Jump to content
Coopers Community

Pitching Saflager W-34/70


Lotm

Recommended Posts

Got a few quickies:[crying]

1. Will 1 X 11g sachet do the job? (Predicted OG 1046)

2. If pitched dry at 23-24\xb0C, how long do I wait before dropping the temp to 12\xb0C?

3. How rapidly do I drop it?

 

Thanks for your help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Lotm.

 

I just did a similar procedure as to what you are planning with my current brew in my brew fridge.

 

Basically I pitched my yeast @ 21-22\xb0C. I allowed that to maintain for 15-18hrs outside the brew fridge, then I placed the FV in the brew fridge & had the temp controller reduce the FV temp to 18\xb0C. This doesn't happen instantly due to the volume that needs to be lowered. No stuttering at mid temps.

 

From the information I read, by pitching the yeast @ the low-mid 20 degree temp for 15-24hrs, you are increasing volume size of active yeast to ferment your brew. This is a good thing. [happy]

 

As I have mentioned in another thread, my current brew is chugging along nicely due in part to this technique.

 

For a lager style brew that you plan to ferment @ approx. 12\xb0C, I wouldn't allow the pitched yeast to stay @ 20+ degrees Celsius for more than about 18hrs before you reduce the temperature down to that 12 degrees for the duration of the ferment.

 

The reason I say this is that if you allow the yeast to suspend beyond this time length before lowering the FV temp, you run the risk of having the volume of yeast ferment too fast. [pinched]

 

I will stand corrected on this.

 

Beer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The usual instructions for pitching lager yeast dry are to pitch it around 22C and let it drop to 10-12ish over a period of 12-24 hours. It allows it to produce the cells for the fermentation at the higher temp as Lusty said. This is why I brew my lagers in winter, if I pitch the yeast around lunchtime, by the wee hours of the next morning the temp has come right down. It took about 2-3 weeks to ferment. Having said that, I don't have a temp controlled fridge at the moment, so I tend to brew with the seasons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got a few quickies:[crying]

1. Will 1 X 11g sachet do the job? (Predicted OG 1046)

2. If pitched dry at 23-24\xb0C, how long do I wait before dropping the temp to 12\xb0C?

3. How rapidly do I drop it?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Hi Lotm.

 

My apologies for missing this the first time around.

 

As an answer to question 1, the answer is NO. Since you plan to brew a lager style beer at a lager temperature of 12\xb0C, 11gms of dry yeast will not be enough.

 

If you are using a kit tin as your base for this brew, chuck in the kit yeast as well as the W-34/70 packet yeast. If you are not using a kit tin as the base, double up on the W-34/70 packet yeast.

 

Now that you have a brew fridge & are going to brew various styles of beer, I suggest you run your Original Gravity, brew style, & yeast type through THIS CALCULATOR before you mix it up in your FV.

 

After a period of time, you'll get to know the amount you should be pitching, but until then, this calculator is a valuable tool.

 

Beer.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got a few quickies:[crying]

1. Will 1 X 11g sachet do the job? (Predicted OG 1046)

2. If pitched dry at 23-24\xb0C, how long do I wait before dropping the temp to 12\xb0C?

3. How rapidly do I drop it?

 

Thanks for your help.

If you are pitching it warm, as you indicated, then 1 packet should probably be enough. Drop the temp after 12 hours and let it come down to your lager fermentation temp. As Lusty said, it will take some time to cool due to the volume so you will be gradually reducing the temp.

 

I don't brew a lot a lagers but I have had more success with pitching 2 packets of rehydrated yeast at the cool fermentation temp. But you will need to work out how to get your wort at pitching temp. I chill my boiled wort down further than usual and ensure I have at least 10-15 litres of chilled water on hand.

 

You can do either so just find what works for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A question I asked earlier in the week about mixing kit yeasts and specialty yeasts' date=' seemed to be answered by most that it was not a good idea to do. ?????? the question remains good idea/bad idea. Cheers>[biggrin']

There is nothing stopping you from doing it, you will just get a blend of the two yeasts.

 

From memory I think most of the comments were centred around choosing a particular type of yeast for a brew and by mixing the yeast you will change those attributes.

 

I recently brewed a bigger beer and used 1 packet of US-05 and half of a kit yeast that I had in the fridge. The rest was used as yeast nutrient. It turned out fine and didn't really notice a difference.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though it may not be best practice, I usually pitch it at 16C then put it straight in a fridge set at 10C.

Never had any problems or adverse affects.

 

I read an article in issue 20 of Homebrewer where a couple of US Brewers offered their thoughts on pitching temperatures. According to John Palmer and Jamil Zainasheff you should only pitch your yeast at the target fermentation temperature or a degree or two lower. Their reasoning is this prevents rapid yeast growth which is responsible for unwanted flavours. Pitching at the target temperature gives a "cleaner beer profile", ensuring the resultant beer flavours are congruent with the yeast strain.

Based on this Bill I would say pitching at 16'C and then dropping to 10'C in a temperature controlled fridge would give a better result than pitching at 20+'C and reducing after a set time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...