Experiences with Voss Kveik

[RyPA]

I've brewed 2 NEIPA's with Voss Kveik and I am probably going to continue to use it as it gets beer in my kegerator super quickly and tastes great.

My problem is I am not getting full attenuation. I'm pretty sure it's partly (or fully) because I did not use any temperature control, I bought the yeast during the summer where its super hot here but I didnt have the opportunity to use it while it was hot out for fermenting. I pitch at around 100F and it rips through the sugars until it cools down to around 80F and then it quickly tapers off, leaving me at around 60% attenuation. For my latest batch, after the fact, I gave it some heat to bring it back up to 95F and I got around 0.05 more gravity points, but it's still ending at session-level ABV -- I was hoping it would ramp up again for a few more hours but no dice.

For my next batch I am going to keep it warm throughout as I am hoping the cool down is making the yeast stop. Does anyone have any experience with this?

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1252618/galaxy-neipa
Grain bill:
7 lbs 2-row
3 lbs golden promise
3 lbs wheat malt

30 minute boil

OG 1.065
Expected FG is 1.012 but I finished up at 1.021 leaving me at 5.78 ABV.

The FG was measured using a RAPT pill, so hopefully it's off a little bit (for the better).

 

[DuncB]

I wouldn't trust the floating gravity measure at all.

Do keep the ferment hot, a sleeping bag and bottles of hot water can help to do this. I find that once the hot temperature you start at isn't sustained then it's pretty much done.
I do oxygenate well when using kveik and at least double the yeast nutrient.

Plus a little bit of patience pays off so I don't transfer before 5 days. Normally 5 days hot. Cold crash transfer a few days after that.

 

[RyPA]

I decided to use a bucket full of water with an aquarium heater, it keeps the fermenter at a steady temp up to around 95F. Wish I thought about using this prior to brew day, but will use it next time straight out of the gate (or kettle).

For oxygen, I just let it splash as much as possible when transferring from the kettle. I've never used yeast nutrient, it seems like some never use it while some are all about it.

I ferment in a 6g torpedo keg equipped with a floating dip tube. It makes things so much easier and the beer tastes great down to the last glass.

 

[DuncB]

I would try the yeast nutrient it will make a difference, I ferment a lot of my Kveiks under pressure at least towards the end, but " lagers " from the rise occurring after pitching. Agree keep it warm however you can. Once the ferments done and the heat is off the yeast drops like a stone.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I've used Voss Kveik several times, usually pitched between 80-85 degrees. I have a Rapt Pill too but only use it as a guide to when fermentation is complete. I use my hydrometer for actual measurements. I find it generally ferments in 24-36 hours, and after that time the temperature falls to around 75, and eventually lower. I get between 79-84% attenuation, consistently. I usually leave it in the fermenter for a week before kegging it.
I second what @DuncB says - extra yeast nutrient is a must with kveik yeasts, more so than the fermentation temperature.

 

[z-bob]

I have used VK at least a half-dozen times. I use it in the summer when the house is hot; pitch it at 85 to 90 degrees and let it free-rise to whatever it wants. Fermentation is usually finished in 2 days, and I bottle it a few days after that. The only problem I have is sometimes very slow carbonation. Perhaps because I don't keep the bottles warm enough. I wonder if yeast nutrients would help with that?

This year I'm experimenting with Lithuanian "Jovaru" yeast instead of kveik yeast for warm fermentation. But it adds a lot of character to the beer that would be inappropriate for most styles; the kviek yeast is mostly neutral.

 

[DuncB]

I have used VK at least a half-dozen times. I use it in the summer when the house is hot; pitch it at 85 to 90 degrees and let it free-rise to whatever it wants. Fermentation is usually finished in 2 days, and I bottle it a few days after that. The only problem I have is sometimes very slow carbonation. Perhaps because I don't keep the bottles warm enough. I wonder if yeast nutrients would help with that?

This year I'm experimenting with Lithuanian "Jovaru" yeast instead of kveik yeast for warm fermentation. But it adds a lot of character to the beer that would be inappropriate for most styles; the kviek yeast is mostly neutral.

I haven't really bottled many kveik yeast brews. David Heath has a video on his channel specifically about bottling kveik beers.
Others say they have no problem. Maybe warmer for a short period is the answer or a tiny bit of repitch with some sugar.

 

[RyPA]

I took a FG reading today with a hydrometer and the Rapt Pill was surprisingly close.

No temperature adjustment
Rapt OG = 1.065
Rapt FG = 1.021
ABV = 5.78

Temperature adjusted
Hydrometer OG = 1.061
Hydrometer FG = 1.016
ABV = 5.91

 

[Protos]

Others say they have no problem.

Me too.
I bottle all my beers and have never noticed any peculiarities with my bottled Kveiks.
Need to mention perhaps, I brew only the original farmhouse-style Kveiks (up from 1.070, carbonated no more than 2v).
In the past, I also tried other styles with Kveik yeast, no highly-carbonated styles though.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I took a FG reading today with a hydrometer and the Rapt Pill was surprisingly close.

I am not sure I would call 1.021 vs 1.016 "surprisingly close". Your Hydrometer measurements show 74% attenuation, which is in line of what I might expect (depends some on your mash temp and fermentation conditions).

 

[RyPA]

I didn't mean the readings, I meant the final ABV calculation.

I don't put a lot of confidence in the readings, mostly just look for completeness.