Random Brewing Thoughts

[rcubed1]

I have a few carboys from early this summer with split batches of mixed-ferm sours, some turbid mash, some single-infusion mash. The one pictured below has a lower fill level than I had anticipated, coupled with temp change between 63-68, the airlock goes near dry every few days. I've had enough, so I plugged it with a silicon stopper. Every few days I lift the stopper just enough to relieve the minimal pressure. Is this a viable long term option, or am I just increasing my chances at oxidizing and/or creating excessive acetic acid? I don't really have any options to top off the carboy, other than to blindly blend some of them, which I don't want to do.

I'd get one of those breathable silicone bungs so you don't have to worry about pressure relief. They do make them for carboys.

 

[SirDickButts]

bottling a mixed cultured saison on raspberries, dry hopped with saaz this Saturday. Tastes and smells great!

 

[Gonzoillini1]

My homebrew club started a new barrel project (Russian Imperial Stout into 4 Roses barrels) a couple of weeks back, and while I wasn't involved in the brewing of this one, I did help taste and rack. We ended up excluding one brewer's share as it clearly had a Brett / Lacto infection going on (that classic Brett L cherry pie character) which is something I wish we would have done on previous collaborative barrel aged beers.

Our local brewery purchased the barrels as part of their order and paid for the shipping which was awesome, and even better they are going to house said barrels which is very cool.

About half the participants racked into corny's and the other half transferred into secondary carboys. I wish everyone would have racked into kegs to reduce O2 and make the transfer easier / reduce trub / etc..., but all in all it went very smoothly with a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

Now it's time to wait until about August 2019 to start sampling, but I don't believe it'll be ready (based on the commercial beers coming from said brewery's barrel program) until January 2020.

 

[JCastle1]

My homebrew club started a new barrel project (Russian Imperial Stout into 4 Roses barrels) a couple of weeks back, and while I wasn't involved in the brewing of this one, I did help taste and rack. We ended up excluding one brewer's share as it clearly had a Brett / Lacto infection going on (that classic Brett L cherry pie character) which is something I wish we would have done on previous collaborative barrel aged beers.

Our local brewery purchased the barrels as part of their order and paid for the shipping which was awesome, and even better they are going to house said barrels which is very cool.

About half the participants racked into corny's and the other half transferred into secondary carboys. I wish everyone would have racked into kegs to reduce O2 and make the transfer easier / reduce trub / etc..., but all in all it went very smoothly with a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

Now it's time to wait until about August 2019 to start sampling, but I don't believe it'll be ready (based on the commercial beers coming from said brewery's barrel program) until January 2020.

That's amazing, wish homebrew clubs were a thing here. Love the racking setup. I just racked some beer last week too but we mistakenly put too much pressure on the FV so the beer splashed out when it reached the top of the first barrel. I ended up soaked in sticky 11% imperial stout.

 

[coldcrash1]

bottling a mixed cultured saison on raspberries, dry hopped with saaz this Saturday. Tastes and smells great!

It only works if you put the raspberries IN the beer

Seriously though nice pic

 

[coldcrash1]

My homebrew club started a new barrel project (Russian Imperial Stout into 4 Roses barrels) a couple of weeks back, and while I wasn't involved in the brewing of this one, I did help taste and rack. We ended up excluding one brewer's share as it clearly had a Brett / Lacto infection going on (that classic Brett L cherry pie character) which is something I wish we would have done on previous collaborative barrel aged beers.

Our local brewery purchased the barrels as part of their order and paid for the shipping which was awesome, and even better they are going to house said barrels which is very cool.

About half the participants racked into corny's and the other half transferred into secondary carboys. I wish everyone would have racked into kegs to reduce O2 and make the transfer easier / reduce trub / etc..., but all in all it went very smoothly with a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

Now it's time to wait until about August 2019 to start sampling, but I don't believe it'll be ready (based on the commercial beers coming from said brewery's barrel program) until January 2020.

That’s awesome. How many people contributed beer to fill the (two?) barrels?

 

[Gonzoillini1]

That’s awesome. How many people contributed beer to fill the (two?) barrels?

5 folks for one barrel and 6 folks for the other barrel (with some participants doing multiple shares which will result in pulling multiple finished shares). A number of people in the club have larger brewing systems which makes the process more consistent and less tedious than having to do 10+ 5 gallon batches per barrel.

We also have two members who will be brewing additional 5 gallon batches to top off the barrels if it's warranted come July / August, and if not it will be nice to have a "base" to compare the barrel aged versions against.

 

[EvenMoreJesus]

Couple months ago I bought some hops (from HopsDirect) that I've never used before. I have a pound each of Comet, Legacy, Mt. Rainier, and Tahoma. Any of you all used them and/or have any input on them?

 

[Lutter]

Anybody use a Big Mouth Bubbler?

My wife bought me one for my birthday and I’ve had to do this because the top kept popping off from pressure...

It’s sorta annoying.

Love everything else about it though.

 

[JCastle1]

Anybody use a Big Mouth Bubbler?

My wife bought me one for my birthday and I’ve had to do this because the top kept popping off from pressure...

It’s sorta annoying.

Love everything else about it though.

Must have changed the design, I use them but they have twist-on caps.

 

[SirDickButts]

The dried framgarden kveik from mainiacal is having a very slow start. The batch in the speidel seems to be going...not vigorously tho, but the other in the glass carboy (pitched with brett) isn't showing any signs of fermentation. It's been 2 days

 

[Lutter]

Must have changed the design, I use them but they have twist-on caps.

Yeah... it's just a push in cap with a ribbed silicon seal. It's a solid connection, which is why I think it's so susceptible to being blown off.

 

[SirDickButts]

Talked with mainiacal...they said framgarden likes to rip between 85-90 degrees. I have the beers chillin at room temp, so maybe that's the reason for the slow start. Gonna give her time before considering a plan b. I trust the yeast tho..

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

Talked with mainiacal...they said framgarden likes to rip between 85-90 degrees. I have the beers chillin at room temp, so maybe that's the reason for the slow start. Gonna give her time before considering a plan b. I trust the yeast tho..

Yeah, it's hard because they operate outside the realm of conventional wisdom on yeast. Also each one acts a little bit differently. I usually pitch pretty high temp, but I don't heat them at all. Instead I let them fall naturally to room temp. But most times I'm doing longer ferments anyway 4-8 weeks +.

 

[rcubed1]

What's the word on sanitizing vessels that are using kveik and related cultures? Treat them like wild cultures and keep them separate from regular beer yeast? Any cross contamination issues?

 

[SirDickButts]

What's the word on sanitizing vessels that are using kveik and related cultures? Treat them like wild cultures and keep them separate from regular beer yeast? Any cross contamination issues?

i guess to be on the safe, you can treat them like wild cultures.
some strains are just saccharomyces w/ no bacteria.
id only worry about cross contamination if using pails.

EDIT:

peep this link for some info

http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/farmhouse/kveik.html

 

[liquiddegenerate]

Yeah... it's just a push in cap with a ribbed silicon seal. It's a solid connection, which is why I think it's so susceptible to being blown off.

Flip the silicon gasket upside down so wider ribs are at the bottom. I do this with mine and it holds better.

 

[EvenMoreJesus]

What's the word on sanitizing vessels that are using kveik and related cultures? Treat them like wild cultures and keep them separate from regular beer yeast? Any cross contamination issues?

My understanding is that most kviek is single strain, but if you want to err on the safe side, I'd separate your vessels.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

The only issue with Kveik is some of them flocc so hard and just cake a fermenter with super sticky yeast. You almost have to pressure wash HotHead out of a fermentor. So you have to take extra caution on making sure all the biological material is out before you sanitize. Most sanitizers are not able to sanitize dirty surfaces. I can really only see a problem with that issue in a bigger system, clean in place type deal. It's easy to see any left over stuck yeast in glass carboy.

That said the LAB in some kveik pure cultures is super sensitive to hops. The beers these cultures come from were not sour. Most traditional beers use a lot of hops or make hop teas in small kettles to add to the fermenters.

Edit: "LAB in some kveik pure cultures" this might be better worded as the original mixed cultures from the source. Most of the yeast companies are pulling out single strains or removing the LAB from their blends.

 

[Skittle34]

TripleSixHoppia I remember you making some unfiltered beer (I think maybe a pils?) with Kviek. How did that turn out? Do you have the recipe?

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

TripleSixHoppia I remember you making some unfiltered beer (I think maybe a pils?) with Kviek. How did that turn out? Do you have the recipe?

100% Pils and noble hops or Saaz to 30 IBU. They came out okay. I can't get Kveik to give a completely clean yeast expression. It comes out pretty bready. Some people have suggested trying Skare, but I'm not sure it's available commercially. My results have been more blonde ale like. I also had attenuation issues, even with yeast nutrients and low mash temps. Some people are saying some strains are not well suited for low gravity worts.

I did have pretty good success with HotHead though. I did a blonde ale with pilsner and wheat, no hops, just Red Cedar in the mash and sparge water. It turned out really pilsners like after cold conditioning. If I were to try it again, I'd use HotHead from Omega.

Lots of people on MTF seem to be having success. I just haven't personally nailed down something I'm super proud of yet.

 

[SirDickButts]

The framgarden + brett blend kicked off this morning. whew! I guess that specific strain is a slow starter.

 

[SirDickButts]

How does one avoid THP? Just let it age out?

 

[SirDickButts]

Also, I think I'm gonna start bottle conditioning mixed cultured beers with champagne yeast . Been up late reading on it...but still kinda unsure how it works. Do you just add 2g of rehydrated champagne yeast + priming sugar (for a specific amount of carb volume) per 5 gallons of beer, when a stable FG is reached?

I've noticed THP in a few beers we've bottled from the keg. Other times it's not even present. Just trying to shoot for consistency.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

Also, I think I'm gonna start bottle conditioning mixed cultured beers with champagne yeast . Been up late reading on it...but still kinda unsure how it works. Do you just add 2g of rehydrated champagne yeast + priming sugar (for a specific amount of carb volume) per 5 gallons of beer, when a stable FG is reached?

I've noticed THP in a few beers we've bottled from the keg. Other times it's not even present. Just trying to shoot for consistency.

Natural bottle/keg conditioning, trying to limit O2 as much as possible, and aging at room temperature are the best ways to avoid/get rid of THP. Also when you go to bottle or keg, adding in a fresh pitch of your yeast or some sort of champagne yeast will help too.

"Do you just add 2g of rehydrated champagne yeast + priming sugar (for a specific amount of carb volume) per 5 gallons of beer, when a stable FG is reached?"

I've done this with good results.

My souring cultures have saison yeast in them. Now I don't have to use a new pitch because that **** will ferment concrete.

 

[EvenMoreJesus]

How does one avoid THP? Just let it age out?

Also, I think I'm gonna start bottle conditioning mixed cultured beers with champagne yeast . Been up late reading on it...but still kinda unsure how it works. Do you just add 2g of rehydrated champagne yeast + priming sugar (for a specific amount of carb volume) per 5 gallons of beer, when a stable FG is reached?

I've noticed THP in a few beers we've bottled from the keg. Other times it's not even present. Just trying to shoot for consistency.

In addition to what was said above, if you package your beers quickly (and prime at ambient) you shouldn't have an issue. That makes sure your oxygen exposure is as low as it can be and your microbes are still active.

How long do you usually wait until you package? Do you always bottle from a keg?

And, as always, the MTF wiki page on THP is quite informative.

 

[EvenMoreJesus]

Quick question . . . is it OK to link to the MTF wiki on this board? I've seen lots of opportunities to do so, but nobody has done it. Best resource on the interwebs (and the world) for these types of things, so I like to point people in the right direction when appropriate. Little help?

 

[SirDickButts]

Also when you go to bottle or keg, adding in a fresh pitch of your yeast or some sort of champagne yeast will help too.

Is this done without adding priming sugar? Before or after FG is reached?
This is the part that's confusing me.

I've done this with good results.

This may be the route I will go. Sounds less complicated.

My souring cultures have saison yeast in them. Now I don't have to use a new pitch because that **** will ferment concrete.

Think a kveik based sour culture will churn the same results?

 

[wuntrikpony]

Quick question . . . is it OK to link to the MTF wiki on this board?

Yes

 

[SirDickButts]

In addition to what was said above, if you package your beers quickly (and prime at ambient) you shouldn't have an issue. That makes sure your oxygen exposure is as low as it can be and your microbes are still active.

How long do you usually wait until you package? Do you always bottle from a keg?

And, as always, the MTF wiki page on THP is quite informative.

Yup. I was reading it this morning. It's my first go to when researching anything funky.

I keg once a stable FG is reached and always bottle from the keg. My guess is the few times we picked up THP, we didn't carefully limit oxygen exposure during transfer. THP aged out on those same beers 3+ months later.