I've gotten a response from them before too. Great company!
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Yay!!!! I love krausen!!! Finally after six days and stepping it "down" (cuz I started with too high gravity of initial starter wort) it finally took off. Time to baby this little colony into a metropolis!
Dear [Brew_G]:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us. I am glad to hear you enjoyed Two Hearted Ale!
For pitching your yeast, you will want to cool down to about 64 degrees Fahrenheit before aerating and pitching. For fermentation, the temperature range can be pretty variable, but I would recommend you ferment a little warmer than most ales, maybe 70 to 72 degrees.
Aromas during fermentation should be very slight fruit, but clean otherwise. Attenuation of our yeast is pretty high but will depend on pitch rates and fermentation temperatures. ...
Sincerely,
Melissa D
Brand Ambassador
Bell's Brewery, Inc.
I've been using a harvested Bell's strain as my house yeast for a few years and usually get close to 85% attenuation when mashing at 150 and fermenting in the mid/upper 60s. It's definitely great stuff!
For a brown ale, I would err on the cooler side of things. Maybe as its 80% done start warming it up to the 66 or so to let it finish.
For a 2H clone, pitch at 64 and slowly ramp up to 68/69 near the end. Once you cross 67 or so you will start to take on the typical fruit flavors that are easily detectable in the original. I ferment my APA's in the same temp schedule.
Although they mention 70-72, the geometry of their tanks makes a difference. They can go warmer without creating as many esters with the huge benefit (to them) of quick fermentations. So although I can't say 70-72 wouldn't produce good beer (I have not gone that high in any of my 18 batches with Bells), it may have more esters than what you are trying to clone. Two pennies![]()
You guys are talking about liquid temp right? Not ambient temp? I unfortunately do not have the luxury of controlling temperatures with a fermentation chamber alI I have is my 68° basementwhere I just let the fermentation do what it does. I've noticed one stuff is fermenting vigorously the fermometer reads mid 70's every time.
Also....now that I see the very first step has fermented a little bit and produced a little better krausen when should I step up the gravity of the next batch of wort to add
How soon after my very first fermentation of this stuff should I pull it off-decant-and step up?
So how do I know when I have enough for a 5 or even a 10 gallon batch. I mean I know there's calculators out there and what not and even one posted on the page 2 of this thread but how do I really know how many cells I even started with from a six pack of dregs and then now after stepping it up 3 times (this 3rd time btw is going phenomenal and going crazy in the flask on the stir plate). Any advice would be great thanks.
I only have 2 bottles right now. Is it possible to harvest from just 2?
I only have 2 bottles right now. Is it possible to harvest from just 2?
Good to know brewG. I read I. A different post that 76degrees is what Bells ferments this one at 76 degrees
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And lookie at what I made. This is pure white zero trub gold here. I got about 8 of these now after doing a serious step up on my brand new 5000ml flask. I stepped it up one last time. Cold crashed. Decanted with a turkey baster for precision. Rinsed with sterile water. And decanted the suspended yeast (again with the turkey baster and after the very little trub settled from the step starters) and was able to get this phenomenally looking pure white health yeast into 8 different jars. Anyone wanna trade me somethin for some??!!?
Bell's yeast is my all time favorite yeast. Apparently Bells uses one strain for all there beers from Porters to Hopslam.
Should be ok. Baby it though for sure. Two cups water with enough DME to make a 1.020 first starter I think? I'm no expert by I had to "step down" cuz my initial starter was too high OG. It took right off once I re did it