Hornindal Kveik is blowing my mind

[shoreman]

I picked this yeast up in the spring and finally got around to brewing with it. I had a double brew session in which I brewed my Allgash-influenced Wit with my Belgian strain and then a Hoppy Session Pale with azacca, equinox & southern cross.

Super hot brew day and I was over it by the end of my second brew - put the pale ale in my SS Brewbucket at about 130 and let it chill in the basement for a couple hours. Pitched the Hornindal Kveik at I'd say 100-110 (didn't even take a temp reading but wanted to see what the yeast would do at a higher temp). Took off quickly and just chugged along for about 3-4 days.

Kegged the beer today and it brought it down to 1.008 - no off flavors at all and some great citrus notes (could be azacca influenced as well).

This yeast goes against everything I've experienced in my 15 or so years brewing. I'm fairly excited about this yeast b/c it brings another dimension to Summer brewing outside of Belgian influenced ales. I like to brew with the seasons rather than using temp control and this yeast seems to be it for those dog days of summer and brewing clean beers.

 

[bigdawg86]

I've done about 5 batches from TYB Voss Kviek and I agree it's a great strain. I've had it blow through to final gravity in less than 2 days with no off flavors, at 100°.

 

[shoreman]

That's good to hear. When I was storing the Omega pack in my fridge the pouch was expanding all the way - this yeast just wants to ferment stuff, doesn't matter what temp.

 

[CanAm]

Care to share your recipe?

 

[shoreman]

Care to share your recipe?

Sure https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/hoppy-summer-pale-ale - the last two hops additions are actually in the keg, they stay in the entire time - I'll keep it cold and on c02 for about 3 weeks before tapping. This is 4 gallon batch.

 

[mabrungard]

I've sampled a beer made with Hornindal and have to admit that it was a fine beer. No hot alcohols or off flavor. However, it does contribute a nice fruity ester profile to the beer. If that fits within your style, I beleive that this kviek yeasts will significantly aid the brewing community.

 

[kingmatt]

I recently brewed a NEIPA using the Hornindal and it turned out great. Pitched at 84F and threw my brew belt on to get the fermentation up well over 90F. No fusels or off flavors, just some nice tropical and citrus esters that compliment the hops (even a hint of vanilla in the finish?).

Excuse the crappy cellphone pic, but here it is:

 

[badlee]

All of the Kveik strains are mindblowing.
I recently pitched a 1.095 RIS at 30c with a mix of Voss and Ebbegarden. Done in 4 days, dropped clear as a bell and not a hint of alcohol on the nose.

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Home Brew mobile app

 

[matzou]

1120 to 1030 for 12% on a chocolate cinnamon imp stout with voss strain.
Same experience... It was done in 3 days pitched @40c.
Tho the most shocking recipe was a cool fermented "rauchbier" with voss. Took 2 weeks but the yeast worked @15c !

 

[VSGLS1]

How are the stouts? Any excessive esters?

 

[jigtwins]

I have been brewing many of my ales with the voss strain this year. From neipa to stouts. The results have been amazing. Started doing ciders with it too. I keep the temps lower on the ciders and it lends what tastes to be a sweeter flavor profile.

 

[shoreman]

What flavors are you guys looking for in other ales besides ipa & pale with this strain? or are you just happy to brew in summer without off flavors? I'd like to try the yeast ion a couple other styles. I read someone was doing lager-like beers at lower temps...

 

[shoreman]

I'm wondering what flavors you might be get at lower temps like 65-68 - thinking of doing an oktober-ale.

 

[SanPancho]

All of the Kveik strains are mindblowing.
I recently pitched a 1.095 RIS at 30c with a mix of Voss and Ebbegarden. Done in 4 days, dropped clear as a bell and not a hint of alcohol on the nose.

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Home Brew mobile app

where did you get the ebbegarden from?

 

[ca_baracus]

I recently brewed a NEIPA using the Hornindal and it turned out great. Pitched at 84F and threw my brew belt on to get the fermentation up well over 90F. No fusels or off flavors, just some nice tropical and citrus esters that compliment the hops (even a hint of vanilla in the finish?).

Excuse the crappy cellphone pic, but here it is:
View attachment 582774

Awesome! How does this strain compare to a more "traditional" NEIPA yeast (ex:1318). Seems like you can brew any style with the Kveik. (someone phonetically spell Kveik for me )

 

[Rob2010SS]

Can I ask why ferment at such high temps? Is it simply because it can be done or is there a different reason? Is this only a small yeast company or do they typical big yeast companies have their own versions?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Pronunciation - see either the bottom of here or Soundcloud. Actually it's only called kveik in southern Norway, and most of them come from parts of Norway where they're known as gjaer or gjest(er), but kveik is the name that's stuck.

If you want clean, then Hothead (Stranda) is probably your best bet.

Manical and Escarpment are probably your best bet for the weird ones, but being small companies it's a question of what they've got grown up at any one time. Omega offers Stranda (branded as Hothead), Voss and Hornindal, Yeast Bay has Voss. Certainly here in the UK it's a matter of luck if you can find any of them in stock, these aren't being produced in WLP001-type volumes.

They seem to genuinely prefer being fermented hot, but being able to ferment without temp control is obviously a big attraction.

There can be no mention of kveik without Lars Garshol's blog - he has done much of the legwork in bringing Norwegian (and more generally Baltic/Nordic) farm brewing to the wider world.

 

[shoreman]

Can I ask why ferment at such high temps? Is it simply because it can be done or is there a different reason? Is this only a small yeast company or do they typical big yeast companies have their own versions?

I would guess that the yeasts developed and mutated to be pitched at higher temps and were selected over generations and generations (of people not yeast pitches). Pitching and fermenting at higher temps is probably more just a bi-product of a simple process done at Farmhouses in Norway. There's no fermentation control, glycol, wort chillers, etc. These are real farmhouse yeasts going back a long time - read more here:

http://www.garshol.priv.no/blog/

 

[z-bob]

Awesome! How does this strain compare to a more "traditional" NEIPA yeast (ex:1318). Seems like you can brew any style with the Kveik. (someone phonetically spell Kveik for me )

"Quack"

 

[z-bob]

I've just started using the Voss strain from Omega. I pitched at about 70 degrees and had the bucket in my kitchen (mid 70's) and made no attempt to control or even monitor the temperature. It was finished and starting to drop clear in 2 days. Transferred to a carboy and gave it another week then bottled it. I wish I had filled one bottle at 2 days to see what happened. Very clean; not really any yeast character that I can tell. I rinsed out the carboy with some apple juice and that took off in about an hour. It's ready to bottle but I haven't gotten around to it yet. (maybe tonight)

My next beer will be an IPA modeled after Bell's Two Hearted. I have some Bell's yeast, but I'm going to use the VK again, and maybe put a controller on it and ferment it at 90° so it will go even faster and maybe give some citrusy fruit esters.

 

[jigtwins]

I'm wondering what flavors you might be get at lower temps like 65-68 - thinking of doing an oktober-ale.

I did a black IPA with voss yeast and held the temps in that range. Fermented out rather quick and very clean. Would use it for any style you want clean high attenuating yeast.

 

[kingmatt]

Awesome! How does this strain compare to a more "traditional" NEIPA yeast (ex:1318). Seems like you can brew any style with the Kveik. (someone phonetically spell Kveik for me )

I've used all the 'traditional' NEIPA strains and the Hornindal gave me similar mouthfeel and attenuation with more tropical/fruity esters. The high temperature tolerance makes it way more forgiving/easier to use which moves it to 1st place for me!

 

[ca_baracus]

I've used all the 'traditional' NEIPA strains and the Hornindal gave me similar mouthfeel and attenuation with more tropical/fruity esters. The high temperature tolerance makes it way more forgiving/easier to use which moves it to 1st place for me!

Great to hear. Definitely want to try it. Omega’s site say that the C hops work well with this strain. What hops have you been using?

 

[kingmatt]

Great to hear. Definitely want to try it. Omega’s site say that the C hops work well with this strain. What hops have you been using?

My last batch I did a small 10 min Columbus addition and everything in the whirlpool and fermentation hops were Galaxy and Citra and then I keg hopped with Citra cryo...turned out great.

 

[pinchegil]

My last batch I did a small 10 min Columbus addition and everything in the whirlpool and fermentation hops were Galaxy and Citra and then I keg hopped with Citra cryo...turned out great.

when did you put your first charge of dry hops? I brewed a hazy on sunday with azacca citra eldorado, with hornindal, pitched at 90 keeping it at 95, I guessed and put first dry hop 15 hours in, hoping that wasn't too late

 

[kingmatt]

when did you put your first charge of dry hops? I brewed a hazy on sunday with azacca citra eldorado, with hornindal, pitched at 90 keeping it at 95, I guessed and put first dry hop 15 hours in, hoping that wasn't too late

I usually do mine 24 hours after the first signs of active fermentation.

 

[z-bob]

I'm planning something like Bell's Two Hearted but using Voss kveik yeast, and Dr Rudi and Cascade hops instead of Centennial. (I don't have any Centennial) I think I've mentioned this already. I've never done dry hops before. I've never done any beer with more that 2 ounces of hops before, even really bitter ones.

When should I add the Cascade dry hops, since kveik ferments so fast? I'm guessing as soon as the krausen falls, 2 or 3 days, and then give it another week to finish; does that sound about right? This is not a NE style, it's more old-school American IPA, about 6.8 to 7% ABV and 50 IBU.

 

[ca_baracus]

Thinking about using this yeast with a NEIPA grain bill and hop schedule, but am thinking just using Galaxy and Columbus. Shooting for tropical and dank. 6oz whirlpool (4oz Galaxy/2oz Columbus); 6oz dry hop (4oz Galaxy/2oz Columbus). What you do guys think?

 

[ca_baracus]

Thinking about using this yeast with a NEIPA grain bill and hop schedule, but am thinking just using Galaxy and Columbus. Shooting for tropical and dank. 6oz whirlpool (4oz Galaxy/2oz Columbus); 6oz dry hop (4oz Galaxy/2oz Columbus). What you do guys think?

Bump!

 

[Comfort_Zone]

Do it. You won't be disappointed. Crank the heat if you can though.