VSS 9097 Old Ale

[BioBeing]

Took a hydro of mine last night - reading was 1.009! Down from 1.015 when I racked to secondary. That is 90% attenuation. It has had just over two months in secondary now. Never did see a pelicle, but there was a lot of CO2 that outgassed when I took the sample. I could bottle this right now, and it would be an excellent beer. But I'm going to leave it and let the Brett develop.

 

[flyangler18]

Mine's got an awesome pellicle going right now - I won't transfer to packaging for at least another couple of months.

 

[Tonedef131]

Took a hydro of mine last night - reading was 1.009! Down from 1.015 when I racked to secondary. That is 90% attenuation. It has had just over two months in secondary now. Never did see a pelicle, but there was a lot of CO2 that outgassed when I took the sample. I could bottle this right now, and it would be an excellent beer. But I'm going to leave it and let the Brett develop.

Mine has been in the secondary for about 5 months now and I gotta think the gravity has gotten very low. It never formed much of a pellicle, probably because I flushed the carboy with CO2 before racking. But that brett has been very active ever since I transferred. Not sure if this will taste much like an Old Ale when the Brett is done drying it out, but I can't wait to drink it!

 

[BioBeing]

Mine has been in the secondary for about 5 months now and I gotta think the gravity has gotten very low. It never formed much of a pellicle, probably because I flushed the carboy with CO2 before racking. But that brett has been very active ever since I transferred. Not sure if this will taste much like an Old Ale when the Brett is done drying it out, but I can't wait to drink it!

Waiting is the hard part for sure! Mine still had plenty of the sweetness of Old Peculier, but with some sort of sourness starting to develop I think. I'm really not sure what the brett will end up adding - this being my first time with it - but maybe it is starting to come in. I think (hope!) that as the sour develops the sweet will stay, and they will end up balancing out nicely. We'll see!

 

[PSmurf78]

For those who have had a pellicle form, how long did that take? I've had mine in the secondary now for a couple of months and have yet to see any such formation. The beer has taken on a sour note for sure though.

 

[dreadnatty08]

My Oat Wine never developed much of a pellicle, just some large Brett like bubbles. I even added some bottle dregs to it (JP, FFF) to no avail. But, it tastes fantastic having sat on Oak cubes for about 4 months now. I think I'll bottle it in a couple weeks. It'll be a winter warmer for sure. OG was 1.091 and it got 1.010 in about 2 months. Haven't taken a gravity reading in a while.

 

[flyangler18]

The recent bumps to this thread got me off my arse to go pull a sample for both gravity and the requisite sensory evaluation.

Brett has taken it down to 1.014 so far and I imagine it'll go down another couple of points. My original plan was to package this at the end of the year, now I may adjust that schedule somewhat.

Rich and vinous with a noticeable Brett presence that comes across as tart and fruity, like pie cherries. Slight alcohol warmth with some in the nose as well. Toasty and bready, too. There's some hefty body to this beer - a heaviness on the tongue. It will age splendidly.

 

[PSmurf78]

Racked off a gallon last night on to cherries, a second gallon onto raspberries, and 2 gallons left on french oak. Plus, I've got another 5 gallons untouched from the original recipe. This is at a little over the 3 month period.

I have to say, I'm digging the flavor of this ale. It's cleared up really nicely and it's got just a little sour/funk going on, but not overwhelming like some I've had.

 

[Tonedef131]

I have to say, I'm digging the flavor of this ale. It's cleared up really nicely and it's got just a little sour/funk going on, but not overwhelming like some I've had.

Yeah I pulled a sample of mine a couple weeks ago and love how the Brett doesn't dominate. It is there in a leather and cherries sort of way but you never forget you are drinking a big complex old ale.

 

[visitor]

I only ever had a small pellicle on mine. I brewed a smoked porter that I used this yeast on. It went from 1.084 to 1.006. I tasted this last week and it was nice and tart and had some dark fruit flavors with OVER THE TOP cherry flavors! I'll be brewing another porter to blend into this one and cut some of the cherry flavors.

 

[visitor]

Took a look at my brew this weekend as I was brewing a porter that I may blend into the old ale and after my last sample I've got a decent pellicle going. Must have exposed the brew to enough O2 during the quick sample I pulled two weeks ago to actually get a pellicle going.

Should I leave this alone some and just let is sit longer and see if some of the cherry fades or plan crash cool it down and blend in the porter I brewed after it's done fermenting?

 

[PSmurf78]

I'm coming up on 5 months for this beer since brewing. I finally have some action starting on the top of one of my 5G carboys, with a white lattice forming. The two french oaked 1G haven't shown anything, and the 2 other 1G batches started fermenting again after racking one onto cherries and the other onto Rasberries.

I'm curious how long people are aging their beer until bottling them.

 

[Tonedef131]

I'm curious how long people are aging their beer until bottling them.

Mine is 7 months old now and I pulled a sample a month ago. It is just now starting to form that "leathery" character that I desire. I think I will give it a full year since it's still slightly active, and well, it is an "Old Ale" so I don't want to drink it till it's old.

 

[flyangler18]

Mine is about 7 months at this stage as well - and I don't plan on moving it until the end of the year. It's full of leather and pie cherries right now.

 

[PSmurf78]

Well, I bottled up mine the other day. When I originally brewed this, I made a 10g batch so I could play around with some of the base beer to experiment with flavors.

Here's the tally
9 12oz bottles of Oregon Fruit Raspberry
9 12oz bottles of Oregon Fruit Cherry
19 12 bottles of oaked
5+ gal of misc 12's and 22's of base recipe.

Initial review:
all 4 came out very clear, which I would have hoped, since they've been sitting for 6 months in the garage (which is cooler, been in the 50's for the last few months).

The raspberry was really good, though the fruit flavor is strong. It's a little tart, a little sour maybe, but very refreshing.

The cherry flavor didn't carry as well. It's pretty good, but the raspberry was better.

The french oak version came out exceptional. Just a little bit of sourness and a very pleasant, fairly full mouth feel. I'm kicking myself for not putting more on oak. I used about a half oz of med toast french oak for about two weeks, before racking it off into 1g jugs and then letting it sit for the last few months. I may have to submit this to one of the local home brew comps, just to see what the reviews would be.

Base Recipe - This is going to be a very nice beer to have around when I want something different. It doesn't have a big hop bite, nor an overall malty sweet background of the typical ESB, Stouts or IPAs that I typically enjoy. I'll be curious to see how it carbs up and how it affects the flavor.

 

[phished880]

Does anyone possible have this on slant or maybe some "infected" oak? I never pulled the trigger on the yeast when it was released and reading this thread it making me really regret it. Please let me know. Thanks
J

 

[PSmurf78]

Hey, just wanted to post an update. I submitted my beer made with this yeast into the 2010 Cascade brewers cup. 2nd (out of 12) in Strong Ales. Not too shabby, can't wait to see the score sheet.

 

[yogester]

According to twitter/wyeast 9097 is being released again from Oct-Dec 2010 as part of their Private Collection series. Looking forward to doing an Old Ale with it!!

 

[petercarrjones]

Any further reviews on this one turned out for all of you who are about at a year+?

 

[DustyRusty]

Hi,

I'm keen to brew an Old Ale with this yeast, and I'm curious as to how much it dries the beer out after extended aging. While I like sour, I want the Old to remain malty and sweet, not sour and thin.

Anyone aged this 1 Year + have any comments?