What's in Your Fermenter 2022?

[Tricky Micky]

Really lazy day yesterday - 2 batches of FWK's from Kegland. 

On the top is the Cloud 9 Hazy Pale Ale and on the bottom is the Aussie Bitter.

Cloud 9 Hay pale Ale:

20 litre volume

SG 1.048

ABV 5.0 %

100gram Eclipse Dry hop

1 x Pack Verdant Yeast pitched cool at 16 degrees C  and ferment at 18 deg C.

 

Aussie Bitter:

22 litre Volume

SG 1.048

ABV 4.6%

1 x Pack Lalbrew American West Coast ale yeast pitched at cool 16 degrees C and raised to ferment at 18 degrees C.

 

 

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

4 hours ago, Mickep said:

Really lazy day yesterday - 2 batches of FWK's from Kegland. 

Sounds good Mick, do they supply the HDPE containers or are the in those satchels ?

[Tricky Micky]

2 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Sounds good Mick, do they supply the HDPE containers or are the in those satchels ?

G'day Phil, only in the satchels mate - I get the bride to empty them into the Coopers FV for me. Don't trust myself. It'd end in tears me thinks. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

8 minutes ago, Mickep said:

G'day Phil, only in the satchels mate - I get the bride to empty them into the Coopers FV for me. Don't trust myself. It'd end in tears me thinks. 

They really annoy me even the Mangrove Jacks kits have them but 1.5l is easier to handle than 20l.

[Pezzza]

9 hours ago, jennyss said:

Three krausen collar questions for the Coopers Community and Coopers team:

Hey there @jennyss 

I think that @ozdevil Ozzy has answered some of your questions

Re the KCollar and history and getting response from @Coopers DIY Beer Team the team - probably best to tag them like in this sentence... you there guys?

If I start with the KC on.... I leave it there till I kegonup or bottle-up.... there is a blanket of CO2 sitting on the beer - carbon dioxide heavier than air... and also lid on means no wild yeasts getting in... so I would not lift the lid... unless as I think Oz mentions -- where you might be late hopping?

Re Foamy stuff on top of the beer... I think so... some yeasts seem to retain their frothy top a bit more... others don't... but one thing I believe is fairly certain - if the brew has been made with good practice and has no wild yeast in it - if you can get your beer to 18 degC or lower.... it does it proud to leave it sit there in there to FV condition...  but best if it is not too warm and also must not have any potential for infection... no sneaky lid-lifters wandering past : )

One for thing for certain - don't bottle until you hit FG and have a few days of FG... but you know that already. 

In the past I was always keen to get my beer into bottles asap to avoid contam or infections...

But in general now I believe quite a few of us probably Fermenter Condition our beers out to 14 days even tho most of the action was well past ages ago.

There is also the nice thing about "Yeast Cleanup" where if you have temp control - at the end of ferment you drop the temp over time a few degrees each day and then chill it for a little bit thereafter - cold crash type idea...

I don't suggest I am an expert but the Yeast Cleanup idea seems to be fairly common... I learned it originally from here (the Coopers Forum) and the Palmer How to Brew Book... and was especially important with Lager Yeasts... but I sorta do it now with Ales and have come across others that do it with Ales as well... 

But not much help if you cannot manipulate temp... and there are plenty of good Brewers who do their Ferment at ambient and make great beers as well...

Many different ways to the top of the Brewing Mountain : )

Hope all that blither up there might help a wee bit 

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

10 hours ago, jennyss said:

Three krausen collar questions for the Coopers Community and Coopers team:

1. Why and when did Coopers introduce the new fermenting vessel design, with a krausen collar, and no airlock?

2. Is it OK to leave the krausen collar on the FV? On day 7 of my Brigalow 'New' brew, there is still a 1/2" thick krausen with white foam and brown streaky yeasty bits on top.  I thought I would start testing the SG today.

3. Is it OK to bottle if FG has been reached, and there is still foamy stuff on top of the brew?

Thanks in anticipation of your info and advice!

Your questions look like they have been answered but my view is use it if you are adding extra fermentables & some particular yeasts will fire up & get going a lot quicker causing a big krausen.

Otherwise it isn't needed & it is just something else to wash.

[Pezzza]

1 hour ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

some particular yeasts will fire up & get going a lot quicker causing a big krausen.

Otherwise it isn't needed & it is just something else to wash.

@jennyss JSS @Classic Brewing Co has noted a couple of really good points here...

The KC is often needed with particular beers as noted above - with some Dark Beers - and some higher protein brews like wheat beers - and I think that @kmar92 KMar would agree also with our friend the fiery Lallemand Munich Classic Yeast - which can be a bit of a shocker...

I think also the higher OG Brews... more fermentables... and particularly if Wheat and Rye and Dextrin Malts are involved - can provide a bigger frothy top - and then that is reflected I believe in a creamier mouthfeel beer - also with Dark Roasted Malts somehow too... creamier beer - bigger frothy top... 

Plus it depends upon what temp you are running at - the higher the temp - the more likely some raging inferno might start up...  which can indicate a healthy brew - just depends on what yeast what fermentables what temp - you are running at. 

If I am doing a full bodied big Weizen with Lally Classic... I always use the KC... but with other Brews not that much... see below this guy was a cranking Kräussen but didn't (luckily - fortunately)  need the KC ; ) But was a bit of a close call...

[DavidM]

5 minutes ago, Itinerant Peasant said:

@jennyss JSS @Classic Brewing Co has noted a couple of really good points here...

The KC is often needed with particular beers as noted above - with some Dark Beers - and some higher protein brews like wheat beers - and I think that @kmar92 KMar would agree also with our friend the fiery Lallemand Munich Classic Yeast - which can be a bit of a shocker...

I think also the higher OG Brews... more fermentables... and particularly if Wheat and Rye and Dextrin Malts are involved - can provide a bigger frothy top - and then that is reflected I believe in a creamier mouthfeel beer - also with Dark Roasted Malts somehow too... creamier beer - bigger frothy top... 

Plus it depends upon what temp you are running at - the higher the temp - the more likely some raging inferno might start up...  which can indicate a healthy brew - just depends on what yeast what fermentables what temp - you are running at. 

If I am doing a full bodied big Weizen with Lally Classic... I always use the KC... but with other Brews not that much... see below this guy was a cranking Kräussen but didn't (luckily - fortunately)  need the KC ; ) But was a bit of a close call...

I've only used the Collar twice, not needed both times, One was a Stout and the other a Dark.

Neither got close to the top, brewed at 20 deg.

Handy to have but not needed with normal Yeast and Temps.

[Pezzza]

31 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Handy to have but not needed with normal Yeast and Temps.

Haha @DavidM but I sorta think that my monster-beast-frothy-top seen up above was a "normal Yeast" - much maligned poor ol US05 - and at "normal Temps"... like high teens early twenties... but with a big fat festive AG Wort... and a big cranking yeast cake... so that all combined to making a Festival of Fermentation and hence nice bit frothy top.

Re "Normal" - from the perspective of good qual Coopers KnK - agreed...  on most occasions you would not need the KC... but if you add some extra Liquid Malts and some BE3 or so to a Black Beer or do a Toucan you can also get quite a reasonable fire up and frothy top...

Anyway - all good - it can be useful... 

[jennyss]

Thanks everybody for your krausen collar and yeast info and suggestions - very interesting. I will leave the collar on.

Another puzzling thing with this Brigalow 'New' brew, which was mixed with the can and 1kg dextrose only, is that on Day 7 the SG was only 1021! After a SG of 1035. The sample tasted 'sweet', definitely not off, not much smell, and very thin 'mouth feel'. On the can it said to brew at 25-27deg! So, I have gone out on a limb and turned the little heater up, raising the brew temp to 24deg; hoping that will give the yeast a kick along.  Whaadayareckon?

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by jennyss

[Classic Brewing Co]

6 minutes ago, jennyss said:

Thanks everybody for your krausen collar and yeast info and suggestions - very interesting. I will leave the collar on.

Another puzzling thing with this Brigalow 'New' brew, which was mixed with the can and 1kg dextrose only, is that on Day 7 the SG was only 1021! After a SG of 1035. The sample tasted 'sweet', definitely not off, not much smell, and very thin 'mouth feel'. On the can it said to brew at 25-27deg! So, I have gone out on a limb and turned the little heater up, raising the brew temp to 24deg; hoping that will give the yeast a kick along.  Whaadayareckon?

 

 

Hi @jennyss my opinion is the Dextrose is the cause of a sweet, thin beer. I don't know about the Brigalow brew, I don't use them as I feel they are a bit ordinary.  As far as the brewing temperature goes it would depend on what yeast you are using - I couldn't see where you mentioned which one it was.

[jennyss]

3 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

it would depend on what yeast you are using

The yeast was in a packet under the lid - no info on what yeast it was.

[Shamus O'Sean]

20 hours ago, Mickep said:

That does seem to be a waste of some perfectly good cans of malt extract, Mick.  Maybe get yourself some Brigalow cans or even a few cans of XXXX to support your shelf. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

4 minutes ago, jennyss said:

The yeast was in a packet under the lid - no info on what yeast it was.

I would say more likely to be a newish type of an Ale yeast but 25-27c seems too high for an Ale yeast & definitely too high for a Larger 

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I would say more likely to be a newish type of an Ale yeast but 25-27c seems too high for an Ale yeast & definitely too high for a Larger 

Quote

Brigalow Brewing Yeast is a pure yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), specially selected for its tolerance to wide temperature variations (16 degrees to 35 degrees), however the ideal fermentation temperature is 25 degrees

1800 773 155 or email us at info@brigalow-brew.com.au

Jenny why don't you ring or email them & we will all know 

[Classic Brewing Co]

5 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

a few cans of XXXX to support your shelf. 

I was going to say that's about the best place for them Shamus but I didn't think I ought to ... oopp's too late !! 

[Shamus O'Sean]

Hey @jennyss, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is basically an ale yeast.  In my view, 25°C is about the upper limit for most ale yeasts.  

Having said that, raising the temperature a few degrees once you get to around 1.020 is good practice to help with the yeast cleanup that IP mentions.

Hopefully you can get it to drop a few more points.

[jennyss]

1 hour ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Jenny why don't you ring or email them & we will all know

I just rang Brigalow at 1800 773 155 and spoke to Eunice who has been with Brigalow for 30 years! Eunice was friendly and quite helpful. She couldn't give me details of the yeast that comes with the Brigalow 'New'; but said it was designed to brew best at higher temperatures - around 26deg. Eunice said that a SG of 1021 was much too low/high. The FG should be 1005. I am going to push the temperature up to 26 deg and see what happens. I'll probably test the SG every day.

[Classic Brewing Co]

33 minutes ago, jennyss said:

I just rang Brigalow at 1800 773 155 and spoke to Eunice who has been with Brigalow for 30 years! Eunice was friendly and quite helpful. She couldn't give me details of the yeast that comes with the Brigalow 'New'; but said it was designed to brew best at higher temperatures - around 26deg. Eunice said that a SG of 1021 was much too low/high. The FG should be 1005. I am going to push the temperature up to 26 deg and see what happens. I'll probably test the SG every day.

Fair enough, at least you know a bit more about it now.

[Pale Man]

Finally beer in the fermenter. Nothing special just a Pale Ale. Weyerman Pilsner, Wheat and a touch of Chrystal. Single hop addition of Galaxy for 26 IBU. Should be ready for AFL Grand Final.

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

15 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

Finally beer in the fermenter. Nothing special just a Pale Ale. Weyerman Pilsner, Wheat and a touch of Chrystal. Single hop addition of Galaxy for 26 IBU. Should be ready for AFL Grand Final.

 

@Pale Man that looks like you are all organised,  just wondering who a Port supporter would want to win the AFL final, I am not trying to be funny just curious. Cheers.

[Pale Man]

15 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

@Pale Man that looks like you are all organised,  just wondering who a Port supporter would want to win the AFL final, I am not trying to be funny just curious. Cheers.

Tough one for me. Grand Final day for me is an event more than anything. A barby and beers with the family if Port arent in it. Which is every year 

So to answer your question, I'd have to say I wouldn't mind Fremantle winning their first flag. After that Collingwood or Sydney.

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, Pale Man said:

Tough one for me. Grand Final day for me is an event more than anything. A barby and beers with the family if Port arent in it. Which is every year 

So to answer your question, I'd have to say I wouldn't mind Fremantle winning their first flag. After that Collingwood or Sydney.

Fair enough mate, it was a friendly question, that's all. 

[Pale Man]

5 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Fair enough mate, it was a friendly question, that's all. 

I'm always up for any questions 

If Port were playing i'd lock myself in the lounge room, lower the blinds and tell all to keep away. The end result would either be bliss or heartache for me. I'm not good when Port play in big games. 

[DavidM]

Coopers Pale Ale

Can of Pale Ale, One kilo of Light Dry Malt.

250g Carapils, 250g Crystal Malt, steeped for 30 minutes.

Boiled for 5 minutes, 30g Galaxy Hops thrown in at the end of the boil.

Can Yeast pitched at 24 deg. In the brew fridge at 20 deg.

Should be a good session beer for sunny arvo's in the sun!