Voss Kveik yeast is a monster

[z-bob]

I just brewed a simple pale ale with this yeast Saturday. Pitched the yeast Saturday night. Was going to top-crop the yeast this morning (Wednesday) and the krausen had fallen already. So tonight I transferred from the bucket to a carboy, and the beer is almost clear already. I drank about a half a liter that wouldn't fit in the carboy, and it tastes clean and light; I think it's finished already (but another week in a carboy to make sure will be good for it) I have never had a beer ferment this fast.

 

[Drewth1]

let me know how bottling went. I am curious if it will carb as fast as it fermented.

 

[z-bob]

It will be a few more days before I bottle it. If I'd been thinking straight, I would have bottled the leftovers in a plastic bottle instead of drinking it. It very easily could have been grain-to-glass in a week, including bottle conditioning.

I poured all the sediment out of the bucket into a sanitized quart Mason jar, then I rinsed out the bucket with a half gallon of apple juice and poured that into a gallon jug. The apple juice was fermenting violently within a half an hour. 24 hours later it's probably done, but I'm going to rack it to a new jug and add more apple juice.

 

[Beerswimmer]

My NEIPA's are fully and perfectly carbed on day 3 after bottling.

 

[Biobrewer]

This strain is a beast! Unsurprised this wasn't top cropable. Our strain of Voss (Sigmund's Voss Kveik) doesn't form much of a krausen at all, and forms massive floccs during fermentation, falling out of suspension almost immediately after! Very easy to harvest from the bottom after racking the beer off.

How high did you let the temperature rise?

 

[jaymosbeershack]

I just turned off the stir plate with the starter for my Voss, watched it drop clear in 54 seconds. Mind blown. Cant wait to brew wednesday

 

[eastoak]

This strain is a beast! Unsurprised this wasn't top cropable. Our strain of Voss (Sigmund's Voss Kveik) doesn't form much of a krausen at all, and forms massive floccs during fermentation, falling out of suspension almost immediately after! Very easy to harvest from the bottom after racking the beer off.

How high did you let the temperature rise?

i kept my fermentation chamber at 80 for an IPA i made using VK. In the past i've gone to the 90s, just to see what would happen. what happened was a clean beer that fermented very fast. the recent beer was pitched with a jar of KV from a beer i made in Jan, no starter, just pitched it and it took off within a few hours.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

Sounds about right. Try using Voss or Hornindal in a high gravity (1.130+) beer for a real treat!

 

[Northern_Brewer]

As it happens, Lars Garshol was in Voss at the weekend visiting Sigmund and their beer festival, so here's a pic of the man himself, Lars has tweeted a couple of pics lately, presumably he will do a write up on his blog.

Skål!

 

[jaymosbeershack]

Just used hornindale for the first time. Porter went 1.056-1.012 in 3 days at 80*f

 

[Kwitty]

I plan on using this yeast for the first time. My plans are a pale ale and a cream ale this weekend. Nothing high gravity but as active as this is should I have a blow off tube immediately? I plan on 5.5 gallons in a 7 gallon fermenter.

 

[@RoyalGallon]

I’ve used the Sigmund Voss yeast this week to make sort of Brewdog Elvia Juice copy. I’m hoping the orange flavours complement the grapefruit pith added.

The smell as it ferments is amazing - like a marmalade factory.

 

[Kwitty]

I’ve used the Sigmund Voss yeast this week to make sort of Brewdog Elvia Juice copy. I’m hoping the orange flavours complement the grapefruit pith added.

The smell as it ferments is amazing - like a marmalade factory.

Did you need a blow off tube? In all I've read I don't t hear anyone mentioning it yet.

 

[toddo97]

Did you need a blow off tube? In all I've read I don't t hear anyone mentioning it yet.

If you're using a full pitch of it, good God yes. That stuff is possessed.

 

[Kwitty]

If you're using a full pitch of it, good God yes. That stuff is possessed.

Ok. Good to know! I'll have a blow off tube and priest near by!

 

[jaymosbeershack]

Ok. Good to know! I'll have a blow off tube and priest near by!

This is a starter i did with voss. It should give you an idea of what to expect.

 

[Kwitty]

This is a starter i did with voss. It should give you an idea of what to expect.View attachment 602248

Damn!

 

[toddo97]

This was mine

Damn!

 

[Kwitty]

I think fermcap is in order!

 

[@RoyalGallon]

Did you need a blow off tube? In all I've read I don't t hear anyone mentioning it yet.

No - I under pitched deliberately. Basically just tipped with the liquid vial only - and to be honest it exploded when I opened it. I don’t think you can stop this yeast at any temperature.

 

[@RoyalGallon]

Just another comment. After pitching from the vial I half filled it with wort and left it in the shed.
Over the last week it’s been quite cold in the UK - less than 10C. Even at that low temp I can see that the yeast in the vial has multiplied, not massively but noticeably.
Unstoppable.

 

[jaymosbeershack]

Just another comment. After pitching from the vial I half filled it with wort and left it in the shed.
Over the last week it’s been quite cold in the UK - less than 10C. Even at that low temp I can see that the yeast in the vial has multiplied, not massively but noticeably.
Unstoppable.

Ive read that in norway, they pretty much freezedry the stuff and then pitch it dry. Ive also heard of a fellow pitching after a year in the fridge and no starter without issue. It really cant be stopped.

 

[Coffeeturnal]

I'm giving the Omega offering a try in a NEIPA. Trying to keep it hot, so I broke out the sous vide ^_^

 

[Shwagger]

Using the Voss Kveik,Omega, today in a Gratzer. Even though its winter, florida still gets into the 70s. And my ferm fridge is layering right now so I cant use it. That being said, I'm making a 2.5g batch in a Fast ferment 3g carboy. Think I'll need a blow off?

 

[NeverDie]

Using the Voss Kveik,Omega, today in a Gratzer. Even though its winter, florida still gets into the 70s. And my ferm fridge is layering right now so I cant use it. That being said, I'm making a 2.5g batch in a Fast ferment 3g carboy. Think I'll need a blow off?

Judging from the photos, probably yes. I use mason jars, and for Voss a 5/8 fill height is safe, but 6/8 isn't.

 

[Footballandhops]

Sorry for bumping an old thread....but I can confirm that Omega Voss Kveik is a beast of a yeast strain myself.

Pitched it in a 1.076 wort Sunday, it appears to be almost done today (Tuesday). It took off like a frickin rocket, active fermentation in about 2 hours after pitch.

 

[Biobrewer]

I just turned off the stir plate with the starter for my Voss, watched it drop clear in 54 seconds. Mind blown. Cant wait to brew wednesday

Yes, really helps when propagating it, "crashing" out large quantities is a breeze. I know us yeast producers love the ease of use of this and many other kveik strains when it comes to propagation.

Using the Voss Kveik,Omega, today in a Gratzer. Even though its winter, florida still gets into the 70s. And my ferm fridge is layering right now so I cant use it. That being said, I'm making a 2.5g batch in a Fast ferment 3g carboy. Think I'll need a blow off?

Unlikely. Not sure about the Omega Strain, but our Yeast Bay Voss Kveik and some other Labs' versions (from what I've gleaned from other posts) don't form a very large krausen. 2.5 gallons in a 3 gallon fermentor will likely be fine.

 

[bigdawg86]

I just pitched THB Voss Kviek into a 1.070 hoping to be hazy IPA. It's been less than 48 hours and it's already almost done fermenting. This is my 10th use of this yeast, which was originally purchased close to 2 years ago. I found I get a permanent haze with it which should compliment the style, and it is a citrus mistress! It's the perfect yeast. This batch hit 94° peak, although I have accidentally taken it to 102° without any ill effect.

 

[Footballandhops]

Using the Voss Kveik,Omega, today in a Gratzer. Even though its winter, florida still gets into the 70s. And my ferm fridge is layering right now so I cant use it. That being said, I'm making a 2.5g batch in a Fast ferment 3g carboy. Think I'll need a blow off?

I used a blow off tube, but there was no blow off that occurred. I filled a 6.5gal carboy with 6 gal wort. This yeast is crazy fast and flocs super fast

 

[tellyho]

Have brewed 2 beers with imperial Loki, supposedly Voss, one from dried yeast. Happy with both. Both were done in 3-4 days.

 

[Shwagger]

most beers finish in 72 hours. Dont get SOP of longer primary fermentation

 

[jaymosbeershack]

I stopped at the LHBS for a fresh pack of Voss the other day. They told me they were out, but had an out of dat pack in the back. It was from november 2018. I made a starter and it took off in 2 hours. Now to brew my 1 week porter[emoji482]

 

[macaronijones]

From some comments it sounds like lingering haziness can be an issue with this yeast if you're looking for clarity. Is this despite cold crashing and fining?

Also wondering if you still run into the issue of the beer, while being drinkable in a crazy short timeframe, still exhibiting the normal hiccups of "green" beer (yeasty/bready, overly bitter, flavors not melding) until it has been given a bit of time to condition in the keg.

 

[Dland]

I think i'd like to try this yeast when it gets warmer, but the above are very good questions. Hopefully someone knows.

 

[Amadeo38]

Going full tilt 3 hours after pitch, fully attenuated (76%) by 18 hours and completely stable FG by 21 hours post-pitch. Barely a Krausen so no blow-off tube needed by a long shot. Heat wrap set to 98F, I did not oxygenate other than splashing during transfer, and I forgot to add yeast nutrient. Just wow.

 

[Rickdude]

I think you guys have answered my question about this (I only looked over the last page of posts, so forgive me if this is explicitly answered earlier), but I want to be sure about this...

One of our commercial breweries is using this yeast (and making great beer with it), and I really like the short timeframe. He told me that I didn't need to worry about the temp much because the heat of metabolism will keep it up over the day or so needed. Of course he's brewing much larger batches, but I thought it sounded good.

I'm still in active fermentation 5 days out. Clearly I needed to pay more attention to keeping the temp up in some way. But here's the question(s)--

1) Is a blanket enough, or do I need to rig up a heater?
2) It's been bouncing between 75 and 100 here in Richmond, and the fermenter is on my screened in porch. Am I asking for trouble by having the temp vary this much (I'm thinking how fluctuating temperatures seem to emphasize off-flavors/aromas by yeast with other strains)?
3) I've been trying to downsize my brewing footprint since I moved recently (I know, it sounds crazy, but I have good reasons)... what's the simplest yet cheapest way of keeping my temp up if I need a heater?

Thanks!

Rick

 

[Amadeo38]

I think you guys have answered my question about this (I only looked over the last page of posts, so forgive me if this is explicitly answered earlier), but I want to be sure about this...

One of our commercial breweries is using this yeast (and making great beer with it), and I really like the short timeframe. He told me that I didn't need to worry about the temp much because the heat of metabolism will keep it up over the day or so needed. Of course he's brewing much larger batches, but I thought it sounded good.

I'm still in active fermentation 5 days out. Clearly I needed to pay more attention to keeping the temp up in some way. But here's the question(s)--

1) Is a blanket enough, or do I need to rig up a heater?
2) It's been bouncing between 75 and 100 here in Richmond, and the fermenter is on my screened in porch. Am I asking for trouble by having the temp vary this much (I'm thinking how fluctuating temperatures seem to emphasize off-flavors/aromas by yeast with other strains)?
3) I've been trying to downsize my brewing footprint since I moved recently (I know, it sounds crazy, but I have good reasons)... what's the simplest yet cheapest way of keeping my temp up if I need a heater?

Thanks!

Rick

Based on how quickly mine fermented out, I would have thought that pitching at 100F and wrapping in a blanket on an outdoor porch would have sufficed. Most say no temperature control is needed for this yeast and no off-flavors occur if the temp fluctuates. I never like to tempt fate, so I just use my heat wrap plugged into an STC-1000.

How much yeast did you use and what was the OG? They say only a tablespoon of slurry is needed for these Kviek strains, but again, I still make at least a 500ml starter and save 50ml of that in an old White Labs tube for the next batch.

A couple cheap options for keeping things hot yet stable are, 1) swamp cooler with an aquarium heater plugged in and placed in the water to keep it warm, and 2) heat wrap plugged into a temperature controller. Option 1 requires you to use a thermometer to confirm the heater is heating the water to the correct temp. Option 2 requires probably purchasing the plastic heat wrap in bulk and wiring it up yourself with an old extension cord (what I did) then also having an extra temp controller. Probably overkill for Kviek, but can also be used for Belgians and saisons (esp. in the winter). I’m sure there are other options, and others can chime in. I’ve seen those little heat belts that look like a rubber bungee cord, but don’t understand how they heat the entire carboy.

In regard to a previous posters question, my Einstock White Ale clone fermented with Voss at roughly 100F has no apparent off-flavors as of this morning (42 hours post-pitch).

 

[whovous]

What happens if you ferment at room temp - low to mid 70sF?

 

[Miraculix]

What happens if you ferment at room temp - low to mid 70sF?

You get a lager-ish beer.

 

[Julian Høstan Urrea]

What happens if you ferment at room temp - low to mid 70sF?

You get a Really clean beer. I've tasted it and really can't tell the difference between a bottom fermented lager and "low" temperature kveik beer. The plus side being that no lagering is needed.