Split batch ale - Voss and Chico

[Megary]

My bet is that the Voss is gonna be at the finish line before the Chico. My experience with Kviek, minor as it is, was a game changer. I have some 4 batches under my belt with it and the difference it made in the more maltiness that my house brown had was an eye opener! I have done easily as many with the S05 dry from Safale which is supposed to be Chico* and in comparison it seemed "tired" in comparison.

Yeast Comparison Charts (homebrewsupply.com) <= *

After reading about some of the folklore on how kviek was handled by old timers, it was probably a good call to put the jerry rigged lid on the Voss batch, the stuff seems to be much more forgiving to an environment that isn't the paragon of sanitation....errr..I hope the towel was on TOP of the Saran Wrap!

What's the latest on the batches?

For a really interesting look at comparing yeasts, check out this “Family Tree” when you get time. I know @dmtaylor has done some great work on comparing yeasts as well.

https://beer.suregork.com/?p=4030

 

[Ward Chillington]

I've seen that Family Tree in a few other articles...a story about if and how Kveik is a whole new thing and where it may have come from...wanna say it was on the Lars blog site.

 

[Jazzy_J]

My bet is that the Voss is gonna be at the finish line before the Chico. My experience with Kviek, minor as it is, was a game changer. I have some 4 batches under my belt with it and the difference it made in the more maltiness that my house brown had was an eye opener! I have done easily as many with the S05 dry from Safale which is supposed to be Chico* and in comparison it seemed "tired" in comparison.

Yeast Comparison Charts (homebrewsupply.com) <= *

After reading about some of the folklore on how kviek was handled by old timers, it was probably a good call to put the jerry rigged lid on the Voss batch, the stuff seems to be much more forgiving to an environment that isn't the paragon of sanitation....errr..I hope the towel was on TOP of the Saran Wrap!

What's the latest on the batches?

You were bang on about the voss, krausen dropped about 48 hours after pitching the yeast. I've been waiting to take a gravity reading before updating, but I've been reluctant to open it up and take a reading without having another make-shift lid ready to go. Didn't want to lose my protective co2 layer. Finally got to it today, read 1.010 at about 75 degrees, I'll take another one after chilling it a bit. I've got that one in the wine chiller cooling down to try to get some of the haze out. The chico batch is still going. I haven't opened it up, but it's bubbling away every few seconds. I've had some attenuation issues with this yeast before, so I'm a tad bit nervous as I don't love sweet ales.

The voss is about what I expected. My warm, flat sample was pretty unremarkable actually. I've made an ale with a different kveik strand, and have bottles of that still kicking around after about 8ish (?) months. It has a funk to the aroma that is very much like my bottled ale. Kinda yeasty, kinda like a barn? It's not in the flavor at all thankfully. From what I could tell the yeast doesn't have a very overpowering flavor brewed at that temp (85-65), but there is a bit of an old citrus feeling leftover after a sip. I could barely taste the hops at all, but that could be due to the recipe. I'll have to see how it goes once it's cold and bubbly.

I'll keep you guys updated!

 

[GFHomebrew]

Ah good to hear Voss would have to be one of the more cleaner Kviek yeasts along with Oslo.
That citrus taste is inline with what I experienced with this yeast.
Itll have a more persistent haze than the Chico strain .

 

[Jazzy_J]

Ah good to hear Voss would have to be one of the more cleaner Kviek yeasts along with Oslo.
That citrus taste is inline with what I experienced with this yeast.
Itll have a more persistent haze than the Chico strain .

That's what I've heard. I initially had pretty high hopes for the yeast, but read a lot of conflicting opinions and kinda pushed it to the back of my yeast stock. I bought two packs and used my first one to try to help a beer that hadn't dried out enough. I think it'll be perfectly drinkable though. At the very least it'll be a nice break from the flavor bomb super dry hopped beers out now.

 

[GFHomebrew]

This last community beer has been the only ale I've fermented without kviek yeast of some kind easily for over a year.

 

[Herm brews]

I just got a packet of LalBrew Voss Kveik, my first ever, and am wondering what to do with it. Brew my first Stout, or my second batch of Janet’s Brown Ale? Another batch of IPA?

 

[Ward Chillington]

Brew my first Stout, or my second batch of Janet’s Brown Ale? Another batch of IPA

My recco is something you know what it tastes like so you have a baseline to compare it to...even better if you have a bottle from the "reference batch" to do a side by side with you and SWMBO by mixing up your cups.

 

[Jazzy_J]

This last community beer has been the only ale I've fermented without kviek yeast of some kind easily for over a year.

Is the funky aroma typical with kveik? This batch was the lalbrew voss, but the ale I made before was with whitelabs opshaug and the funk was real. It's finally aging out, but it was nearly a dumper. I know it's a farmhouse yeast, but everything I read claimed it was clean.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Is the funky aroma typical with kveik? This batch was the lalbrew voss, but the ale I made before was with whitelabs opshaug and the funk was real. It's finally aging out, but it was nearly a dumper. I know it's a farmhouse yeast, but everything I read claimed it was clean.

Clean indeed...sounds...smells like something else is going on if you have funk. If anything, fruity is more likely.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yup.
I've used Voss - Hornindal - Scare- and currently Framgarden.
Voss and Scare have been quite clean aromas with Voss having citrus taste sometimes tart but hornindal and more so Framgarden can get quite fruity like Mango pineapple going toward off fruit smell sometimes.
It's def different to your typical S05 type thing but I've been on a bit of a kviek train brewing with it exclusively over the last year or so I'm deffinetly sold on its positives.

 

[Jazzy_J]

That's good to hear. These two batches have been made in the same bucket. A second hand one I picked up and only use when my regular one is busy. Maybe time to upgrade the fermenters...

 

[GFHomebrew]

That's good to hear. These two batches have been made in the same bucket. A second hand one I picked up and only use when my regular one is busy. Maybe time to upgrade the fermenters...

I fermented in buckets for a few years no probs with them just buy a new one once in a while and change out spiggots hoses.

 

[Nosybear]

I fermented in buckets for a few years no probs with them just buy a new one once in a while and change out spiggots hoses.

I still do sometimes when I feel "open" fermentation is more appropriate to the style I'm brewing. Lay the lid on loosely and it functions just fine as an open fermentor. Nothing wrong with buckets!

 

[thunderwagn]

I just got a packet of LalBrew Voss Kveik, my first ever, and am wondering what to do with it. Brew my first Stout, or my second batch of Janet’s Brown Ale? Another batch of IPA?

Just me, but I'd vote against using Voss on a stout or especially Janet's. I get way fruity, tart, and some tropical off Voss. Honestly, it's not my favorite. If anything, I'd suggest maybe a hazy type ipa.

 

[dpc166]

I did Voss for a NEIPA and a Milk Stout and had no off flavor issues from the yeast (fruity). Best part was that the sucker fermented in 24 hours and was an absolute beast at 80 degrees.

 

[Herm brews]

Just me, but I'd vote against using Voss on a stout or especially Janet's. I get way fruity, tart, and some tropical off Voss. Honestly, it's not my favorite. If anything, I'd suggest maybe a hazy type ipa.

Thanks for your thoughts on this, especially since I used your recipe for Janet’s Brown. Before seeing your post, I had penciled in Voss for my next batch of Janet’s Brown. Now my plan is up in the air .......

 

[Craigerrr]

I used VOSS in a Coffee Porter a while back (bottled batch)
At first I wasn't sure if I liked it, after it aged for a few months, it was delish!

 

[thunderwagn]

Thanks for your thoughts on this, especially since I used your recipe for Janet’s Brown. Before seeing your post, I had penciled in Voss for my next batch of Janet’s Brown. Now my plan is up in the air .......

Everyone has different tastes and it may totally be to your liking. I've used the opshaug strain on Nautical Star once and I really liked it. I've used Voss on several brews now and it just isn't for me.

 

[Jazzy_J]

Hey guys I haven't gotten about this, promise. My wife dislocated her elbow so I'm on full baby, cooking, and cleaning duty. I tried to convince her to keep her bones in place since I wanted to get this done, but she went ahead with it anyway. I'll get the chico into a keg shortly!