2015 Oberon is out - Who's harvesting yeast?

[kpr121]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1427859701.116258.jpg

This is in a 2000 ml Erlenmeyer flask, about 700 ml at 1.020 starter volume. Anyone with a guess as to how much slurry?

Here is after I stepped up, split 2000 ml at 1.040 or so between 2 containers. Hoping this should be enough for 10 gal but I'll check the slurries and rerun the calc.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1427859900.211242.jpg

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Here's a link to a site with comments from Bells http://alestolagers.blogspot.com/2010/05/recipe-of-week-bells-oberon-clone.html

Thanks ibrew. I had seen that, along with this recipe here: https://byo.com/blogs/entry/bell-s-oberon-clone-woodberon

The main difference between the two is the hop schedule. I ended up basing my hop type/schedule on the Woodberon recipe, trying to get around 22 ibus.

 

[kpr121]

Here's a link to a site with comments from Bells http://alestolagers.blogspot.com/2010/05/recipe-of-week-bells-oberon-clone.html

Thanks, after reading this Im going to slightly tweak my recipe as shown below (got rid of the 45 min hersbrucker addition, moved 5 minute saaz to 30 minute and upped to 1.5 oz, and got rid of the cascade dry hop):



11.5 gallon batch

75% efficiency

OG 1.057

IBUs: 16.0

Color 4.8 SRM



5 g calcium chloride added to HLT





10 lbs wheat malt

12 lbs 2 row

1 lb C-10

8 oz acid malt



Mash at 154 for 60 minutes, batch sparge



1 oz hallertauer Hersbrucker 60 min

1.5 oz Saaz 30 min

1 oz Saaz 15 min

Bell’s Yeast ~ 500 billion cells

Ferment at 63F for six days, ramp to 72F for two days, cold crash to 33F for kegging.

1.5 oz Saaz dry hop 7 days. (.75 oz total per keg)

 

[adamdillabo]

What's C-10?

 

[ibrewmyown]

Crystal I believe.

 

[adamdillabo]

Of course it is. If he added the "L" i would have got it!

 

[kpr121]

Yea crystal. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[adamdillabo]

What does the acid malt do? My brew store only sells it by the pound. For a 2.5 gallon batch I would only need about 2oz.

 

[kpr121]

What does the acid malt do? My brew store only sells it by the pound. For a 2.5 gallon batch I would only need about 2oz.

Its to lower the mash pH based on my water profile, mineral additions, and grain bill. I use Bru'n Water. Also, didnt have it in the recipe before but I'm using 5g of gypsum and 5g of calcium chloride in the HLT. Those really depend on your water profile though, I have fairly soft water so YMMV.

I use acidulated malt in all my lighter beers. Some may find it not necessary, I've had good results with pale beers I've added a small amount to. If you havent already, I suggest reading up on the Brewing Water Primer if you're interested in water chemistry:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/brewing-water-chemistry-primer-198460/

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Well I built up my starter to 750 mL the other day. In an attempt of measure growth of yeast I had measured the amount of slurry on the bottom after the 75 mL starter and got 9mm, and after the 750 mL addition I was around 10 or 11mm. I'm not sure that it's accurate or anything, but I was just trying to figure out if there was much/any growth in the yeast.

I put it in the fridge, and I think I'm going to decant it Friday night and also add another 750 mL of wort to the yeast again to prepare it for pitching on Saturday.

What do you guys think? Is it worth it to add another 750 mL?

 

[kpr121]

Well I built up my starter to 750 mL the other day. In an attempt of measure growth of yeast I had measured the amount of slurry on the bottom after the 75 mL starter and got 9mm, and after the 750 mL addition I was around 10 or 11mm. I'm not sure that it's accurate or anything, but I was just trying to figure out if there was much/any growth in the yeast.

I put it in the fridge, and I think I'm going to decant it Friday night and also add another 750 mL of wort to the yeast again to prepare it for pitching on Saturday.

What do you guys think? Is it worth it to add another 750 mL?

Something seems off, that doesn’t sound like a whole lot of yeast. Typically they say around 1 billion cells per ml of slurry. That’s a crude (and possibly low) estimate but at that rate you’re only around 10 billion cells or so. For a five gallon batch you want somewhere in the ballpark of 200 billion cells. So something seems off.

But then when I imagine 200 ml of yeast slurry (~6 oz!) I don’t think I’ve ever pitched that much into a fermenter except when repitching from a yeast cake.

If I were you I would step up again, something like 1500 to 2000 ml. Im actually *thinking of doing a third step up on mine,

i.e. 8 bottle dregs >>> 600 ml @ 1.02 >>> 2000 ml @1.04 >>> split again and add another 2000 ml @ 1.050.

*seems like a lot of DME to be using though. I may end up just pitching the Bell’s as it currently stands in one fermenter, and using US-05 or S-04 on the other. Would be good flavor comparison experiment too.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

*seems like a lot of DME to be using though. I may end up just pitching the Bell’s as it currently stands in one fermenter, and using US-05 or S-04 on the other. Would be good flavor comparison experiment too.

I think you are right - I'm going to step it up a bit more.

That would be a good experiment if you split - I've read that WLP001 is a good yeast for this clone, so that could be worthwhile for comparison, to see how close WLP001 gets it compared to yeast from the bottles.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Decanted and stepped up to 1000 mL last night. Woke up to a frothy starter. Looking good!

View attachment 1428153844186.jpg

 

[kpr121]

Decanted and stepped up to 1000 mL last night. Woke up to a frothy starter. Looking good!

Sure does! I just finished cleaning up from Oberon brew morning. Ended up overshooting volume, had something screwed up in beer smith and instead of using common sense I filled the kettle up to 14.25 like it said to. Instead of boiling longer I just added a bit more hops and drained 12.5 gallons of 1.052 wort.

One carboy plus extra runoff into a gallon growler got all the bells yeast (slurry from third step, 2000ml) other fermenter got us05. Hit pitching temp at 63.5! Excited for this one!

Id love to make two hearted clone next week, gallon fermenter slurry will probably end up being used for that!

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Very cool. I just finished mine as well. Dramatically overshot OG and ended up with around 1.067. Added as much water as I could fit but oh well. Going to be a boozy oberon I suppose. The sample I took tasted absolutely fantastic though - probably the best unfermented sample I've ever had

 

[kpr121]

Very cool. I just finished mine as well. Dramatically overshot OG and ended up with around 1.067. Added as much water as I could fit but oh well. Going to be a boozy oberon I suppose. The sample I took tasted absolutely fantastic though - probably the best unfermented sample I've ever had

Ha! Wish we could get together, if we blended our two batches we'd be pretty close to target!

Cheers, nothing wrong with a boozy Oberon!

 

[Brew_G]

I couldn't help myself, so I grabbed a six-pack of Oberon earlier this week. I now have a 750ml starter with six bottles worth of yeast in it. I figure I'll use the last of my Two Hearted yeast for my Oberon-inspired American wheat, and will step up the Oberon yeast to a big enough size that I can split it into three different jars.

That'll mean I spent $9.99 (plus DME cost) for a six-pack of great beer and at least three batches worth of yeast. Gotta love coming out ahead like that!

 

[kpr121]

I couldn't help myself, so I grabbed a six-pack of Oberon earlier this week. I now have a 750ml starter with six bottles worth of yeast in it. I figure I'll use the last of my Two Hearted yeast for my Oberon-inspired American wheat, and will step up the Oberon yeast to a big enough size that I can split it into three different jars.



That'll mean I spent $9.99 (plus DME cost) for a six-pack of great beer and at least three batches worth of yeast. Gotta love coming out ahead like that!

Welcome to the party! Great rationalizing too!

 

[adamdillabo]

Does bells use the same yeast for two hearted? If so I know what I'm doing next

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Yep same yeast for two hearted

 

[kpr121]

Less than 12 hours after pitching View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1428244552.259876.jpg

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Looking tasty!

 

[Brew_G]

Looks great. That yeast is phenomenal...

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I had to leave my fermenting Oberon at my in-laws until I get back to bottle it, but from what I saw after about 24 hrs of activity is it seems to be a steady fermenting yeast - not horribly aggressive. I'm hoping it doesn't get out of hand, because otherwise they'll have quite the mess in their basement

 

[kpr121]

I had to leave my fermenting Oberon at my in-laws until I get back to bottle it, but from what I saw after about 24 hrs of activity is it seems to be a steady fermenting yeast - not horribly aggressive. I'm hoping it doesn't get out of hand, because otherwise they'll have quite the mess in their basement

Agreed. I was worried about the carboy being too full but krausen is staying at about 2 inches

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I hate this waiting game, waiting for the beer to be ready. This thread is quiet...too quiet.

 

[Brew_G]

The yeast from the six-pack I harvested last week is ripping through 750ml of 1.020 wort right now. This has been a far more effective fermentation than I had when I harvested Two Hearted a few months ago. Really impressive.

 

[kpr121]

I hate this waiting game, waiting for the beer to be ready. This thread is quiet...too quiet.

Checked on my baby, er fermenters, this morning. Krausen seemed to be settling down a bit, I could see the surface of the liquid beer in some spots.

Cranked the temp controller up to 72 to let it fully finish out and clean up. I'll probably let it sit there for a couple days then cold crash it and keg early next week.

Agreed that it feels like I've been waiting forever, even though its only 5 days since brewing. Even worse is I'm down to about 10 of the real Oberon, been trying to keep my paws off of it so I can do side by side taste testing.

 

[schach23]

I was going to use the Ales to Lagers recipe but can't seem to find GR Hallertau hops. What are you guys using?

Scott

 

[kpr121]

I was going to use the Ales to Lagers recipe but can't seem to find GR Hallertau hops. What are you guys using?

Scott

Hersbrucker. As you'll notice, the reply they got from Bells said that Hersbrucker and Saaz are the "signature varietals"