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What's in Your Fermenter? 2018


Otto Von Blotto

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On 11/22/2018 at 7:18 AM, Otto Von Blotto said:

Yeah, couple of weeks ago the contract was done, so we were just waiting to hear from the bank. Thanks mate! A bit earlier than planned but found a place we liked pretty quickly and weren't sure anything else would pop up if we waited so just went for it. Already scoped out my brew area and a spot for the keg fridge 😂 It has a pool too so I'm anticipating a few pool beers.

I looked forward to the pictures of the permanent setup!!

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On 11/23/2018 at 10:28 AM, Otto Von Blotto said:

Day 1 is the first day, the first 24 hours. There is no such thing as day zero. Zero days have passed but there is no "zeroeth day". When it goes into the second 24 hours, that's the second day as one day has passed. 

I usually don't refer to the time in those terms because people take them in different ways. I usually just say "after 5 days" or something. 

e.g. talking about timing of temperature rises. I usually say I raise the temp on lagers after they've been in the fermenter for 6 days. This would occur on the 7th day. 

It's a bit like your age. If you're 32 years old, you're living through your 33rd year.

Related to the above and to my Robust Bavarian Lager, on the seventh day I reset the temperature controller from 12° to 18°.  I did not have a heat source in the freezer.  It only reached 18° today (11th day).  How much longer should I leave it before a cold crash?  14th day like I planned or a bit longer so it stays around 18° for almost a week?  Used Saflager W34/70.

Thanks Shamus

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Did you test the gravity before raising the temp? I usually test mine after they've been in the FV for 5 days, so on the 6th day, but usually I don't raise the temp until the next day. I think 3-4 days at 18 should be long enough. I'd wait until the 15th day to start dropping it, that gives you 14 full days at or above ferment temps.

Regarding the cold crash, I've used this schedule with lagers lately with great results;

Drop from 18 to 12 after 14 days, then each day following it drops about a couple of degrees so it then goes to 9.7, 7.5, 5.2 and finally 3 degrees, where it sits until kegging.

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My little kit based Pale Ale was up & actively fermenting in around 4 hours after pitching the CCA yeast yesterday. I must have built up a nice cell count from the trub harvest & starter process as this would explain the reduced lag time. It is currently thumping away @ 19°C.  😊

I'm going to re-harvest again & try to keep the strain alive for continued re-use as long as I can. My harvest processes aren't completely perfect, but I have a good feeling about this batch of yeast (at least for the moment).

Cheers & good brewing,

Lusty.

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I tested the Motueka pale ale yesterday, sitting around the 1.012-13 mark so I'm calling that done. I'll check it again tomorrow just to be sure, then probably drop the temp Sunday for a week long cold crash and keg it. Sample smelt pretty good but didn't taste it yet. Will taste tomorrow. 

And that'll be it until we move house on the weekend of the 15th. I'm on holidays from then so plenty of time to get the last of the stuff moved across and begin unpacking as well as set up the brew fridge, and get a yeast starter going for the pils batch due in next. 

Cheers

Kelsey

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26 minutes ago, Norris! said:

@Otto Von Blotto

Congrats on the house! That is an awesome feeling having your own castle. I am calling it, in a year there will be a kid messing with your brew days.

Well done,

Norris

Thanks mate, certainly is! Might just delay the kid part for another few years though haha. Gotta piss off these car loans first to free up some funds.

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14 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Did you test the gravity before raising the temp? I usually test mine after they've been in the FV for 5 days, so on the 6th day, but usually I don't raise the temp until the next day. I think 3-4 days at 18 should be long enough. I'd wait until the 15th day to start dropping it, that gives you 14 full days at or above ferment temps.

Regarding the cold crash, I've used this schedule with lagers lately with great results;

Drop from 18 to 12 after 14 days, then each day following it drops about a couple of degrees so it then goes to 9.7, 7.5, 5.2 and finally 3 degrees, where it sits until kegging.

Hi OVB

OG was 1.052 Sun 18 Nov - Pitched W34/70 at 21-22° - Into temp control set on 12° - Probably took just under 24 hours to stabilise.

SG was 1.022 Sat 24 Nov

Raised temp to 18° on Sun 25 Nov, but no heating function.  Slowly rose to 18° by Thu 29 Nov.

Measured SG today Fri 30 Nov at 1.014.  Will check again on Sunday.  If SG stable I will cold crash from Mon, after 14th day, over about three days, in increments to 1°.  Probably bottle on Saturday/Sunday next weekend.

Cheers Shamus

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You could hace raised it when you tested the SG at 1.022, certainly low enough at that point. 

Once you get it to cold crash temp give it at least a week at that temp. The reason behind my ramp down schedule is because it puts the yeast into cleanup mode and it still works at 3 degrees, believe it or not. I've found it results in a better lager than dropping it straight to zero like I used to do.

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2 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

You could hace raised it when you tested the SG at 1.022, certainly low enough at that point. 

Am I better to let it rise to 18° naturally over a 3-4 days (the FV was in my closed freezer so well insulated) or plug in a heat source and get it their quicker?

Since reading about your stepping down to cold crash temperature I have done it that way.  Usually a couple of degrees as I walk out the door at 7am for work and a couple more degrees when I walk back in around 7pm. 

You have said you do this for lagers but drop ales straight to cold crash temperature.  What difference would/does it make?

Cheers Shamus

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Stocks were at zero and time is short so I went to the LHBS to get a FWK. As usual he didn’t have any but he had some that he makes himself and sells so I got one for $48. It is a summer ale and the OG reading was 1.038. Very disappointing!! 

Its in the fermenter now but I’m not looking forward to it to be honest but hopefully I will be surprised and it will be spectacular. 

BB

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1 hour ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Am I better to let it rise to 18° naturally over a 3-4 days (the FV was in my closed freezer so well insulated) or plug in a heat source and get it their quicker?

Since reading about your stepping down to cold crash temperature I have done it that way.  Usually a couple of degrees as I walk out the door at 7am for work and a couple more degrees when I walk back in around 7pm. 

You have said you do this for lagers but drop ales straight to cold crash temperature.  What difference would/does it make?

Cheers Shamus

I let mine rise by themselves inside the fridge but it usually only takes a couple of days. If it's in winter though I will put heat inside to keep it at that couple of days otherwise it never gets there. 

It's the difference in yeast. Ale strains go to sleep under about 15 degrees so there's no benefit in my opinion to slowly ramping them down. With lager yeast, the slow ramp down kicks them into cleanup mode and they will keep working at 3-4 degrees. I've noticed cleaner lagers doing that instead of just dropping them straight down to zero, but ales aren't really clean like lagers anyway, plus don't work at low temps. 

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Two saisons. Well, one batch but I'm splitting the wort and fermenting it with two different yeasts. 3711 French Saison and Belle Saison. I bought the 3711 specifically for this batch but had the Belle already in the fridge. I would have had to make a starter with the 3711 and haven't done that before and was a bit confused by the calculators. So I thought I'd do something different. Two beers. I've never split a batch before so looking forward seeing the difference. 

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On 11/30/2018 at 10:45 AM, Beerlust said:

I'm going to re-harvest again & try to keep the strain alive for continued re-use as long as I can

Good idea Lusty. Once you get a strong, healthy lot of CCA yeast going I'd keep reusing it for as long as possible. It's interesting to try the yeast in a few different styles of beer.

Cheers,

John

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7 hours ago, porschemad911 said:

...It's interesting to try the yeast in a few different styles of beer.

Yeah it's pretty versatile. You only have to look at how many different beers Coopers make with it. 😉

Cheers & good brewing,

Lusty.

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1 hour ago, Silmaril said:

I'm coming to the conclusion there is a God of Hydrometers who takes evil delight in spinning the hydrometer away from my eyes. Every time.

 

Happens to me too 😂

I usually turn the whole sample jar when it does that, slowly moves the hydrometer around the right way 😉

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