Novalager

[hoppyscotty]

Think my nominal target fermentation temp was 15C but it fluctuated a couple or few degrees since my temp control was malfunctioning such that often I found the fridge was on at the same time as the heater. So for the first few days the temp fluctuated but I found a 'vacation setting' on the fridge that holds it at 15C, so just unplugged the temp control system and left it on vacation setting. I then let the temp creep up a degree a day for a few days once FG was achieved to just make sure. Certainly no hint of apple flavour in the finished beer. It is dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria hops but does after fermentation was finished.

 

[evil.soup]

Ah yes, I have dry hopped with hersbrucker, was rather strong at first taste Fri morning after pulling hop but last taste Friday night was a little more mellow, still a little fruity though but early days yet.

 

[YeastFace]

Kegged this today, seemed pretty clear going into the keg.

Added some Brausol just in case.

Only got 18l as was starting to pick up some hop material.

 

[evil.soup]

Think I would be happy with a finish thar clear.

 

[evil.soup]

Just took a gravity check day 9 and it's at 1008, i screwed up reading my original gravity so based on my kit and brewing 2ltrs short I have an estimate of 4.2%, not too bad really.
Tastes quite good for a flat luke warm lager. With some chill, carbonation and a couple of weeks in a bottle, I'm finally feeling confident it could be quite nice...

 

[YeastFace]

Tester after 10 days in keg. Bearing in mind this is the first pour, so will contain some sediment happy with the clairty. Still needs some lagering, tastes a bit bitter but there was a bit of hop debris in this which will hopefully disappear after first litre or so poured.

 

[evil.soup]

Mine is now bottled after a 2 day cold crash, seems to be clearing out ok, came out 1006 so about 4.5%. I have used 1 clear bottle just so I can check on the clarity as it matures. The pic is the day following bottling, not looking too bad since its so young.

 

[hoppyscotty]

This is mine after a good few weeks in the keg. I adapted a saison recipe to make a kind of lager style beer. I find it’s been successful, but definitely more to the ale side of things as far as flavour goes, which may not be a surprise on the basis I fermented it like an ale. If I were to repeat and pressure ferment would that suppress those ale-like characteristics that might be coming from the yeast and move it more toward the lager side?

 

[YeastFace]

Still getting strawberry. Others don't, but it's quite distinct to (maybe confirmation bias).

I did blame the Saphir as TMM describe them as having some Strawberry notes, but then realised I bought from someone else and a different crop.

So may be a yeast-derived ester. I'm not even sure if it's strawberry or raspberry. I know they're different, but I cut them up for my daughter every morning and they just sort of meld together for me.

Think I'll brew again, the beer itself seems spot on, and swap the Saphir for something a bit more noble. Ferment to same schedule and see if I still get it.

 

[evil.soup]

I have drank a few of mine ans don't get any fruit flavours, if anything, it's quite bitter almost San Miguel style, a long way from fruity with a reasonable hop flavour. Icwould use Novalager again if only for the convenience of temperature range as someone without temperature control.

 

[YeastFace]

Good results fermenting Nova under pressure. 80% attenuation in 5 days. Staggered pressure from 0 to 15 psi in 5psi increments.

Will keg with some Brausol and report back in a couple of weeks. Nothing yeast-derived to report from the sample though.

 

[YeastFace]

I know I'm drinking it too early, but the point of this yeast is quick fermentation and maturation.

I get soft red berry again, this is less than first try. No Saphir in this recipe. Perhaps it's the red apple ester Lallemand say it has and I'm just misinterpreting that. Will try and lager it a bit longer but don't think it will change much.

Have been drinking more lagers (classic and more modern) recently and not had anything like this (mostly) aroma or slight flavour experience. It's not bad, it's just noticeable. Maybe it just isn't designed for more subtle styles?

I've dry hopped both during fermentation (second inadvertently) but don't think that's the culprit.

Will see how Diamond I'm fermenting now fares, next up I have German X (the Andechs strain).

Don't particularly need a fast fermenting lager yeast now, but might give it another go in an NZ Pils or something which might overpower whatever ester it is I'm getting.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I get soft red berry again, this is less than first try. No Saphir in this recipe. Perhaps it's the red apple ester Lallemand say it has and I'm just misinterpreting that. Will try and lager it a bit longer but don't think it will change much.

Have been drinking more lagers (classic and more modern) recently and not had anything like this (mostly) aroma or slight flavour experience. It's not bad, it's just noticeable. Maybe it just isn't designed for more subtle styles?

General consensus is that as a first step in this direction, it's just got a bit too much red fruit to really work in pure lagers, but is fine for anything that can cover it up, like cold IPAs - or maybe, I guess, something like a Baltic porter.

 

[evil.soup]

Mine has a similar fruit kind of bite in the background, the only reason I went with Nova is the temp range. I have to say though, I do like the finished product, of the lager, stout and cider I have made, the lager has gone down the quickest.

Will I use it again, possibly, but even though I am happy with the finished product, not sure if it's exactly what I want from a lager...

 

[St00]

I've brewed two beers with this now, so I thought I'd put my tuppeny's worth in.

I found it hard to get it to full attenuation at 11°c and it ended up making my Schwartzbier more like a stout. It tastes wonderful, but it's nowhere near what I would have got with WLP800, or 820.

I made a Lime Cream ale which fermented fast at 20°c, but is definitely more on the ale side rather than the lager side. Even with extended lagering there's a fair bit of ester profile.

As I've a devoted lagering freezer I think I'll just stick to what I know. For what it's worth with the beers I've tried it with I'm almost certain I could tell the difference between Novalager and a classic lager strain, which kind of defeats the object IMO.

 

[The Baron]

I've brewed two beers with this now, so I thought I'd put my tuppeny's worth in.

I found it hard to get it to full attenuation at 11°c and it ended up making my Schwartzbier more like a stout. It tastes wonderful, but it's nowhere near what I would have got with WLP800, or 820.

I made a Lime Cream ale which fermented fast at 20°c, but is definitely more on the ale side rather than the lager side. Even with extended lagering there's a fair bit of ester profile.

As I've a devoted lagering freezer I think I'll just stick to what I know. For what it's worth with the beers I've tried it with I'm almost certain I could tell the difference between Novalager and a classic lager strain, which kind of defeats the object IMO.

Hi St00 I have used this yeast (novo)3 times and mine went down to 1.005 everytime. Granted I only brewed to 4% so maybe it has not gone as low if you are doing higher ABV lagers and it has reached its attenuation.
Some brewers say you get a slight red apple flavour with it.
I have had 2 clean ones and one with a appley flavour in my brews, they do say it is clean at the lower temps and it is the higher temps that produce the appley ester

 

[St00]

Hi St00 I have used this yeast (novo)3 times and mine went down to 1.005 everytime. Granted I only brewed to 4% so maybe it has not gone as low if you are doing higher ABV lagers and it has reached its attenuation.
Some brewers say you get a slight red apple flavour with it.
I have had 2 clean ones and one with a appley flavour in my brews, they do say it is clean at the lower temps and it is the higher temps that produce the appley ester

Hmm that's weird as the mash temps were fine, maybe it was the grain choice, although the cream ale had flaked maize in it so that's surprising.

 

[The Baron]

I think one of the other brewers had said theirs went down to 1.006 from memory thats why I did not question mine going so low.
It is fast though very much like Kveik it can be done in 3 days

 

[dave_77]

1.009 for my WC Black Lager

 

[YeastFace]

I had FGs of 1.008 from 1.042, so 80% attenuation both times.