Kveik

[DCBC]

I'm going to get a pale-ale/IPA on soon with CML voss, and I've read that Kviek can drop the Ph of the final beer more than other yeasts - do folks account for that by e.g aiming for a higher alkalinity than normal when doing water treatment?

I'm wondering if I should aim for a slightly higher than usual mash Ph, and ensure there's a bit more buffering capacity by not adding so much acid to my (high alkalinity) water?

I think this is a really good idea. I have been getting a lot of acetic/white grape skin (without astringency) tang with Lallemand Voss, and the body thinned right out of my American Amber such that it took a LOT of bottle conditioning time for it to return to close to normality. I hadn't realised that the yeast might be causing a significant pH drop and this explains a lot!

I have been super careful for a while now to get my mash pH right for a while because I am convinced that it's a big reason for inadequate primary fermentation and a more vigourous secondary in the bottle (and hence gushers and bombs). I have had almost no gushers since tightening up this part of my process, so I am a little wary of increasing the pH, but if it's the primary fermentation that matters and the yeast can help to buffer the pH then it's worth a try. I might give it a go myself.

 

[SteveH]

I have been super careful for a while now to get my mash pH right for a while because I am convinced that it's a big reason for inadequate primary fermentation and a more vigourous secondary in the bottle (and hence gushers and bombs). I have had almost no gushers since tightening up this part of my process, so I am a little wary of increasing the pH, but if it's the primary fermentation that matters and the yeast can help to buffer the pH then it's worth a try. I might give it a go myself.

Yeah likewise, I've been working hard to get my mash Ph on target so this is somewhat counter-intuitive, I guess the alternative is increasing the alkalinity of the finished wort without changing the mash Ph, I guess that would mean adding some chalk?

I think this time I'll just reduce my acid additions somewhat, and also measure the Ph before and after fermentation for reference.

 

[samale]

Got another Olso Kveik brew on yesterday, a Sorachi Ace Red Rye IPA. Massive overpitch at 30°C with some of the yeast cake from my previous brew and it was going within a few hours. No temp control, and it was down to 25°C today when I dry hopped it. I'm double dry hopping this one, first whilst at high krausen, and then the second in a couple of days once it drops. I'm planning to bottle on Sunday giving it a week turnaround.

That's sounds like a beer I would enjoy. What's your recipe. I just got redx to do a red IPA

 

[Mrhandsome]

Checked the gravity today and added my second dry hop.

1.016, which is higher than I wanted but I accidentally overshot my mash temp and had it at 72°C for about 10 mins Not too much damage done though, maybe this yeast can squeeze another couple of points out by Sunday?

That's sounds like a beer I would enjoy. What's your recipe. I just got redx to do a red IPA

10l batch
2kg Vienna
300g Carared
200g Cara rye
200g Rye

Mash at 65°C (or 72° in my case ) for 1 hour
70 min boil

Sorachi Ace 14.8AA
10g at 20mins left
20g at 10
20g dry hop half at high krausen (6 days total) half 4 days before bottling.

Oslo Kveik pitched at 30°C with no temp control or insulation it's dropped to 23-24°C now.

Should end up around 6.5% with 50 IBUs

Edit: I forgot to adjust the gravity for the higher temp, adjusted gravity is 1.017. I got an OG of 1.064 so that's 6.24% abv and 74% attenuation. Target FG was 1.013.

 

[jceg316]

I'm absolutely hooked on Lars Marius Garshol's incredible Historical Brewing Techniques: The Lost Art of Farmhouse Brewing and I'm now desperate to get my hands on some real kveik yeast, having played around with Lallemand Voss for a few months now. I haven't seen so much about this recently but I think some people had success getting samples from Norway - does anyone have any pointers? I'm not on Facebook any more and don't intend to be again, unfortunately.

EDIT: Or are there so many commercial examples on the market now, including the Manaical cultures which don't isolate and remove microbes etc., that there is no real need to get these direct from source any more?
Cheers!

There are some eBay sellers who are selling the farmhouse strains. I know a few forumites here and on a kveik forum including myself have bought from the Yeaster Bunny. I've bought 3 strains from Nord_kveik who had good service, but not actually used the strains yet.

 

[DCBC]

There are some eBay sellers who are selling the farmhouse strains. I know a few forumites here and on a kveik forum including myself have bought from the Yeaster Bunny. I've bought 3 strains from Nord_kveik who had good service, but not actually used the strains yet.

Nice one, that's really helpful, thanks. I have just looked at the Yeaster Bunny and it's great that all theirs seem to be dried, makes things so much easier. Tempted to order one of each in stock and brew some big batches (60L or so) and three different 20l batches at brewery temp (high 20s on average) as a side-by-side test.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Nice one, that's really helpful, thanks. I have just looked at the Yeaster Bunny and it's great that all theirs seem to be dried, makes things so much easier. Tempted to order one of each in stock and brew some big batches (60L or so) and three different 20l batches at brewery temp (high 20s on average) as a side-by-side test.

Used their Hornindal blend and had great results.

 

[DCBC]

Used their Hornindal blend and had great results.

I see this blend contains bacteria. Do you tend to go more traditional and encourage the sourness by under-hopping, or do you just replace your normal yeast for a given style with Hornindal?

 

[Brew_DD2]

I see this blend contains bacteria. Do you tend to go more traditional and encourage the sourness by under-hopping, or do you just replace your normal yeast for a given style with Hornindal?

I never got any sourness. Whatever bacteria is in there doesn't give off acid, but some interesting fruity esters.

 

[nixhaz]

Ok so I just tried a taste of my Oslo brew.. sort of a pseudo lager-y type thing (but with pale malt as I didn't have any lager malt in stock) and there's a definite hint of banana coming through. Is this likely to age out do you think? It's not unpleasant, but I didn't expect to have that in there as Oslo's supposed to be pretty clean.

 

[jceg316]

Nice one, that's really helpful, thanks. I have just looked at the Yeaster Bunny and it's great that all theirs seem to be dried, makes things so much easier. Tempted to order one of each in stock and brew some big batches (60L or so) and three different 20l batches at brewery temp (high 20s on average) as a side-by-side test.

Good luck! It's tempting to get as many as possible but I realised there's so much experimenting with one type. I have Ebbegarden which contains bacteria, so can ferment hot, cold, with different IBU levels (to see the extent lactobacillus has an effect).

Then again they store in the freezer and have a bulk discount!

 

[MmmmCitra]

I've had good results with Voss but I'm keen to try something else, I see Hornindal is readily available but read somewhere that it can produce a 'rubbery' taste unless brewing something over 1.050 abv, anyone else notice this, don't want a rubbery tasting Pale Ale really

 

[Mrhandsome]

I got rubber with Stranda originally, but that was from poor yeast viability. I think the same probably goes for other strains (I did a lot of Internet searching).

I made a starter up with the top cropped Stranda and it seems to be OK - no rubber at least.

 

[DCBC]

Good luck! It's tempting to get as many as possible but I realised there's so much experimenting with one type.

Very good point! I have however just placed an order for four - Tormodgarden, Lida, Stranda, Oslo and I cannot wait to try them. Like you say, I am sure they will keep well in the freezer. I also think will be genetically resilient when it comes to harvesting and repitching.

 

[DCBC]

I've had good results with Voss but I'm keen to try something else, I see Hornindal is readily available but read somewhere that it can produce a 'rubbery' taste unless brewing something over 1.050 abv, anyone else notice this, don't want a rubbery tasting Pale Ale really

I actually got this (smell) from Lallemand Voss but it cleaned right up with just a couple of weeks bottle conditioning. I was very concerned on bottling say though. It smelt like yeast autolysis. If you bottle it's not an issue, but if you want to go into keg and into a glass in a couple of days then yes, that's a problem.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Using an Ubbe right now. I dont know if my heater is going to get it up about 30 though. It's at 26 now. Is that likely to create a problem for these hot fermented?

 

[Mrhandsome]

My Oslo Sorachi Red Rye is down to 1.015 today so I'm cold crashing ready to bottle tomorrow

Sneaked a taste and it's not bad. Malty, a little lemony, and a bit yeasty still. Bit weird drinking 25°C flat beer though so we'll see what it's like cold, carbed, and conditioned

 

[BeerCat]

Juggernaut went from 1040 to 1006. Mashed at 65c so probably should be higher.
@SteveH I would say you will be fine, its not an issue.

 

[jceg316]

My Oslo Sorachi Red Rye is down to 1.015 today so I'm cold crashing ready to bottle tomorrow

Sneaked a taste and it's not bad. Malty, a little lemony, and a bit yeasty still. Bit weird drinking 25°C flat beer though so we'll see what it's like cold, carbed, and conditioned

lol whenever I've tried my kveiks from the FV they're actually horrible. Really warm flat beer! I try and discern the good flavours and any potential off flavours.

 

[BeerCat]

New development on my Stranda Kveik.

So the beer I made with it still has the weird plastic taste and is useless, I'm sending some to my father in law (who has nasal polyps and can't taste much) to see if he can taste it. If not then the rest is his.

The starter I made with the top cropped Stranda on the other hand was pretty good. I bottled 4 500ml bottles from it to see if the off taste was still there from the original brew. Carbed and conditioned it for two weeks and it's not bad. Not a great beer, but then again it's the second runnings from a Weizenbock shook relentlessly and bittered with a tiny amount of magnum, so it was never meant to be. The plastic taste is nowhere to be seen (or tasted). There's a tropical fruitiness to it, and maybe a little bit of funk underlying.

After the failure of the original brew I was going to chuck it, but I'm now planning a small 5l NEIPA to see how the tropical taste works in that.

@BeerCat if all goes well do you want to swap some for some Voss? I'll send you a small bottle of Oslo too if you want?

If you have some some vials for me i can send you some strains. DM me. Happy to try your beer mate.