NeoBrittania Test drive

[mlg5039]

So today I brewed a basic English Pale Ale. Brew day (well, 2 1/2 hours) went smoothly. I pitched Northern Brewers NeoBrittania yeast from Wyeast. It came in an activator smackpack that I smacked yesterday and then pitched into a 1L starter.

I haven't read about too many people using this yeast yet but it seems promising. From Wyeast site:

Product Description
This traditional English ale strain works well for a wide range of beer styles, from low-gravity bitters and milds to strong stouts, porters, and old ales. Due to the cells’ chain-forming characteristics, it is an excellent top-cropping yeast. Moderate ester profile makes it a great match for hop-driven beers like bitter and pale ale, but attenuative enough to handle higher-gravity malty styles. Excellent flocculation yields clear beer and allows for cask-conditioning. Ferment at the lower end of the temperature range for a cleaner finish, or utilize the upper end to enhance low-gravity beers with a more assertive ester profile.


Additional Information
Manufacturer Wyeast
Yeast Format Liquid
Yeast Type Ale
Yeast Origin/Influence British Isles
Min Fermenting Temp 66
Max Fermenting Temp 74
Flocculation Medium-High
Min Attenuation % 72
Max Attenuation % 77

Has anyone had any experiences with this yeast yet, as I know it is fairly new? I am hoping to make a big enough yeast cake from this batch to pitch an old barleywine ale onto (about 1.095) in 3 weeks and then age until next summer for my brothers 21st birthday.


I'll keep the forums posted.

Mike

 

[msa8967]

I used this yeast for the first time today in order to make a barley wine for my wife. I used two smack packs that I stepped up during the week to a 2 liter starter. Please let us know how your first beer goes with this yeast since my barley wine won't be ready until late summer.

 

[mlg5039]

The blow off tube is bubbling away nicely this morning. I pitched 13 hours ago. The water in the swamp cooler is 64 degrees.




Mike

 

[mlg5039]

I let the temp raise to 66 degrees in the swamp cooler this morning and the blowoff tube is chugging along. No krausen in the blowoff but i only have 5.25 gallons in a 6.5 gallon bucket so there's lots of headspace.

 

[Captain Damage]

I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago with a stout I just bottled Sunday. It didn't fully attenuate. I don't know whether it was the yeast or something about the beer. The yeast didn't die, as one of my attempts to restart it showed, but the beer stuck at 1.020.

 

[EricCSU]

I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago with a stout I just bottled Sunday. It didn't fully attenuate. I don't know whether it was the yeast or something about the beer. The yeast didn't die, as one of my attempts to restart it showed, but the beer stuck at 1.020.

How does it taste? 1.020 is a bit high, but it may still be ok.

Eric

 

[Captain Damage]

Tasted the first one last night (yeah it's early but...) and it actually tastes great! It'll be a nice session beer.

 

[mlg5039]

Good to hear. After 6 days in primary I still have steady airlock activity about once a second fermenting at 68 degrees now.

I will not take a hydro reading til after three weeks. And I ferment in buckets so I don't know what's going on inside lol.

 

[mlg5039]

UPDATE:

After sitting in primary for almost 4 weeks and now around 69-70 degrees, I pulled a sample last night. The gravity had dropped to 1.013 from 1.052. The sample tasted good and was quite clear. I also used whirlfloc. I will bottle on Sunday and then reuse the yeast cake for my high gravity beer i will be brewing that day.


Mike.

 

[mlg5039]

On Sunday I bottled the EPA and washed the yeast cake. The trub had a small amount of green apple smell to it, but I attributed that to acetaldehyde. The beer itself did not have the odor or taste off. I saved some yeast in some jars and pitched a large amount of slurry into my big barletwine. It is chugging away strongly in the closet in its water bath.

 

[melchermatt]

I like the yeast on this first impression. Here's my experience:

Best Bitter - og 1.056 - fg 1.012 - 77.6% apparent attenuation
Primary for 22 days - just kegged it today

My basement is 58 degrees ambient. I pitched at 62 degrees and had to use a heating pad to get it to 68-69 degrees. I left it at that temp through day 17 when the krausen started to drop. It cleared up very nicely with no off putting aromas. In tasting the hydro samples it is mostly clean with a hint of esters. No acetaldehyde.

The yeast formed a very think and creamy krausen. It was very yeasty and I can see what they mean about top cropping. I don't recall seeing any braun hefe - just yeast. It almost looked like a giant pancake right before you flip it and it was at least an inch thick.

I saved a quart of slurry and will use it in a Russian Imperial Stout I plan on brewing next weekend - time allowing.

 

[mlg5039]

I made a really good EPA from this yeast, but the BW I pitched on the cake from the EPA has stalled. See https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/predicament-bw-220427/.

I also made a really good pale mild with Neobrittania. Maybe it's alcohol tolerance is overrated.