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YEAST Questions 2019


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10 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Over pitching usually results in the beer being blander than it would otherwise but it shouldn't make it ferment out further. There is only so much fermentable sugar in the wort.

At 1012 after four days, time to raise the temperature a bit from 18C to 'finish and clean up' do you think?

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In the warmer months i just usually get it out of the fridge and put it in ambient when its 4 or 5 points out from FG. Works a treat.

In winter i do the same thing but need to  use the heat belt. 

This method has meant in sydney i have never ever needed a heat source in my fermentation fridge. Even in the middle of winter.

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As suggested elsewhere on these pages, after drawing the sample which showed 1012, I have left it on the bench. I've covered the sample tube with the cap with the tube came with. The hydrometer is now showing 1007 one day after. So I guess I'll leave it until it doesn't drop anymore. 

My last brew got down to 1005.

Then I was thinking that perhaps the initial drop was not necessarily because of fermentation. Is it possible that the density of sample, initially starting off at 18C was more dense than whatever it is now at kitchen temperature?

That being said, am I right in guessing that there is still enough active yeast in the sample to continue the fermentation process at the same rate as what there is in the FV? Otherwise the 'single sample method' would make no sense.

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Yes it keeps fermenting. The cap didn't push the hydrometer down did it? I don't have a cap for mine but I don't bother covering it anyway. They don't tend to get infected unless they sit there well after it stops dropping, but they don't because it's tipped out in order to take the proper FG tests.

The hydrometer will read lower if the sample warms up. That's why I still take proper FG readings. This method is simply used as a rough guide. 

My main reason for taking these mid ferment samples is to judge when to raise the temperature, the rough FG guide is a secondary function, although most times it's pretty accurate. 

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Newbie questions:

1. When making a toocan brew, do I use 1 or both sachets of yeast?

2. What happens when a top and a bottom fermenting yeast is used at the same time? 

3. Do different strains of yeast "fight" each other? certain recipes ask for a different strain of yeast but then advise using both, the yeast from the kit and the additional one. Are there side effects to this or do they work well together, just introducing different flavours.

Just a few things I was wondering about.

Edited by Aussiekraut
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12 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Yes it keeps fermenting. The cap didn't push the hydrometer down did it? I don't have a cap for mine but I don't bother covering it anyway. They don't tend to get infected unless they sit there well after it stops dropping, but they don't because it's tipped out in order to take the proper FG tests.

The hydrometer will read lower if the sample warms up. That's why I still take proper FG readings. This method is simply used as a rough guide. 

My main reason for taking these mid ferment samples is to judge when to raise the temperature, the rough FG guide is a secondary function, although most times it's pretty accurate. 

Thanks.

Yes the cap does push the hydrometer down but I do take it off to make a reading. 😊

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On 3/11/2019 at 11:22 AM, Aussiekraut said:

Newbie questions:

1. When making a toocan brew, do I use 1 or both sachets of yeast?

2. What happens when a top and a bottom fermenting yeast is used at the same time? 

3. Do different strains of yeast "fight" each other? certain recipes ask for a different strain of yeast but then advise using both, the yeast from the kit and the additional one. Are there side effects to this or do they work well together, just introducing different flavours.

Just a few things I was wondering about.

Hi AK

I can only really help with Q1 and short answer is yes.  I rehydrated the yeasts together in about 10 x their weight of 30 degree water.

Done a Russian Imperial Stout - 3-can, 3 yeast sachets OG 1.092 FG 1.023

Toucan Amber ale OG 1.044 FG 1.012 with both yeasts sachets 

Toucan Saison with 1 x 10g rehydrated Mangrove Jacks French Saison Yeast OG 1.049 FG 1.006

I have also mixed the brew can yeasts with US-05, etc as recipes instruct.  No issues, brews went fine.

I think that when most recipes say to combine yeasts, they are compatible. 

 

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11 hours ago, Titan said:

Anyone used kveik? Whats the lag time? Mine 24 Hours in and no action. Thought this was a fast starter.

G'day I bought a vial of Sigmund Voss recently and had similar experiences to you. 24 hrs lag plus super slow fermentation, in a Nelson's Light inspired recipe which only fermented from 1.030 to 1.009.

Fast forward Battleship Bitter with 3 tablespoons of slurry and it had a krausen after 30 mins and after 24 hrs looks like it boiling in the FV!  

I've read that kveik can struggle with low gravity beers as there can be a lack of nutrients combined with pitching straight from the vial (no starter) is what I'm attributing the my first fermentation issues to. All the best with your brew.

Cheers

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54 minutes ago, Mark D Pirate said:

 

Ferment temp ?  35°C would be my recommendation 

That's the problem right there. Pitched at 24c on the way down to standard ale temperature. So it might not like the colder fermentation temperature. Will make an adjustment when i get home from work tonight. 

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Last night i pitched a us05 as was worried i had pitched a dead yeast. Action has started on this now. Tonight i took it out of brew freezer and it will ferment at ambient. Hope this temperature in Melbourne remains the same for next few days. Dont want to stress the us05 but want the kveik to come on strong.

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Went to get some supplies from the LHBS for the Coopers "Battleship Bitter" recipe and had to substitute  Empire Ale yeast (M15) for the Nottingham yeast  which is no big deal .... however, doing some research on the Nottingham I noticed that it is very versatile with optimal temp range of 10-22 ... that is a huge range ... has anyone got any feed back on this yeast as i am now harvesting my yeasts and want to create a yeast bank and was thinking that it would be really handy to have a yeast that can do lagers and ales ...  

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I think the optimal range is a bit narrower than that, however I have certainly read about guys using it at lower temperatures more reminiscent of lager brewing. Makes it good for ale brewing in winter, more so for the bottle carbonation phase since with temp control you can obviously maintain it warmer in the primary. 

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1 hour ago, Hairy said:

I finally picked up my Kveik

Keep us posted!  I'm going to plan a future brew with this yeast.  Apparently Hop & Grain have one version in stock and it is my LHBS.  Probably do a pale ale or an IPA with this yeast to see what it brings to the table.  Fascinating yeast.

 

I've had one commercial example, Waywards Kveik to Market and i think it was a little too quick as it was hazy as hell, green in the glass.  I really want to try one that shows the strong flocculation and those lovely orange esters.  I might be able to get some slurry or dried flakes from someone in my homebrew club too

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A yeast oriented question, but on a different track. I'm a frequent user of US 05 and find it a pretty good rough and tumble ale yeast, even using wheat malt (touch wood!).

Talking to a brewer in Tassie (Little Rivers micro brewery) and he recommends using US 04 instead. He is of the opinion that it is a far better floccer and prefers it's  taste in the ales that he brews. Does anyone else share his opinion, before I dive down that rabbit hole?

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It does flocculate better than US-05, but it does tend to be a bit sweeter. It goes well in English ales and porters in my experience. I like 05 in American pale ales. No harm in trying it out though, just make sure to keep the fermentation temp at least 20 degrees.

I think it just depends on what style or recipe you're brewing. They all have a strain that works best in them. There are a couple of other strains I want to try in my APA beers, but one of them is a limited release strain that isn't available all the time. 

Edited by Otto Von Blotto
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One point - it is S-04, not US-04. It is an English style yeast and not a US style yeast like US-05.

Here are the specs for both:

https://fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SafAle-S-04.pdf

https://fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SafAle-US-05.pdf

I don't think there is a big difference in attenuation and I have never found S-04 to be sweeter. Perhaps it was used in a different grist.

Just give it a go and see if you like it. S-04 will definitely give the beer a different character. It flocculates really well, especially compared to US-05, so keep the temp a touch higher (as Kelsey stated) to avoid it dropping out too early.

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