is grown and packaged in the same FlexCell vessel — never transferred, so nothing else ever touches it — and the pouch now carries roughly double the cells of the original PurePitch at a precise, consistent concentration, engineered around the commercial pitching rate of 7.5 million cells/mL. In practice: twist the resealable cap and pitch, no starter required for a standard-gravity batch. For lagers, cold pitches, or high gravity, scan the QR code on the pack — White Labs' calculator takes your volume, gravity, and pitching temperature and tells you exactly how much to pitch, and the resealable cap makes split or partial pitches practical.

The -O certification completes the picture: the same strain and the same character, produced to certified organic standards — the missing piece for brewers producing fully certified organic beer, where every ingredient with an organic equivalent must be organic. Pair it with organic malt and this pouch closes the loop.

Liquid yeast — handle cold
Store refrigerated at 2–4°C and never freeze. Use before the best-before date — cell viability declines over time. Remove from the fridge and let the pouch temper toward pitching temperature before opening, shake to resuspend, twist the cap, and pitch.

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Flavor & Aroma

• Clean, crisp Czech lager character — the reference profile for Bohemian Pilsner
• Somewhat dry with a signature soft, malty finish
• Subtle, refined ester profile at proper lager temperatures
• Drops reasonably bright after lagering (medium-high flocculation)

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Usage

Lager: Czech/Bohemian Pilsner, Munich Helles, Dunkel, Vienna Lager, Märzen, Schwarzbier
Strong Lager: Bock, Doppelbock, Baltic Porter
Clean: American Lager, Amber Lager

Ferment at 10–13°C with a diacetyl rest toward the end of primary, then lager cold. One PurePitch Next Generation pouch pitches a standard-gravity ~19L batch without a starter — scan the pack QR code for exact pitch guidance at lager temperatures and higher gravities.

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Quick facts

Brand: White Labs
Strain: WLP800-O — Pilsner Lager, certified organic
Format: PurePitch Next Generation — liquid yeast, resealable pouch
Type: Bottom-fermenting lager strain
Attenuation: 72–77%
Flocculation: Medium to high
Fermentation range: 10–13°C
Alcohol tolerance: Medium (5–10%)
Cell concentration: Precise — engineered for 7.5 million cells/mL commercial pitch rate
Pitch: One pouch per standard ~19L batch, no starter; QR calculator for lagers and high gravity
Storage: Refrigerated 2–4°C, never frozen — use before best-before date
Use: Czech Pilsner, Helles, Dunkel, Vienna Lager, Märzen, organic-certified brewing