Imperial G02 Kaiser yeast

[Tyler Hurst]

So I am using imperial yeast G02 Kaiser on my current Berliner Weisse recipe because my LHBS only carry’s Imperial. I always research yeast before use and I couldn’t find anything about anyone’s use of this yet in this website. So I am deciding to be the first and document my use of it. Here is my recipe and process thus far:

Berliner Weisse: 5 gallon (temps in F)
NO BOIL
Brewed in Brewers Edge Mash and Boil
4lbs German Pilsen
3lbs German wheat
Mashed in at 149 on 4 gallons of strike water at 155
(realized this is was too much strike water and removed 1.75 gallons to do a single decoction)
Total volume 6.125 gallons water total treated with Mad fermentationists Berliner Weisse water profile found here: https://www.themadfermentationist.com/2008/02/berliner-weiss.html?m=1
80 minutes at 149. 10 minutes at 169.
Recirculated every 10 minutes with .5 gallons. Added decoction heated to 168 at 0 minutes and fly sparged with rest of remaining water.
I also made a Lactobacillus starter using L. Plantarum 3 days prior resting at 105 using 5 blades brewing lacto start guide found here: https://www.fivebladesbrewing.com/lactobacillus-starter-guide/
I then added 2 teaspoons 88% lactic acid to bring PH down to 4.59 (photo)

Let temp free fall to 110 added lacto starter mixed and pulled 800 ml of wort to use (after adding lacto starter so the propagating G02 would get used to growing in a lacto/sour environment.
During kettle souring I found that L. Plantarum does not do well in temps above 95F and lowered temp to 87 (does best between 80 and 95). The wort soured in about 24 hours to desired 3.5 ph I wanted to leave it just high enough because I would be adding the starter with more lacto. I then raised temps to 189 (attempting 180) and added
.5 oz sorachi Ace hops
.5 oz Hellertau Middlefrau
Teaspoon yeast nutrient
(I did not add Whirlfloc as I wanted it to be cloudy as the style is normally)
And cooled with immersion chiller to 68 degrees.
I then transferred to a 5 gallon fermenter (pictured, where I forgot that my sterile syphon starter won’t function as a blow off tube because the pipe is in the bottom of the wort and now I have to run home after work and change to a blow off tube)
THEN pitched the starter of G02 aerated by shaking and put in my swamp cooler which is maintaining 55F on the outside and with fermentation should be max of 65F inside. Which is the approximate temp range for the style.

Any and all feedback welcome on my process and I will be updates the yeasts performance and temps.

 

[Pappers_]

Very thorough description - thanks and looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

 

[Tyler Hurst]

Update.
36 hours into pitch. Krausen has formed but it is not large by any means. I looks healthy and the wort still smells sweet and doughy, indicating no other infection from acetobacter or clostridium. These infections happened to me previously and formed a large “rocky” Krausen and bile/vomit smells. I doubled my sanitization and cleaning efforts this go around. The yeast is also supposed to fight off DMS smells and tastes which is a concern for me considering I did no boil, not allowing the traditional 90 minute boil to ward off all DMS. So far no “creamed corn smells”. Although some brewers suggest that DMS only forms above 190 degrees and needs to be boiled/steamed off for at least 45 mins.
The airlock is still steadily bubbling about once every 1.5 seconds. I can’t post video to this thread or I would show that.

Outside temps of swamp cooler maintaining 55 so again inside fermentation temps should be within the 55-65 recommended temp range by imperial yeast.

More updates to come.

 

[Pappers_]

If I recall correctly, you're right - the precursor to DMS converts to DMS at warmer temps. Although I guess some could have been formed in the mash.

 

[Tyler Hurst]

I think you are correct. This strain is supposed to suppress DMS expression in aroma and taste so we will see!

 

[Tyler Hurst]

Woke up this morning to this and made a blow off tube (not pitured) maintaining temps of 55* external. This happened some time between. 48 hours and 56 hours in as I checked it last night before bed. If someone is reading this for their own research keep in mind this is a sour beer and this could happen earlier as the lacto May have been prohibiting the overall development of the Krausen/yeast growth.

You can see the previous ring from where Krausen growth was for the first 48 hours.

NOTE: for all imperial yeasts (this is my second A28 Juice was the first) I have used, I have needed to make a blow off tube.
Keep in mind for fellow brewers.

 

[Tyler Hurst]

So this got down to 1.010 and then I moved it into my spunding keg. It was exactly a week after brewing that it was down to 1.010 and only a day after Krausen blowoff. Estimate would be 1.006-8 and hitting that by Wednesday 10 days after brew day. I will be shaking a gravity sample to remove carbonation from suspension to test final gravity after this Saturday only two weeks after brew day. While I would love more time for the lacto to refine the sourness and Tate of this beer, it is kettle soured so it should have been at terminal sourness. I will also be bottling (from tap) one sample to update this thread 6 month after fermentation if I remember to do so. Look forward to trying initial tastes this Saturday when I should be at terminal gravity and full carbonation!
Note: my spunding keg is loosing PSI slowly but surely every day even though the valve is fully closed so it’s probably time for new seals/keg lube after transfer.

Any recommendations on transferring carbonated brew are welcomed!View attachment 609856