lager yeast in stout

[KeithC2]

I've recently seen a recipe for a homebrew stout which uses a lager yeast(saflager s-04) , has anyone tried this and if so were the results worthwhile ,cheers.

[PB2]

Hey Keith, welcome to the Brewers Guild [biggrin]

 

Many commercial breweries ferment stout with lager yeast.

 

I've fermented a stout wort with results that were not much different to using ale yeast. [sideways]

 

Is there something, in particular, that you are looking for in a stout?

[GrahamB2]

Hey PB2, I'm not trying to steal this post, but in light of your RIS post, have you heard of "The Abyss" & the "Clout Stout".

 

The Abyss is one of the most interesting stouts I've found on the web, and would be interested on your thoughts of it, especially in the attempt to "home brew clone it".

 

Cheers!

[PB2]

Haven't tasted Abyss Stout but I have a deep seated need to taste now that I've read about it [devil] [biggrin]

 

This sort of stuff can be achieved in tiny 20 'ish litre batches but I would really need to taste and analyse it to give any meaningful advice. [innocent]

 

The RIS recipe, posted previously, produces a brew around the 9.2%ABV mark,somewhat short of the Abyss at 11% [w00t]

[GrahamB2]

I thought you might be interested in "The Abyss".

 

When I first heard of it, they described the process of ageing the stout in wooden casks imported from France which were previously used to produce red wine.

 

They directly add licorice, molasses and vanilla bean to further enhance the flavour.

 

Problem now is how to get your hands on a bottle!

 

With regards your RIS threecan recipe (+1kg Dextrose), any suggestions on how to avoid the krausen overflow issues that you encountered?

 

Cheers

[PB2]

how to avoid the krausen overflow issues

Use a bigger FV or buy the Coopers DIY Beer Kit when it's available [biggrin]

[GrahamB2]

I was thinking of a cheaper alternative than a brand new tub.

 

Just a thought, but what about a sterile circular piece of hard plastic (same materialas the FV), possibly with a minimal conical shape, which you sit/rest/float just above the wort but is completely enclosed within the fermenter. This would still allow the CO2 to escape while the weight of the "krausen lid" would hopefully hold and manage the ever increasing foam mass.

 

What do you think?

[PB2]

Have been there - foam develops very strong pushing power. If you can imagine the force created by filling a room with balloons then increasing the temperature so that every balloon attempts to expand. [bandit]

 

 

One particular test, the foam managed to push a 400mm diameter flat disc, weighing 1kg, several inches upward with relative ease.

[GrahamB2]

Well then this looks like a job for MacGyver!

 

You wouldn't happen to have his email address? [happy]

[AndrewC5]

Well then this looks like a job for MacGyver!

 

You wouldn't happen to have his email address? [happy]

 

A good way to manage large amount of krausen is to use a tube out of the airlock hole, off into a jar of sterile water. This way, nothing can get back up the tube but the Co2 and krasuen can escape easy. Make sence?

 

P.S. Found a pic for you.

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://beerutopia.stationx.tv/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/blowoff1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://beerutopia.com/2008/08/25/home-brew-brewing-a-belgian-dubbel/&h=641&w=500&sz=48&tbnid=HkC23Oon8Fyz5M:&tbnh=137&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblow%2Boff%2Btube&zoom=1&q=blow+off+tube&usg=__yOjaQl2_cC8T3r9wDVdQUAssYws=&sa=X&ei=wFD3TJSDL5HwvwOduemeDg&ved=0CCUQ9QEwAg

[GrahamB2]

Thanks for that AndrewC5, I have heard/seen this before.

 

Does this method minimise krausen loss, as PB2 indicated in another post that the krausen contains flavours that are probably better left in the wort?

[Kearnage]

I don't think PB2 was joking when he suggested the new DIY beer kit.

[happy]

The patented krazy krausen collar.. no wait that may be crazy Krausen Kollar... solves the issue as the krausen goodness is contained in the fermenter. I get the feeling he spent an unhealthy amount of time perfecting the idea, and it does look like it should work. (I only got one today so I can't talk from experience).

The unbreakable hydrometer is genius, much easier to read, and calibrated perfectly too.

The downside? The krausen kollar makes the damn thing too tall for my fermenting fridge. [crying]

[AndrewC5]

Thanks for that AndrewC5, I have heard/seen this before.

 

Does this method minimise krausen loss, as PB2 indicated in another post that the krausen contains flavours that are probably better left in the wort?

 

Hmmm good question. Its hard to say really. I've been top cropping yeast lately (Scooping the karusan off the top with the healthy yeast) and it hasn't made any change. If there is any flavor change from keeping in the krausen i havn't noticed it, as i've made the same brew and top cropped and not top cropped. I doubt the flavor from krausen would change it noticeably, nothing like different yeast or brew.

No offence to PB2, but considering the new DIY beer kit, he may be speaking for the best interest of coopers. Maybe not. YMMV.

 

EDIT: The blowoff tube doesn't extract ALL krasuen, just the excess. Which is excess really, you will still get whatever the krasen puts into the beer.

[Muddy Waters]

...I only got one today so I can't talk from experience).

 

Can you post some pics Dan? I curious to see what it looks like?

 

The downside? The krausen kollar makes the damn thing too tall for my fermenting fridge. [crying]

 

That's a shame! The old Coopers fermentors are too short and fat for my fridge so I was hoping this new fangled one might fit - Sounds like that isn't likely though??? But I'd probably be too tight to spend the $80 odd dollars (?) just so I can use the fermentor. Do they still come with the lager kit [annoyed]

 

[PB2]

If you are fermenting with a top cropper yeast, there is some merit in scooping it off to use for future brews.

 

Otherwise, try to keep the foam contained. The majority of commercial breweries coral the foam. The launch of the DIY Beer Kit does not change my position on this topic - I've banged on about this for years. [roll]

 

I have never, in the 8 1/2 years at Coopers, offered advice which includes using a blow-off tube, has always been along the lines of what I wrote in FAQs.

 

But as with all things that you do yourself - do whatever works for you. [wink]

 

 

[Kearnage]

Muddy,

 

I'm work now but it does look like this small photo suggests:

DIY Beer

 

It is significantly taller than the old one, maybe a touch narrower, not sure.

If I take the collar off it just fits in the fridge, so my Russian Imperial Stout will have to wait until winter when I can ferment on the bench.

 

The DVD that comes with it is a cracker. The bloke has the best ocker accent, and gets to do his mixing, fermenting and bottling on the kitchen bench! Yeah right!!! Good instructions though.

 

And yes, despite an appealing array of beer styles being printed on the side of the box, it does indeed come with the OS lager [pinched]

PS - did I mention how cool the new hydrometer is?

Dan

[Tricky]

I used some lager yeast in the last RIS that I made. I put it in after the Wyeast 1056 had done all it could. I put it in, in the hope that it would reduce the FG enough so that it would be a bit more drinkable.

However, it made no appreciable difference to the brew.

[PB2]

I was surprised at how well my kitchen came up on camera [biggrin] although SWMBO was a bit annoyed with the intrusion. [pinched]

 

I had 3 FV's on the go, with brews at various stages, in an attempt to shorten the filming down to one day - sort of, "here's one I prepared earlier" [tongue]

[GrahamB2]

Acronyms like SWMBO can be made into words by adding one or more vowels.

 

For example SWAMBO = She Who Always Must Be Obeyed is easier to say as a word than SWMBO, plus I believe it is RAMBO's sisters name.

 

Cheers

[Kearnage]

PB2, SWMBO clearly saw the bigger picture. The brews look very drinkable, and the kitchen scrubs up pretty well too!