Fermaid K for Bigger Beers ?

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Sevenal

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I have read mixed comments about adding Fermaid K to the primary.
The Cali Steam I have going started at 1.06 (sorta big) the lager yeast is sloow.
I understand some use it in Stouts.
Getting this 5 1/2 gal of big red hoppy Steam is my objective. I have some Fermaid K but no other yeast nutrients and none nearby.
 
i would just let the yeast do their thing, they do just fine with the nutrients found in the bit of trub on the bottom.
 
I basically never use yeast nutrient for beer, and have never seem a compelling reason why I should. They always ferment perfectly, and taste great.
 
Wort generally has plenty of nutrient, unlike wine which can be nutrient poor and most definitely needs Fermaid K at least twice during fermentation.

I would say to just leave it, maybe a GENTLE rouse to resuspend the yeast.

What is your fermentation temp?
 
I have the ale pale in a swamp bucket that is located in a cool room.
I swap out frozen bottles each day due to it being lager yeast and it is now
an avg of 64 to 66 degrees. So I do notice if I move the pale it takes off a little better.
Today is day 6 and it started a little late at 48 hours but continues to perk albeit slowly.
I just hope its not too sweet. I did not expect the OG to be that big.

Here is what I did.

Hello All
I have made a noob error.
First of all I have made only one kit prior which was an awesome Irish Stout.
My second attempt was a partial grain / extract
1lb each of Honey, Cara Red, Rye Malted Grain from mash tun 160 degrees water in 2 gal cooler for 1 hour
This made my Wort Base and contributed some complexity and color.
Added 1 gallon of hot water after sparging the spent grains ( water was hard well water )
Added 6lbs of PILS LME, 1 lb Amber DME, 1/2 lb Light DME
Hopped during boil 60 min - 2 oz whole cascade 40 min - 1/2 oz cascade pellets 30 min - 1/2 oz cascade pellets 7 min 1 oz amarillo pellets
I also added a few teaspoons of Irish Moss in with the two 1/2 oz pellet packets I made up.
After 60 min boil I sparged all the hops with cool water then put all in an ice bath untill it got to 70 degrees topped to 5 1/2 gal total wort.
Now starting with 1.06 S.G.
HERE IT COMES!
I pitched
Yeast (Liquid) - Wyeast (Pilsen) - 2007
WY2007
Flocculation: Medium
Attenuation: 71-75%
Temperature Range: 48-56F, 9-13C
Alcohol Tolerance: 9% ABV
A LAGER STRAIN !!!This was late afternoon, say 6:30 pm 4/22/12
Today at 7 am 4/24/12 - NO AIRLOCK ACTIVITY after 37 hours _ SO I know to probably do nothing untill 72 hours and Lager works at the bottom. ( STARTED at 48 HOURS )
I have no fridge to put the primary in and even if I put it under my house in the crawl space it may be 65 degrees during the day.
cooler at night. Should I think about repitch of another yeast strain? I do not know if I can find the same yeast local. I do have a dry yeast I thought I was going to use in the biginning but decided to use the Liquid. The dry yeast I have is Yeast (Dry) - Safale S-33 (10g) DY27
Any thoughts to shooth an impatient mind?
Thanks in advance for any advice or critisiums that may help
Oh making bread today from the a couple cups of the spent grain. yum
sevenal (the noob)
 
it will turn out ok, maybe not perfect but you will have a beer. you could pitch the ale yeast and hope it takes over but i would just wait it out. some kind of tub with cold water or ice would help if you have the inclination.
 
OK I will see if I can get it cooler.
If I can get the temp down to say 60
will this help it ferment better?
Also I am not making a lager so how long do you think I need to keep it cool in the secondary when the time comes? And will two weeks or so be suficient in the secondary?
Once bottled I can chill age the bottles while carbonating. Perhaps?
 
OK I will see if I can get it cooler.
If I can get the temp down to say 60
will this help it ferment better?
Also I am not making a lager so how long do you think I need to keep it cool in the secondary when the time comes? And will two weeks or so be sufficient in the secondary?
Once bottled I can chill age the bottles while carbonating. Perhaps?

it's a lager at ale temps so it's hard to say with so many variables that are unknown to us but one thing we do know is that you don't have to transfer the beer to a secondary, just let it ride all the way in the original fermentor. don't chill the bottles while carbonating or it will take forever to carb up, lave them at 70 degrees for a month then you can cold store them if they are sufficiently carbed.
 
What would be the expected time in the primary?
Or just take periodic gravity levels?
I would like to have a final gravity of 1.01 but that may not happen.
 
What would be the expected time in the primary?
Or just take periodic gravity levels?
I would like to have a final gravity of 1.01 but that may not happen.

leave in there for 2 weeks then check the gravity for 3 days to see if it changes. some people just leave it for a month then bottle. i just let it go for a couple of weeks then bottle. there are many ways to approach fermentation as long as your wort is fermentable and your temps are within the yeast's comfort zone. there is such a thing as not long enough but, within reason, you can go for a pretty long fermentation before running into problems.
 
I know how brash this thread must sound from a total noob. I made a very successful kit brew and then wanted to put things and colors together that sounded appealing for my next attempt. The only thing I know to call this weird experiment is a California Common Hybrid. Really I stole that suggestion form my local and seemingly knowledgeable LHBS guy. So I wanted to ask What you folks thought about what style this is. Looks like it will be reddish brown medium say a 5. Don't know how dry it will get yet. What I would change is obviously the yeast, should have pitched an Ale yeast. We shall see.


I have the ale pale in a swamp bucket that is located in a cool room.
I swap out frozen bottles each day due to it being lager yeast and it is now
an avg of 64 to 66 degrees. So I do notice if I move the pale it takes off a little better.
Today is day 6 and it started a little late at 48 hours but continues to perk albeit slowly.
I just hope its not too sweet. I did not expect the OG to be that big.

Here is what I did.

Hello All
I have made a noob error.
First of all I have made only one kit prior which was an awesome Irish Stout.
My second attempt was a partial grain / extract
1lb each of Honey, Cara Red, Rye Malted Grain from mash tun 160 degrees water in 2 gal cooler for 1 hour
This made my Wort Base and contributed some complexity and color.
Added 1 gallon of hot water after sparging the spent grains ( water was hard well water )
Added 6lbs of PILS LME, 1 lb Amber DME, 1/2 lb Light DME
Hopped during boil 60 min - 2 oz whole cascade 40 min - 1/2 oz cascade pellets 30 min - 1/2 oz cascade pellets 7 min 1 oz amarillo pellets
I also added a few teaspoons of Irish Moss in with the two 1/2 oz pellet packets I made up.
After 60 min boil I sparged all the hops with cool water then put all in an ice bath untill it got to 70 degrees topped to 5 1/2 gal total wort.
Now starting with 1.06 S.G.
HERE IT COMES!
I pitched
Yeast (Liquid) - Wyeast (Pilsen) - 2007
WY2007
Flocculation: Medium
Attenuation: 71-75%
Temperature Range: 48-56F, 9-13C
Alcohol Tolerance: 9% ABV
A LAGER STRAIN !!!This was late afternoon, say 6:30 pm 4/22/12
Today at 7 am 4/24/12 - NO AIRLOCK ACTIVITY after 37 hours _ SO I know to probably do nothing untill 72 hours and Lager works at the bottom. ( STARTED at 48 HOURS )
I have no fridge to put the primary in and even if I put it under my house in the crawl space it may be 65 degrees during the day.
cooler at night. Should I think about repitch of another yeast strain? I do not know if I can find the same yeast local. I do have a dry yeast I thought I was going to use in the biginning but decided to use the Liquid. The dry yeast I have is Yeast (Dry) - Safale S-33 (10g) DY27
Any thoughts to shooth an impatient mind?
Thanks in advance for any advice or critisiums that may help
Oh making bread today from the a couple cups of the spent grain. yum
sevenal (the noob)
 
FG was 1.018
Nice Red Ale
Citra to make you linger
Nice head retention
sparkled
One Growler left and time will tell how it ages?
A little sweet but the Hops balanced the mouth feal and flavor
I would make this again but might try the US05 yeast
 
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