Kveik

[Zephyr259]

There's quite a few of us playing about with the Sigmund Voss kveik strain now, I'm curious, how many are getting the orange and spice character it's known for? I think I've had some tasters say they're getting it but I haven't myself. We've been thinking that massive underpitching is needed but I was reading a blog entry and he stepped up the slurry to 500 ml then 1.5L which works out to about standard ale pitching rates and he still gets all the character. Thought it might be the yeast acting on something that comes from the juniper but then it wouldn't be present in the starter.

Old ale got half my usual pitch rate but it's still to young and has a lot of other things going on to pick out a delicate orange and spice note.

 

[AdeDunn]

Well, I'm pretty certain I've under-pitched in my porter, but then am I? lol It's taken off like a rocket, the airlock is bobbing like a piston head... Plus, I pitched at 37.7 degrees C, and I've wrapped it in blankets, so should ferment on the warm end. It's going to be hard though to tell you if any orange comes from esters, the mandarina bavaria hops, or the orange zest that went in at 10 minutes..... Belt, braces AND an elasticated waist? I don't think it's going to be possible to pick out a delicate orange not in amongst all of those orange flavours to be honest.... I MAY have tasted one in the starter, but that could just be my mind making things up.

 

[BeerCat]

I don't seem to get the orange either. Certainly none in the stout. Hopefully do a barley wine tomorrow evening evening. Debating if i should add some whiskey barrel chunks. Would mean buying a bottle of single malt to soak them in.

 

[AdeDunn]

I don't seem to get the orange either. Certainly none in the stout. Hopefully do a barley wine tomorrow evening evening. Debating if i should add some whiskey barrel chunks. Would mean buying a bottle of single malt to soak them in.

You mean you don't tend to have a bottle of single malt around anyway? Dude, you seriously have my sympathy now! Do you not have offspring to buy you a bottle of Glenfiddich/Glenmorangie for birthdays/father's day/Christmas (had to retrain our oldest from buying me bourbon... lol)?

You chaps sure you're not pitching too cool, or fermenting too cool or something though? I wouldn't want to teach my grandmother to suck eggs, but I know most of you chaps use fermentation fridges don't you? Maybe it needs a bit more neglect? You're treating it too well maybe?

 

[Zephyr259]

Would mean buying a bottle of single malt to soak them in.

You make that sound like a bad thing?

My first 2 got pitched low 30s as that's what I managed to chill too, can't recall what the old ale got but I think I got it closer to the 40c.

 

[AdeDunn]

Hmmm, maybe those tasting the orange are just suffering emperors new clothes syndrome then? You know how these things go sometimes.... My beer will DEFINITELY taste of orange, but as I say that'll be the orange zest and Mandarina bavaria hops.... lol

 

[Stephenj]

So pitched in a rye ipa on Sunday at 27c and as others have said it started pretty quickly, chugging away nicely Monday morning and evening when I checked either side of work. Krausen was decent and has fallen. Checked it tonight based on people's experience of quick ferment and only down from 1.058 to 1.028. Now I might be being a little impatient, but based on other reports I thought it might be lower than this.

I've upped it to 30c and give it a light swirl.

Any thoughts/reassurances

 

[BeerCat]

Sounds stuck to be honest. Should of finished by now.

 

[Zephyr259]

So pitched in a rye ipa on Sunday at 27c and as others have said it started pretty quickly, chugging away nicely Monday morning and evening when I checked either side of work. Krausen was decent and has fallen. Checked it tonight based on people's experience of quick ferment and only down from 1.058 to 1.028. Now I might be being a little impatient, but based on other reports I thought it might be lower than this.

I've upped it to 30c and give it a light swirl.

Any thoughts/reassurances

Yeah, it shouldn't be done there, generally attenuates between 70 - 80% depending on mash temp. Assuming it's the Voss strain then it likes being closer to 40c (but can also work colder so that shouldn't be the issue). My Old Ale took a week to confirm stable FG but it started at 1.080-ish. Can you heat it further, making sure the yeast hasn't settled is a good idea, I've read that it can flocculate very hard but I've not seen that myself.

 

[Stephenj]

Trust me to be the one who fecks up a brew with this yeast.

I've whacked it up to 30c and roused the fallen yeast to see what the outcome is, or you recommend take it higher? Didn't know what effect temp would have on taste so kept to an ipa temp.

 

[Zephyr259]

All of my brews have been mid to high 30s, but other have fermented lower with good results.

 

[Stephenj]

So put tempo inkbird up to 36 this morning, but don't think my tube heater can get that there as it's on 31c at the minute and has had all day.

Advice anyone, pitch some more yeast or let it ride?

 

[BeerCat]

Could try some amylase? I had one stick at 1045.

 

[Hoddy]

Well my last beer definitely has the orange character in it. I massively under pitched and fermented very warm in a light and malty sweet grain bill that was accentuated with cascade.

I still need to send you one @BeerCat in return for one of your beers

 

[Zephyr259]

Well my last beer definitely has the orange character in it. I massively under pitched and fermented very warm in a light and malty sweet grain bill that was accentuated with cascade.

I read your post where you mentioned this, how much did you pitch?

 

[Hoddy]

I read your post where you mentioned this, how much did you pitch?

I made a 1 litre starter and used about a teaspoon of kveik donated by @BeerCat and then pitched that into 24L of 1.060 wort and fermented at 32oC. Which is a massive underpitch.

It then proceeded to munch its way through the wort to turn out a 7.2% ABV beer

I think the composition of your grain bill makes a difference to wether the full range of the yeast character can be picked out. You’ll never get all the kveik character from a RIS for example.

 

[Zephyr259]

Thanks for the info, do you have a stir plate for your starters? If you do then that's about the pitch rate I used for my Old Ale, which is a bit over half standard ale pitch, without the sitrplate it's about a quarter standard. From the sounds of things I'd have probably got a good character in my golden ale if I'd known to pitch really low.

 

[Stephenj]

Could try some amylase? I had one stick at 1045.

Never heard of the stuff. I'll give it a Google.

 

[Hoddy]

Thanks for the info, do you have a stir plate for your starters? If you do then that's about the pitch rate I used for my Old Ale, which is a bit over half standard ale pitch, without the sitrplate it's about a quarter standard. From the sounds of things I'd have probably got a good character in my golden ale if I'd known to pitch really low.

I think with any characterful yeast you need to have the right grain bill/beer style to accentuate what the yeast is going to give you.

 

[BeerCat]

Never heard of the stuff. I'll give it a Google.

Amylase300. MM sell it

@Hoddy Will get something off to you beginning of next week. Apologies been super busy.

I have a small batch of barley wine on the go. Missed the intended OG and only got 1080 but should just about squeeze into the style range.