What are you doing with homebrew today?

But I’m not seeking funky farmhouse flavors, what I’m after is clean “C” hops character. (Anybody digging my use of alliteration)? My first brew with Voss kveik, I underpitched, but got a subpar result for a beer that was really good using US-05.
Remember, I ferment without temperature control, it is late summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and it’s gonna be hot here tomorrow when I brew. I’m trying to take advantage of what kveik has to offer relative to the conditions of my brewing environment.
As for the Zymurgy article, they are talking about what pro brewers and home brewers are doing with kveik to make clean fermented beers, especially with respect to temperature control.
Ben, I have a ton of respect for you and how you brew. You keep up your good work. I hope to keep getting good results with this “new to me” tool that is kveik.
Cheers!
Honesty from the many Kviek fermentations I did yeast pitch didnt have much affect that in could tell on the yeast character. Fermentation temperature has a bigger part to play. Now pitch Voss Kviek at 39c and let it rock and tell me how you like them citrus aromas/flavours.

Through my experience with Hirnindal Voss and Framgarden Kviek they all played a great supporting roll with new world hops In the beers I brewed with them.
Honestly i rate Hornindal maybe my faves than Framgaden both of these I've pushed for over ten generations. I used Voss for a few but found that my least preferred but if your going that citrus almost citrus pith/grapefruit thing itll give you that in abundance.

LARS has done a tour over in the States instructing pro brewers on tips on using Kviek. What he recommended was underpitching and using yeast nutrient the help in the rapid cell reproduction that takes place in Kviek fermentations.
I found the same it would take off like a rocket then a day later bang drop out of solution leaving an under attenuated fermentation after a few generations.

DAVID HEATH also has some great Kviek videos have you checked them out Herm?
Heres a great one on kviek pitch rate.
Hey I'm just here for the discussion remember this is just my take all respect to you man it's all horses for corses so to speak:)
.
 
@RoadRoach I don't want to throw anymore wrenches into your plan but...if it were me I would soak some rough chopped cocoa nibs in some cheap vodka and add them like a dry hop addition towards the end of primary fermentation. Boiling them sounds too bitter, and adding them to the mash seems way too early in the process for the flavor to make it to the glass. I'm sure you've done way more research than me, but that's just my take on it :)
 
Honesty from the many Kviek fermentations I did yeast pitch didnt have much affect that in could tell on the yeast character. Fermentation temperature has a bigger part to play. Now pitch Voss Kviek at 39c and let it rock and tell me how you like them citrus aromas/flavours.

Through my experience with Hirnindal Voss and Framgarden Kviek they all played a great supporting roll with new world hops In the beers I brewed with them.
Honestly i rate Hornindal maybe my faves than Framgaden both of these I've pushed for over ten generations. I used Voss for a few but found that my least preferred but if your going that citrus almost citrus pith/grapefruit thing itll give you that in abundance.

LARS has done a tour over in the States instructing pro brewers on tips on using Kviek. What he recommended was underpitching and using yeast nutrient the help in the rapid cell reproduction that takes place in Kviek fermentations.
I found the same it would take off like a rocket then a day later bang drop out of solution leaving an under attenuated fermentation after a few generations.

DAVID HEATH also has some great Kviek videos have you checked them out Herm?
Heres a great one on kviek pitch rate.
Hey I'm just here for the discussion remember this is just my take all respect to you man it's all horses for corses so to speak:)
.
Ben, I love it. You offer a wealth of information from your own brewing experience/experiments. By sharing what you have learned, you help this forum immeasurably. I know that I am not alone in appreciating what you bring here.
image.jpg
This is my overbuilt starter. On the left is what I will pitch tomorrow to ferment IPA of the 3 C’s. On the right is the overbuild, which will be overbuilt again sometime soon to ferment something. Peet the cat looks on from behind.
Cheers!
 
@RoadRoach I don't want to throw anymore wrenches into your plan but...if it were me I would soak some rough chopped cocoa nibs in some cheap vodka and add them like a dry hop addition towards the end of primary fermentation. Boiling them sounds too bitter, and adding them to the mash seems way too early in the process for the flavor to make it to the glass. I'm sure you've done way more research than me, but that's just my take on it :)

Ummm, guess I'll have to take that under advisement (next time). It wasn't really a plan, but more an experiment suggested by the missus. Guess I'll know in a couple months if I hosed up a batch of beer. I did toss 'em into the boil, probably too long, but like I said, I've seen so many ONLY ways to use them, The boil on this one is only 30 minutes since it's an extract. Most of that is for bittering. I just threw my hands up and took the easy way out. I'll put some vanillin in the priming sugar mix and see what that does for it. Hopefully it'll take some of the cocoa edge off and make it taste more like a candy bar. Next time, I'm thinking cocoa powder. Seems a little simpler and more direct. Maybe even the Hershey's syrup route.

Hey, cooler weather's on the way, so might as well get a buncha smooth stout brewed up to drink while I watch the Crimson Tide kick butt. I kinda think Oatmeal Stout is like apple pie. No such thing as a bad one, just some better than others. I'm certainly open to recommendations, keeping my aversion to ear wax flavored beer in mind. Just have to keep my fingers crossed on this one. It wasn't much (4 oz), so hopefully I didn't destroy the batch. I tasted it just before I pitched, and it wasn't nasty, just unfermented. Otherwise, couldn't tell a whole lotta difference without the nibs. Well, at least from what I can remember. Been a while since I've brewed this one. Time will tell, soon enough.
 
@RoadRoach Yeah, you can add cocoa many ways. If chocolate flavor is the goal, then use them the same way as flavor/aroma hops: some time after the boil.

The chocolate flavor comes from oils in the cocoa, boiling drives those oils to evaporate.

No matter what you do, it will be ok.
Probably pitched them too early, but the good note is that this was a partial mash brew, so I didn't put 'em in until the boil. The boil on this for bittering is only 30 minutes. No flavoring or aroma hops, just bittering. Probably shoulda waited until time to drop in the immersion chiller for sanitizing, and put the nibs in at that time for a 10 minute boil at the end. Let's see if this turns into some kinda pig swill or a tolerable way to do the nibs. I'll know better next time if it doesn't turn out so well.

Thanks for the input, everyone.
 
To mash or add to fermentor post primary that is the Question:D

I've done the latter;).
Also there is the question of how much Grams/lt or Gallons to you wanna throw at it to get said flavours.
If were me I'd most likely let the nibs no chill overnight in the kegmenter then Charge it some more after primary in a bag.
As for your starter you wont find any issues with pitching it whole I believe the yeast matabalise any off flavours durin fermentations and I havnt detected any nastiness from doing this routinely in my own brewing ;).
I know you you've herd it before but keep that fermentor warm as you see fermentation starting to finish itll help them last party revelers clean up the remaining sugars.
I put 4 ounces in a 5 gallon batch. The missus had some left over from a recipe she tried for some kinda granola for cereal, and asked me if I'd like to try it. She asked twice, so that's a good sign that she REALLY wants me to try it.

I wish I had temperature control. That's on my long agenda, certainly. I've got some of the materials to build a fermenting cooler, but haven't picked up anything for heat yet, or temperature control. Best I can do for now is a constant 68-70 degrees in my basement, which is apparently a little warm for the WLP004 Irish Yeast. Also, I see that stuff is low/medium flocculant, so I'll have to keep that in mind when racking it for bottling. May have been smarter to go with dry yeast with a higher temperature tolerance. Hard to see when ya stir up junk in a black beer, but amazingly, the sediment in the bottles is still white.

I smell like a sweaty brewhouse worker after making two batches today. Definitely need a shower.

Thanks again everyone for the input. I'll put a note in the other thread and link the recipe there as well. It's shared if ya wanna have a gander.
 
Ummm, guess I'll have to take that under advisement (next time). It wasn't really a plan, but more an experiment suggested by the missus. Guess I'll know in a couple months if I hosed up a batch of beer. I did toss 'em into the boil, probably too long, but like I said, I've seen so many ONLY ways to use them, The boil on this one is only 30 minutes since it's an extract. Most of that is for bittering. I just threw my hands up and took the easy way out. I'll put some vanillin in the priming sugar mix and see what that does for it. Hopefully it'll take some of the cocoa edge off and make it taste more like a candy bar. Next time, I'm thinking cocoa powder. Seems a little simpler and more direct. Maybe even the Hershey's syrup route.

Hey, cooler weather's on the way, so might as well get a buncha smooth stout brewed up to drink while I watch the Crimson Tide kick butt. I kinda think Oatmeal Stout is like apple pie. No such thing as a bad one, just some better than others. I'm certainly open to recommendations, keeping my aversion to ear wax flavored beer in mind. Just have to keep my fingers crossed on this one. It wasn't much (4 oz), so hopefully I didn't destroy the batch. I tasted it just before I pitched, and it wasn't nasty, just unfermented. Otherwise, couldn't tell a whole lotta difference without the nibs. Well, at least from what I can remember. Been a while since I've brewed this one. Time will tell, soon enough.
Can't wait to hear how it turns out! That's one of my favorite things about this forum, so many brewers are doing experiments that I get to sit back and learn from :)
 
Ok, I've read enough to completely confuse the heck outta me. Cocoa nibs bring out a lot more experts with only ways to use them than I can count. Soaking, not soaking, mash, boil, primary ferment, secondary ferment, you name it, there seems to be no end of ways to use them. So, for this experiment, a 5 gallon batch, I'm gonna add 4 oz Nibs to the mash grains. That way, it goes through the mash and boil, so guaranteed not to leave any critters behind.

@RoadRoach, remember that MY way is the ONLY way you should be doing it! :p

Seriously though, I think these are all valid options for adding cocoa nibs. In general, I think the later you add them the more flavor and aroma you will get in the final beer. If you add them to the fermenter (primary or secondary) then definitely soak them in vodka for a few days prior to adding them to the fermenter.

Let us know how it turns out.
 
Tried hooking up the Plaato to the Festbier(had it for a while, never had it set up right before). Less than 36 hours @ 70f and it's at final gravity and down to 80 bubbles per minute. Lutra is a freaking BEAST!!! Still have to verify with the hydrometer until it's dialed in. but wow. 1st time with kviek and I'm impressed so far.
 
Honesty from the many Kviek fermentations I did yeast pitch didnt have much affect that in could tell on the yeast character. Fermentation temperature has a bigger part to play. Now pitch Voss Kviek at 39c and let it rock and tell me how you like them citrus aromas/flavours.

Through my experience with Hirnindal Voss and Framgarden Kviek they all played a great supporting roll with new world hops In the beers I brewed with them.
Honestly i rate Hornindal maybe my faves than Framgaden both of these I've pushed for over ten generations. I used Voss for a few but found that my least preferred but if your going that citrus almost citrus pith/grapefruit thing itll give you that in abundance.

LARS has done a tour over in the States instructing pro brewers on tips on using Kviek. What he recommended was underpitching and using yeast nutrient the help in the rapid cell reproduction that takes place in Kviek fermentations.
I found the same it would take off like a rocket then a day later bang drop out of solution leaving an under attenuated fermentation after a few generations.

DAVID HEATH also has some great Kviek videos have you checked them out Herm?
Heres a great one on kviek pitch rate.
Hey I'm just here for the discussion remember this is just my take all respect to you man it's all horses for corses so to speak:)
.

Interesting, I have only ever used VOSS to date. In a hazy I like the "tanginess" it brings, but not so much to a west coast IPA. I used once in a coffee porter, which I bottled, at first I didn't like it, but a few months later the tangy flavor was gone and the porter was great. Once I get back to brewing, I will have to give Horninadal, and Framgarden a rip! Honestly what I like most about Kveik is how quick it works. If I want to brew in consecutive weekends, I can ferment and cold crash and have the fermenter ready for the next batch.
 
I am waiting for my wife to depart for a week of out of town work before I begin my brew day for IPA of the 3 C’s. It looks like I will be boiling wort during the heat of the day, but I have cold beer and good tunes to help me through. As is my custom, I will clean the stove before I start brewing.
 
Raising the temp on the Lutra Marzen to 90F from 80F. Gravity is somewhere around 1.016-1.018 and I want to make sure this beer finishes as dry as possible.
 
Interesting, I have only ever used VOSS to date. In a hazy I like the "tanginess" it brings, but not so much to a west coast IPA. I used once in a coffee porter, which I bottled, at first I didn't like it, but a few months later the tangy flavor was gone and the porter was great. Once I get back to brewing, I will have to give Horninadal, and Framgarden a rip! Honestly what I like most about Kveik is how quick it works. If I want to brew in consecutive weekends, I can ferment and cold crash and have the fermenter ready for the next batch.
Yup I was trying to think of that "thing" present in the background with Voss it's almost like a little extra bitterness. Now framgarden can give you tropical fruit sometimes overripe pawpaw mango.
A brew mate of mine I gave some Framgarden to about a year ago is still smashing out hoppy IPAs blonds and pales with it.
He bought some Hornindal from hombrew store wanting to refresh it and he said it was different than "my" hornindal said it kept throwing heaps of Bananan on him. (Sounds like it went Belgian on him)
This makes me suspicious of commercial yeast kviek strains I know they isolate the kviek.
The Kviek i get is online not through a commercial supplier more of like a hombrew supplier so it's more risky but more Authentic too :).
Most kviek are multi Strain I def know Hornindal is pretty sure Fram is too so it's a mixed culture of yeast and bacteria forming a symbiosis over the many generations it's been used.
That's why I try and simulate the brewing conditions its used too.

I've still got some of that Hornindal I bought a few years back.
Anyhow I'm all eyes and ears to see what you think about the other strains Craig.

This Lutra sounds like a clean fermenting beast of a kviek eh?

Maybe a bit too clean for an IPA but havnt tried it yet:D
 

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