M12 Voss Kveik (first time)

[MrFancyPlants]

My first time using the yeast and I have a 1.060 ESB grain recipe, but with a lot of late hops. I’m filling a 13.5 gallon keg with a couple batches and first time using a kveik yeast. First two < 4 gallon batches are headed for a 5 and 2.5 G corny kegs, I’m going to run 3 < 4G batches for the big keg and then top it off from a post from the corny.

I realize that’s a lot of details but here comes the question: the first two batches wereGoing for a few days at 73f and then I cranked it up to 90f for the last 10 points. For the last three, I was thinking I’d use the yeast cakes to “lager” at around the 73. Does it make sense to over-pitch if I’m going for a cleaner profile at the lower temp?

 

[hottpeper13]

Yes! I use a different mfg of Voss, and do just what you're thinking and most times I can't even notice the orange. I try to hold it to 77* for the first 2/3 of ferment then finish at 86* and get a well attenuated and clean beer. It's no where near as fast at that low of a temp so I judge it by the air lock not sounding like a machine gun.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

For the second batch, I pitched in the first yeast cake.. I didn’t want to lose out on all those hops. And it is rip roaring away. Generating it’s own heat for sure as I pitched mid 70’s and it is up over my cheap thermo-sticker with a max of 82. I’m guessing 92f.
I sampled the first batch (1.060-1.011) and it was a little “cidery,” but It wasn’t properly cold crashed, so I think just yeasty. The hops were relatively aromatic and soft with barely any boil hops and ~1oz per gallon of post boil hops.
Give me another few weeks and I’ll let you know how the ESB/east coast hazy/ kveik goes.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

The first batch is getting better by the day, although next to no hop aroma.. and the second part is mostly ready.
2 carboys were on the yeast cake and tore through down to 1.011, but the other third I just put a pinch of the M12 in and never heated so it is taking it’s time.

I pitched some harvested imperial juice yeast in the slow one and was thinking I might brew (DME) a gallon or two of 1.060 and Krausen with more imperial juice yeast in all three carboys to dry hop and top off the fermenters.
Am I right in thinking the more standard ale yeast could clean up some of the kveik stuff without needing to heat past 70f?

 

[hottpeper13]

I don't think Kveik leaves anything to clean up. I have noticed less hop presence in these beers and it might be the violent fermentation, dry hop a lot.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Thanks. I am like a newby, since I’ve been out of the game a while.
Should I add a bit more consumables when I dry hop, to purge the air?
Also, I way over Camden’d since they were a bit old. Fortunately the vigorous fermentation also blew off those sulphuric aromatics, even though I can’t smell it anymore, do you think it would be worth cleaning an old penny with starsan and exposing it while racking to keg, to scrub any sulphuric leftovers?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I got a free pound of “wai tai” hops from farmhouse (probably 2019). I’m guessing they are mis labeled wai Iti, which should go well with the Kveik citrus theme.. thing is I already used a lot of northern brewer for the flavor additions for the next batch. Think they’ll clash if I go crazy with the wai tai dry hops? I do have more 2020 northern brewer and the first batch was northern brewer and Julius.
I guess I can’t decide if I’m going ESB or Kveik profiles.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Given that Mangrove Jack only repack yeast from other manufacturers, M12 is almost certainly repacked Lallemand Voss, which has a much busier thread.

And as an aside, if you're interested in ESBs, this is supposedly very close to the Fuller's one, based on their original brewbooks. Bit of yeast oranginess is appropriate, Fuller's yeast has a prominent orange note that is shared very few of the homebrew strains that claim to come from Fuller's.