Voss Kveik Yeast, too late to warm up?

[derekp83]

I pitched dry yeast Lallemand Voss Kveik yesterday around 3 pm, so about 18 hrs ago at 80 F with no fluffy krausen yet. My basement is 72 F and this yeast works at 77 minimum. Think it's too late to put the primary in the summer heat outside, or will that be a dangerous fluctuation and p-off the yeast?

 

[myndflyte]

No. It's probably been slowly working. Just put it outside and I'm sure it'll be trucking in a few hours.

 

[derekp83]

Thanks. All day? It's in the low 80s right now and the beer is warming up pretty quick.

 

[Joshua Hughes]

Yep it will waked right up. Best to pitch it hot, I pitch at 95. Doesnt cool as much as fast that way.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I think the only way to piss off kveik yeast is not heating it up. I recently did a batch with Omega Voss. I pitched around 80 and put it in my garage where we're going through a heatwave right now, so it's been consistently 90s-100. It started within a few hours. Day 2 was the most insane bubbling I've ever seen in a batch. I wouldn't even call it bubbling, more like nonstop churning out of my blow-off. Day 3 it had slowed to a crawl and appeared mostly done. Sample on day 4 had 80% attenuation. Stuff is ridiculous

 

[derekp83]

Yep it will waked right up. Best to pitch it hot, I pitch at 95. Doesnt cool as much as fast that way.

I intended to. I ran my chiller for 5 minutes and it was down to 98 F because I had whirlpooled hops for 10 mins prior. But I added top up water, not anticipating it would drop it so low. Thanks for the advice!

 

[jrgtr42]

ON a similar subject, looking into kveik yeast maybe in the future - do they need to be in the high 70s to work, or will they work in lower 70s, high 60s? I don't have temp control on my fermentation area , but it varies between low to high 60s depending on time of year. I prefer keeping things at the lower end of that range, but it's bee so hot lately, it's right above. This question isn't for now, but sometime in the future.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

ON a similar subject, looking into kveik yeast maybe in the future - do they need to be in the high 70s to work, or will they work in lower 70s, high 60s? I don't have temp control on my fermentation area , but it varies between low to high 60s depending on time of year. I prefer keeping things at the lower end of that range, but it's bee so hot lately, it's right above. This question isn't for now, but sometime in the future.

Most of the manufacturer listed temperature ranges from low 70s up to high 90s. They'll definitely work in the low 70s and I would be shocked if they didn't ferment fine in the 60s too. It's just a much cleaner(low ester), slower ferment and most of the attraction to kveik yeasts is the ability to run them hot for much faster ferments without off flavors and nice ester production.

 

[myndflyte]

ON a similar subject, looking into kveik yeast maybe in the future - do they need to be in the high 70s to work, or will they work in lower 70s, high 60s? I don't have temp control on my fermentation area , but it varies between low to high 60s depending on time of year. I prefer keeping things at the lower end of that range, but it's bee so hot lately, it's right above. This question isn't for now, but sometime in the future.

I used Hornindal and here you can see that fermentation (red line) actually stalled when the temp was about 65F. I needed to ramp it up to actually get it going, and then it was done in about 2 days. And don't worry about too hot. I used Voss the other week and it was in the 80's so I just left it in my hot garage. Grain to glass in 5 days with no off flavors.

 

[derekp83]

Well I ruined this batch. Brought it inside yesterday afternoon and it smells like burnt rubber. I figure the temperature fluctuation from 74 to probably 90 F outside with exothermic heat didn't help. 3 had batches in a row. I think I dislike summer brewing...

 

[Joshua Hughes]

Well I ruined this batch. Brought it inside yesterday afternoon and it smells like burnt rubber. I figure the temperature fluctuation from 74 to probably 90 F outside with exothermic heat didn't help. 3 had batches in a row. I think I dislike summer brewing...

Don’t pitch yet. Let it go a little longer. May take care of itself. Heating it shouldn’t have ruined it

 

[derekp83]

Don’t pitch yet. Let it go a little longer. May take care of itself. Heating it shouldn’t have ruined it

Alright. I'll give it a few days. Thanks.

 

[HopSing]

Thanks for posting this question. I had the same yeast delivered today. I would have followed the same process you did. Now I plan to pitch at 90, then wrap the fermenter in a heating pad and set the temp controller to 90 for 2 days.

I was planning to use it in a Blue Moon clone thinking the fruity citrus notes will go well. Any thoughts?

Also planning to harvest the yeast slurry. Any changes needed to typical yeast washing for this stuff?

Summer brewing during a heat wave. Sounds like fun.

~HopSing.

 

[Joshua Hughes]

Go higher on temp pitch unless you are warming. My opinion of course.
I don’t wash it. I pour in a sanitized jar. No need to wash it. Pour off most of the beer once it settles. Then scoop out (1 tsp for me) what you need and seal it Back.

 

[derekp83]

I think i know what the smell is...it's skunked! I use a Morebeer bucket which is barely translucent, but enough for direct sunlight to hurt the beer I'd imagine. Don't make the same mistake i did by putting your primary in direct sunlight.

 

[HopSing]

I think i know what the smell is...it's skunked! I use a Morebeer bucket which is barely translucent, but enough for direct sunlight to hurt the beer I'd imagine. Don't make the same mistake i did by putting your primary in direct sunlight.

Another advantage of fermenting in my brew kettle. It would need to be REALLY bright light to get through stainless.

I'd let it finish up. It's possible the yeast will do some clean up on the back end of fermentation.

~HopSing.

 

[derekp83]

Another advantage of fermenting in my brew kettle. It would need to be REALLY bright light to get through stainless.

I'd let it finish up. It's possible the yeast will do some clean up on the back end of fermentation.

~HopSing.

I wish I had your optimism. Thanks though, really. I figure i spent enough money already i might as well monitor what's going on and treat this as an experiment. Hoping the aroma lessens, I think it has already.

 

[Joshua Hughes]

I wish I had your optimism. Thanks though, really. I figure i spent enough money already i might as well monitor what's going on and treat this as an experiment. Hoping the aroma lessens, I think it has already.

Find a beer that tastes skunked and similar and change what you are calling it lol. it may be fine in another day or so.

 

[derekp83]

Find a beer that tastes skunked and similar and change what you are calling it lol. it may be fine in another day or so.

I wasn't aware skunked aroma from being light struck (if I'm correct that it happened) got fermented out the way diacetyl does.

 

[HopSing]

I've had some yeasts throw off some pretty bad aroma's (S-04 is one of them) to where I thought the batch was shot, but after a full 10 days in the fermenter and another week or so in the keg, turned out fine.

I'm brand new to this Kveik thing, so I'm not sure what to expect. The whole thing sounds like a bizarro world to me. Pitching at 90, fermenting to 100. Under pitching by half.

Hang in there. Keep us updated.

~HopSing.

 

[Joshua Hughes]

I wasn't aware skunked aroma from being light struck (if I'm correct that it happened) got fermented out the way diacetyl does.

Me either really. Just saying you may like it.

 

[kartracer2]

I'm brand new to this Kveik thing, so I'm not sure what to expect. The whole thing sounds like a bizarro world to me. Pitching at 90, fermenting to 100. Under pitching by half.

Ha, So am I, I have a batch "cooking" now for the first time. Dropped almost 40 points in 24 hrs. Crazy stuff, that's for sure !!

Joel B.

 

[HopSing]

I pitched at 92F. Then wrapped fermenter with a towel and blanket. It dropped down to 90F before it started to ferment, then came up to 95F during active fermentation. It's starting to slow down now and is sitting at 88F in a 72F room. Should I add heat to keep it at 90F and if so for how long? Or do I keep it wrapped up and let it cool down on its own?

@derekp83 - How did yours turn out? Still skunked?

~Hopsing.

 

[Joshua Hughes]

How many days? After 3 days I don’t worry about the temp dropping. It would still take it a few days to drop below 80 Doing nothing.

 

[HopSing]

How many days? After 3 days I don’t worry about the temp dropping. It would still take it a few days to drop below 80 Doing nothing.

I'm 30 hours since pitching. Sound like I should let the temp controller keep it at 90 for another day or two?

Thanks.

~HopSing.

 

[Joshua Hughes]

I’ve done it both ways And didn’t notice a difference. It may have about finished up if it dropped that much already?

 

[HopSing]

1.055 OG. It was VERY active yesterday. My poor 3 piece airlock was getting a workout. First signs of fermentation appeared about an hour after pitch. 3 hours after it pitch it was full-on.

I'll turn the heat on to 90F for another 24 hours to ensure its done then let it cool off on its own for 5 days.

~HopSing.

 

[derekp83]

I pitched at 92F. Then wrapped fermenter with a towel and blanket. It dropped down to 90F before it started to ferment, then came up to 95F during active fermentation. It's starting to slow down now and is sitting at 88F in a 72F room. Should I add heat to keep it at 90F and if so for how long? Or do I keep it wrapped up and let it cool down on its own?

@derekp83 - How did yours turn out? Still skunked?

~Hopsing.

Just checked it when I saw this. It's surprisingly a lot less skunked, but still there. Not sure if it's worth dry hopping. I'll taste it in a day or two to see if it's worth bottling.

 

[derekp83]

Pleasantly surprised this morning to stick my nose over my breathable bung and smell some fruit. The skunk is still there, but not as dominant. I took a reading: 1.010. Taste's pretty good, too. I ended up dropping a sock of Amarillo in for dry-hopping, .6 oz in a 3 gallon batch. I figure it couldn't hurt it. Hard to believe I'll actually be bottling this batch this weekend.

 

[HopSing]

Pleasantly surprised this morning to stick my nose over my breathable bung and smell some fruit. The skunk is still there, but not as dominant. I took a reading: 1.010. Taste's pretty good, too. I ended up dropping a sock of Amarillo in for dry-hopping, .6 oz in a 3 gallon batch. I figure it couldn't hurt it. Hard to believe I'll actually be bottling this batch this weekend.

That's great news. I'll be kegging the Blue Moon clone and harvesting yeast today. Incredible this was brewed 4 days ago. If the flavor profiles are there, I'm sold.

Have you considered trading in your translucent plastic fermenter for a stainless one? I used to ferment in glass carboys, but after narrowly escaping being sliced open (the carrier strap broke at the worst possible moment), I moved to stainless. I could not afford a $300 conical, so I bought an 8 gallon stainless pot for $50 and sealed it with a silicon tube and binder clips. Worked great. Since then I started doing "univessel" brewing. I mash, boil, and ferment in the same vessel. Once I proved to myself that the break material did not impact the flavor or quality of the final beer, I never looked back. The fermenter is sterilized during the boil and the best part is I wash 1 pot 1 time and that's after I keg the batch and easily harvest the yeast.

~HopSing.