Hornindal Kveik is blowing my mind

[EtchyLives]

And about 7 hours later those same fermenters look like this:

 

[WBB]

Would like to try this yeast. Local homebrew shop doesn’t carry so have to order online. Never ordered liquid yeast online before. A couple of vendors that carry it are only a 2 day transit time.

I’m thinking one ice pack with an insulated bubble mailer?

How do you order yours and how long does it take to reach you and what is the condition of the yeast pack? Is it still compact or puffed up?

 

[z-bob]

Would like to try this yeast. Local homebrew shop doesn’t carry so have to order online. Never ordered liquid yeast online before. A couple of vendors that carry it are only a 2 day transit time.

I’m thinking one ice pack with an insulated bubble mailer?

How do you order yours and how long does it take to reach you and what is the condition of the yeast pack? Is it still compact or puffed up?

I've ordered yeast from Farmhouse several times. Ice pack in the summer, I don't bother in the fall or spring when the weather is cool. It arrives quickly in good shape. Once the order was delayed and they shipped it on a Friday. I was not happy about that... until it showed up on Saturday, and they had thrown in a free ice pack because of the delay. That's pretty good service.

 

[kingmatt]

Has anyone else done a wheat beer with Hornindal? Got 18 gallons that went into the fermenter today. Room temp is around 72, using the heat dish on low to get it a little higher.View attachment 591615

I'm sure it will do well in an American Wheat. Watch those fermenters in direct sunlight though !!

 

[EtchyLives]

I'm sure it will do well in an American Wheat. Watch those fermenters in direct sunlight though !!

Not in direct sunlight. Just some bleed through the blinds and the overhead LED light. It's dark in there.

 

[FunkedOut]

This thread got Hornindal on my mind.
I bought a pouch of OYL and brewed a Pilsner-Hallertau Blanc SMaSH to showcase the yeast.
OG was 1.060 and IBU 25.

It’s now a week later and just showing signs of slowing down. It’s still building pressure, though. It’s a 3 gallon batch in a 5 gallon corny.
First couple days no pressure (valve releasing all pressure).
Next 4 days kept down to 5psi.
Then capped and allowed to raise pressure.
Yesterday morning, 15psi. Today, 15.5psi.

BTW, the gas post on the fermenter is hooked up to the liquid post on a sanitized empty keg. Spunding valve and gauge hooked up to the empty keg’s gas post. That’s 7 gallons of headspace that is seeing this pressure increase.

Temps have been ~85*F just sitting in the garage in FL.
Maybe seeing 90-95*F mid-day and 75-80*F midnight.

Can’t wait to try this one.
The gasses venting off the spunding valve smelled like a pineapple lifesaver. A wonderful surprise, because the starter smelled like sweaty ass.

 

[GnenieGone]

I'll be curious if you all get a plastic flavor in the final beer. Dude sent me his NEIPA made with HK. I tasted plastic. When mentioning he said it was funny I said that. He never taste it but his LHBS guy said he taste plastic from the Kveik strains. So I'm leary until I get more opinions.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

I'll be curious if you all get a plastic flavor in the final beer. Dude sent me his NEIPA made with HK. I tasted plastic. When mentioning he said it was funny I said that. He never taste it but his LHBS guy said he taste plastic from the Kveik strains. So I'm leary until I get more opinions.

I've only ever noticed the plastic flavor when it was fermented too cold or some combination of pitching too much/not enough nutrients.

 

[snowtiger1987]

Sounds like these yeasts could be a good candidate for a Brut IPA.

 

[GnenieGone]

I've only ever noticed the plastic flavor when it was fermented too cold or some combination of pitching too much/not enough nutrients.

Interesting. What would too cold be for this yeast you think?

 

[bigdawg86]

Sounds like these yeasts could be a good candidate for a Brut IPA.

I just did a Brut kettle sour with Voss Kviek. OG 1.066 and FG 1.002. The reason I went so dry is my fruit additions will stand out more.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

Interesting. What would too cold be for this yeast you think?

Standard ale temps. Early on I met people who were treating Voss like a standard ale yeast, pitching a huge starter in the 60s, what most people would consider to be standard procedure. I've gotten great results pitching about 20bil cells into a wort between 1.070 and 1.090 @85-95F. I could probably go even lower than that in terms of pitching rate.

 

[FunkedOut]

Fermentation is finally done, 12 days later.
Pitch rate was 0.5 million/(mL × °P).
Cold crashing tonight for a few days before kegging.

Still debating fining with gelatin or not.
All the beers I see with this yeast are cloudy.
Wonder if there's any chance of a clear beer with it.

 

[okiedog]

T

I picked this yeast up in the spring and finally got around to brewing with it. I had a double brew session in which I brewed my Allgash-influenced Wit with my Belgian strain and then a Hoppy Session Pale with azacca, equinox & southern cross.

Super hot brew day and I was over it by the end of my second brew - put the pale ale in my SS Brewbucket at about 130 and let it chill in the basement for a couple hours. Pitched the Hornindal Kveik at I'd say 100-110 (didn't even take a temp reading but wanted to see what the yeast would do at a higher temp). Took off quickly and just chugged along for about 3-4 days.

Kegged the beer today and it brought it down to 1.008 - no off flavors at all and some great citrus notes (could be azacca influenced as well).

This yeast goes against everything I've experienced in my 15 or so years brewing. I'm fairly excited about this yeast b/c it brings another dimension to Summer brewing outside of Belgian influenced ales. I like to brew with the seasons rather than using temp control and this yeast seems to be it for those dog days of summer and brewing clean beers.

I noticed your post a few days ago, and finally just got to check it out. I'm glad I did. Hornindal Kveik is a yeast that I have been interested in ever since it became available. It should make my summer ferments much easier.

 

[okiedog]

All of the Kveik strains are mindblowing.
I recently pitched a 1.095 RIS at 30c with a mix of Voss and Ebbegarden. Done in 4 days, dropped clear as a bell and not a hint of alcohol on the nose.

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Home Brew mobile app

Awesome. Where do you get the Ebbegarden?

 

[hezagenius]

For those doing NEIPAs with Hornindal, what temp or temp ranges are you getting best results?

Are you measuring with a thermowell or ambient?

I'll be fermenting in a chamber with a thermowell and heating and cooling sources so I can keep my fermentation pretty dialed in to a certain temp.

 

[kingmatt]

Awesome. Where do you get the Ebbegarden?

Mysterium has it: https://mysteriumyeast.com/yeast-pitches/

I just ordered their Simonaitis and Gjernes strains...looking forward to experimenting with them.

 

[FunkedOut]

Fined with gelatin and left it at 32*F for a couple of weeks.
Beer is crystal clear.

Not sure there’s anything wrong with this beer but it’s not my favorite. I’d not order a second pint.
It seems a bit dry and tight on the tongue.
Maybe needs more time?

 

[zyx345]

Pitched mine at 72 degrees in a 1.064 NE IPA and it took off very quickly and was active for about 24 hours with a 2” thick Krausen then started to simmer down. Krausen dropped after 3 days. I’m hoping this yeast didn’t stall.... It smelled very good through the airlock.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Could someone summarize the draw to kveik for me?

Sorry to derail this a bit, but in looking around I'm coming up short with a good summary. To me, it seems like the various kveiks are similar to the numerous sacc strains - they each have their own flavor profiles and what not. However, the only draw I can see to using kveiks (aside from obtaining a specific flavor profile) is procedure-based: they're robust and operate well at higher temps (compared to sacc), thus allowing for easier brewing in warmer temps without active temp control. It doesn't seem like it's a case, for example, of brett vs sacc where specific flavors can only be achieved with brett fermentation. Also, I've seen a few instances where if the effort is not made to achieve warmer fermentation temps, the kveik stalls out.

I hope I'm not casting this in a pejorative light, I'm just trying to determine if it's worth my own time to dabble with kweiks when i have no issues with fermentation temps in my own brewhouse. I see people using kweik in all different manners and for different styles of beers, but is it worth the effort to maintain higher temps to use it?

 

[Comfort_Zone]

@cactusgarrett the real draw is the turnaround. You can pitch at high temps and have a beer ready to go in a matter of a few days with no off flavors. You also don't have to worry about pitching rates as they grow like crazy.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Thanks. Considering the short turnaround (for fermentation), does kveik benefit from a "clean up stage" in the way sacc does at the later end of the fermentation process?

 

[z-bob]

Thanks. Considering the short turnaround (for fermentation), does kveik benefit from a "clean up stage" in the way sacc does at the later end of the fermentation process?

It's finished so quickly, I assume it "cleans up" quickly too. I don't have *that* much experience with it yet, but what I have done is pitch the yeast about about 80* or so and let it ferment without temperature control in a bucket at room temperature plus whatever heat of fermentation. The Krausen falls and the beer starts to clear in a few days. Then I rack it to a carboy and put a jacket and a heater on it and hold it at 85* for a week. Then bottle.

 

[Sbe2]

Just bought some tonight and wondering if I should brew a NEIPA or a Brut.

Has anyone dried it out after fermenting like they do in Norway?

 

[hezagenius]

In the midst of a brew day and planning to use Hornindal for a NEIPA. Without thinking, I used some lactic acid to drop the pH of the mash. Is Hornindal still safe to use with lactic acid? I don't want to end up with some funky beer or an infection or something. The acid went in the mash only.

 

[Mer-man]

In the midst of a brew day and planning to use Hornindal for a NEIPA. Without thinking, I used some lactic acid to drop the pH of the mash. Is Hornindal still safe to use with lactic acid? I don't want to end up with some funky beer or an infection or something. The acid went in the mash only.

Uh, do you understand what the acid is used for?
No. You’re fine.

 

[isomerization]

Just used Hornindal to ferment a 1.110 RIS, dropped to 1.034 (mashed at 154F) in slightly under 48 hours fermented around 82F. No off flavors (honestly no yeast flavor at all lol), super clean.

I doubt this yeast needs any cleanup phase, it’s supposedly immune to underpitching and loves high temps (ie better metabolic efficiency).

 

[14thstreet]

isomerization, what was your pitch rate? I'd like to use Hornindal for a RIS as well and would like some yeast to come through. My last pale ale was pitched at standard rate and ale temp from the package. I get an "odd" flavor out of it but that also could be my homegrown hops which I used for the first time. Sadly I just bottom-cropped and would like to use it again or dry for future experimentation.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

isomerization, what was your pitch rate? I'd like to use Hornindal for a RIS as well and would like some yeast to come through. My last pale ale was pitched at standard rate and ale temp from the package. I get an "odd" flavor out of it but that also could be my homegrown hops which I used for the first time. Sadly I just bottom-cropped and would like to use it again or dry for future experimentation.

Depending on what you plan your starting gravity to be at, you could probably pitch like.......40B cells and get some character out of the yeast if you pitch on the hot side (80F at the bare minimum).

 

[isomerization]

isomerization, what was your pitch rate? I'd like to use Hornindal for a RIS as well and would like some yeast to come through. My last pale ale was pitched at standard rate and ale temp from the package. I get an "odd" flavor out of it but that also could be my homegrown hops which I used for the first time. Sadly I just bottom-cropped and would like to use it again or dry for future experimentation.

I don’t really calculate pitch rates (won’t go down that rabbit hole, but I’m not a fan of the “accuracy” of the online calculators).

With that said, I made a 1.5L starter from ~200 mL of overbuilt starter (pre settling) and pitched the whole thing (was done fermenting by 24 hr).

For maximum yeast profile, I’d underpitch and ferment at 95F.

EDIT: added Tilt data for the RIS ferment, I added 1.5 lb of boiled DME the afternoon after pitching as it of course arrived a day late in the mail lol

 

[14thstreet]

I'm not a fan of the calculators either, but I'm also not a fan of people relaying experiences and being short on detail or context. It seems you are on task however, thanks! Amazing drop in gravity. Regarding the DME, the yeast didn't seem to notice, it kept truckin'!

Is anyone providing nutrients at all, or beyond what is normal? I've read that these yeasts may be nutrient sensitive. That is, it would be a good addition to have in a low-gravity and/or high adjunct (simple sugar) beer.

 

[isomerization]

No idea on nutrients, I’ve used my typically process of a pinch of DAP when adding whirlfloc, but that’s more routine than anything.

RE underpitchig:
http://www.garshol.priv.no/blog/393.html

1 teaspoon of slurry for 25 L of wort!!

 

[Sbe2]

So I picked up a pack of Hothead and wondering if I should “activate” the smack pack pour 50-100 mL into 5 gallons of a NEIPA at 85f and save the remaining pack for a later brew?

 

[WBB]

So I picked up a pack of Hothead and wondering if I should “activate” the smack pack pour 50-100 mL into 5 gallons of a NEIPA at 85f and save the remaining pack for a later brew?

I didn’t think omega yeasts were smack packs. I thought wyeast was the only one that had a nutrient pack for smacking.

But if you want to save some, I was overbuild a starter and then save off some for a later brew and building another starter.

 

[kingmatt]

I didn’t think omega yeasts were smack packs. I thought wyeast was the only one that had a nutrient pack for smacking.

But if you want to save some, I was overbuild a starter and then save off some for a later brew and building another starter.

i just picked up a couple new kviek strains that were pretty pricey so I have been thinking of overbuilding to get a few brews out of each...what do you store your overbuild in until the next brew day? A mason jar?

 

[isomerization]

i just picked up a couple new kviek strains that were pretty pricey so I have been thinking of overbuilding to get a few brews out of each...what do you store your overbuild in until the next brew day? A mason jar?

8 oz mason jars are the perfect solution, I usually do 2-3 off the first starter, repeat again on the last one. Yeast (and Lacto, Pedio, Brett, the whole gang) does pretty well at fridge temps. As long as you make another starter, you should be good for at least a year.

 

[Sbe2]

I didn’t think omega yeasts were smack packs. I thought wyeast was the only one that had a nutrient pack for smacking.

But if you want to save some, I was overbuild a starter and then save off some for a later brew and building another starter.

Ahh, good to know, I may just store what I don’t pitch in a mason jar. I am thinking I will underpitch and ferment high to push the tropical fruit.

 

[isomerization]

Just an FYI, this yeast floccs so hard that I’ve had issues with bottle carbing (needs warmer temps too) and secondary additions (split batches so a true secondary). I will be adding a bit of trub/yeast next time just to be safe...

 

[WBB]

i just picked up a couple new kviek strains that were pretty pricey so I have been thinking of overbuilding to get a few brews out of each...what do you store your overbuild in until the next brew day? A mason jar?

Mason jars, yes. Just be sure to follow sanitary procedures. Boil the jars, rings, lids, etc.

 

[brew703]

I had a NEIPA over the weekend from a local brewery that used a Kveik strain. The clown pouring didn't know which strain but it was a damn good beer. I'm thinking about ordering some and going with Columbus to bitter and cascade, citra and maybe Galaxy or Vic Secret in WP and DH.