The Joy of Continuous Brewing

[Owly055]

I'm now at Brew 7 on my Fast Ferment continuous brew experiment. I'm maintaining 6 gallons, and pulling off 2 gallons into secondary every week, adding 2 gallons of new wort to replace it. Thus far the technique is working extremely well. It's producing good beer, all of which is basically American Pale Ale, but with a constantly changing character. Each week I taste the brew in the fermenter and decide which way I want to take it..... fruiter, spicier, more floral, heavier, lighter, darker, breadier........ etc....
Today for example I decided I wanted to temper the fruity nature a bit with a spicier / minty character, and increase body, so I'm brewing with a fairly large addition of CaraMunich (10% of todays 2 gallons), and hopping with Polaris, and Nugget.

At the other end, I dry hop if I feel inclined, but I make that decision when I get there based on taste, not when designing the brew.

This methodology appeals to me because it's the way I cook........."the dump method". Taste it and add a bit of this or that. It's great fun!

I can't say enough good about the Fast Ferment. It's an excellent product that could be improved in a few ways.......... the lid gasket being the only REAL gripe I have. I would like a quart jar adapter for the yeast ball......... That's kind of a "no-brainer", a sample port should be a factory standard, not an option, and in a perfect brewing world, it would be made of heavy transparent acrylic, though the HDPE is inherently stronger.

I've yet to meet a product that could not be improved.

H.W.

added later:

Just finished cleaning up.... and putting things away......... and I'm FAST at it. Checked and it's already bubbling!! The main brew is a huge starter filled with hungry ambitious Kviek yeast!!

H.W.

 

[JohnSand]

Interesting. I would guess you can only swing so far at a time, and not make radical changes without getting muddled flavors down the road. Sort of like playing dominoes, there has to be a progression. I use buckets and a carboy, so I don't think I'll follow suit. But I do like your experiments.

 

[Owly055]

I've tapped my continuous brew several times now. The resulting product is good, and I'm finding that I design the next brew based on the taste of the beer in the fermenter. I taste it and then decide which way I want to take it in terms of flavor, body, etc. It's of course pale ale only, and the incremental changes are noticeable and interesting. I also decide when I tap it weather to dry hop, and what to dry hop with. It's a whole different way of brewing.

H.W.

 

[imasickboy]

I just want to mention that Polaris + Nugget = awesome.

Fun idea, BTW. I cook that way, also.

 

[markstache]

Neat. A pale ale solara.

I assume you are dry hopping in the secondary. Is that correct?

 

[Owly055]

Neat. A pale ale solara.

I assume you are dry hopping in the secondary. Is that correct?

Of course...........

H.W.

 

[Owly055]

I just want to mention that Polaris + Nugget = awesome.

Fun idea, BTW. I cook that way, also.

My favorite hop is "nudge it" (-; I taste beer from the fermenter, and make a decision to "nudge it" It's exactly like cooking. I give the beer in the fermeter a little nudge in whatever direction I want to take it, and the beer in the secondary a little nudge with the dry hops. The result is that every beer is unique, and they so far have all come out good. My neighbor is a bit upset with the fact that I can't tell him what my "recipe" is, when I bring beer over...... Every one is different, and when I bring one over he particularly likes, he can't duplicate it, and neither can I. The next one will always be different. He says it will become "muddled"....... Which apparently means that he will not be able to pick out the individual hops (or pretend to). I don't consider this a problem so long as the flavor is "balanced". I'm more interested in producing good tasting beer than in producing highly identifiable beer. I never brew the same thing twice anyway.

Seriously, Nugget is one of my favorite hops. It pairs well with a number of others, and can add a spicy kick to some beers that would be a bit tootie fruity, as many modern pale ales seem to be doing. It also stands up well as a single hop, and I find it especially good in a saison. Many of the really popular modern hops do not make very good single hop beers in my opinion........ We all have different tastes though. I like to balance across the hop flavor wheel.

H.W.

 

[homemaltster]

I'm intrigued. Do you pitch more of that kviek yeast every time you add wort? Have you tried pitching different strains to add new yeasty layers to the soup?

I feel like this model works great for a chili, where every new ingredient and every additional hour of simmering can make it better. Does your beer get better every time you pull it off?

 

[Owly055]

I'm intrigued. Do you pitch more of that kviek yeast every time you add wort? Have you tried pitching different strains to add new yeasty layers to the soup?

I feel like this model works great for a chili, where every new ingredient and every additional hour of simmering can make it better. Does your beer get better every time you pull it off?

I pitch back........... I pull off the trub once it settles into the yeast ball. I then replace the yeast ball and it will collect yeast. When I add wort, I pitch the contents of the yeast ball back into the top of the fermenter, just unscrewing the yeast ball after closing the valve, dumping it in and replacing the yeast ball. Look at the Fast Ferment, and you'll understand.

Better every time?? That's hard to say for sure. It's a bit different each time, complexity increases, and it gradually moves in the direction my tasting of if guides me. As my tastes change, so does the beer. While drinking a particular batch, ideas begin to form. The tasting of the beer in the fermenter prior to brewing is the final decision point. Dry hopping has a large effect (in secondary), so I try to factor it all in.

I'm brewing ONLY with Kveik yeast because I have no temperature control on this fermenter, and in many ways this is a feasibility study with the idea of brewing on shipboard (sailboat), while voyaging, much of it in the tropics. The small batch sizes will be possible to brew aboard, and I may try transitioning entirely to no boil no chill with the idea of being able to use a pressure cooker (without the weight) as a brew vessel. Having only to raise the temp of the main body of wort to about 170 rather than a full boil in an open kettle will make it manageable, as will the small quantities. Of course choosing the right day for brewing will be important. Even on my trimaran, with it's minimal heel, beating into the wind and rough conditions will not be brew days. I expect to make many long passages in the trades. Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean, as well as spend extended periods of time at anchor in various places. I might brew while becalmed in the ITCZ, or while anchored within South Minerva, probably not while crossing the Tasman Sea. Sailing along through the Arafura or Timor sea after passing through the Torres Strait, to the Cocos and Keeling islands, conditions can be pretty decent, but Durban to Capetown, things better be battened down pretty tightly. Up the Atlantic past St Helena and Fernando De Noronha in the trades, should present good brewing conditions, but the Caribbean when not at anchor can be pretty confused. Only time will tell when opportunity will present itself.....but it will. With a brew day of under 2 hours, and batch sizes of two gallons, it shouldn't present too many challenges. I'd rather brew under weigh when there is little else to do, than at anchor. Needless to say, I'll be kegging everything.

A bit mad perhaps ;-)

H.W.

 

[Owly055]

Yesterday I brewed, and simply dumped the boiling hot wort into my fermenter. 2 gallons on top of 4 already there. Temp jumped to 110F. I had removed and covered the yeast ball to later pitch into the top.
My Kveik yeast took off immediately in the 110F environment, bubbling away merrily. Kveik is rated for 100F, and the wort slowly cooled. At 90F, I pitched. This AM, it was bubbling away merrily at 70F.

 

[CU_tony]

Hypothetically, do you think that the motion of the ocean will keep yeast in suspension in both your primary and secondary? Does the ball on the fast ferment help to contain some of the yeast?

Awesome freaking plan btw, sounds like a helluva time!

 

[Owly055]

Hypothetically, do you think that the motion of the ocean will keep yeast in suspension in both your primary and secondary? Does the ball on the fast ferment help to contain some of the yeast?

Awesome freaking plan btw, sounds like a helluva time!

The extremely steep sides allow the trub and yeast to fall through the narrow neck & valve into the bulbous yeast ball, where it compacts. The constant agitation will probably settle things faster if anything.... It's not inclined to move back into suspension once settled out.
Your comment / question brings me to the logical "next level". That next level should be to create a simulator. A mounting frame to simulate on board motion. That would be an interesting challenge. On board, I hope to mount the fermenter in a structure similar to a sea swing stove. Here's a photo of one: http://classiccampstoves.com/threads/sea-swing-stove-gimbal.9088/

The mounting obviously will not be exactly the same as the sea swing, but the concept will be very similar and will take a lot of the agitation out. The key here is not obvious however. The seemingly logical approach would be simply to hang it with a rope, but that would result in large swinging action, which I do not want, The object is to allow the fermenter to self level, rather than swinging about like a wrecking ball. Locating the optimal pivot axis in relation to the vertical center of gravity will be the challenge. There needs to be enough inertial to self level, but not so much that it will become a pendulum.

Now you have the wheels turning ;-) The pivot pins on the Fast Ferment are probably located about ideally, just slightly below the 5 gallon mark, however I doubt that they would tolerate the constant swinging on that axis, and pounding. That means that I will need to rig a strap or macrame type supporting web to carry the weight, and to hold the bushings that will allow it to swing on one axis. It will have to be designed to prevent it from swinging significantly on the rope or strap, to prevent wear and failure. This bushing set up would provide motion about the lateral axis, as do the two pins on the sea swing. Similarly a bearing setup on the longitudinal axis will be needed, and this can have support both front and back, instead of being a cantilevered support from the rear only as on the sea swing.

My Kveik yeast has a temp tolerance from about 50 to 100F without producing "off flavors". When summer rolls around, perhaps I'll fabricate a simulator with a couple of gear motors and swing, and move the fermenter to a shaded outdoor location. It would be interesting to do a few weeks of simulated fermentations. The other thing that needs to be experimented with is evaporative cooling using a fabric sheath and periodic spray of salt water. I suspect a daily (or more) rinse with a bucket of water to remove the salt crystals would be necessary.

H.W.

 

[bajaedition]

A friend of mine used to work at the local brew pup, and he used to let me harvest yeast from the fermenting vats, it was like using a super starter. I did notice that the beer I made had a few of the qualities of the beer I harvested the yeast from, guess those flavors transferred with the yeast.
Anyway, I can understand the changing nature of the brew from batch to batch, but wonder how long till you will hit a batch that taste like crap from all the different ingredients competing for the tastebuds?
Keep us informed as it seems to be a fun experiment

 

[Owly055]

The product seems to be improving with time thus far........ Of course I'm not making radical changes. The current version on tap, which was dry hopped with cascade, is a very nicely balanced IPA style pale ale that I would judge to have an IBU in the mid 50's (where it should be), and a dense creamy head for some reason. I'm thinking I made a mistake force carbing it with too much pressure.


H.W.

 

[Weezy]

Nice! Solera'ing is awesome. Just be wary of potential bacterial infection catching up to you eventually.

 

[Owly055]

Nice! Solera'ing is awesome. Just be wary of potential bacterial infection catching up to you eventually.

I'm being pretty extreme in this area, in fact the no chill method I used last week where I poured 2 gallons of boiling hot wort into the 4 gallons in the fermenter was both an efficiency experiment and a way to help limit the opportunity for bacteria to enter the brew. The fact that the yeast is always active, and the alcohol content fairly high from the get-go due to the 66% residual should help suppress this at least somewhat.
Interestingly, the Norwegian Kveik yeast is not lab refined, but typically pitched from one ferment into another, presumably over hundreds of years or more, being passed along like a sourdough culture. It probably contains various yeasts as well as some other microbes as it is.

I've discovered that once lacto gets started in a brew, it can be extremely difficult to remove it from the fermenter....... I went through that once and ended up eventually trashing several plastic fermenters, though I may not have needed to because of infection. Both as it turned out were polycarbonate instead of the acrylic I thought them to be, and showing signs of surface erosion. Polycarbonate plastics are still recognized as being "food safe", but to my mind the enzymatic surface erosion leaving areas of rough pitted surface means that it's going into the beer in very small quantities over a long period of time. That's unacceptable to me. That said, virtually any material including stainless steel and glass will release things into a non-neutral liquid it contains. How fast, and how toxic, are the questions that need to be asked.

H.W.

 

[ross_daly]

how did the hot pitch brew turn out? could you pick out any negative differences? That's a bold move, but it could definitely simplify a few things...

 

[Owly055]

how did the hot pitch brew turn out? could you pick out any negative differences? That's a bold move, but it could definitely simplify a few things...

If by hot pitch you mean pouring hot wort into the fermenter, so far I can see or taste no ill effects..... But time will tell. Most of my beers are hop oriented, so I drink them fairly fresh.



H.W.

 

[mcgimpkins]

This is an interesting experiment. Even with the steeped sides, are you not having a krausen ring forming around the top of your fermenter? Having that buildup is apparently not negatively affecting your beer, or is it somehow ending up in the ball?

In addition I am surprised about the warm fermenting. I've pitched before in the mid to high 70s and ended up with 5 gallons of banana flavored beer that I had to dump, then again I did not have the yeast numbers you do, so if yours is still tasting good then

How long do you think you'll keep it going?

 

[Owly055]

This is an interesting experiment. Even with the steeped sides, are you not having a krausen ring forming around the top of your fermenter? Having that buildup is apparently not negatively affecting your beer, or is it somehow ending up in the ball?

In addition I am surprised about the warm fermenting. I've pitched before in the mid to high 70s and ended up with 5 gallons of banana flavored beer that I had to dump, then again I did not have the yeast numbers you do, so if yours is still tasting good then

How long do you think you'll keep it going?

The krausen ring doesn't seem to be an issue......... so far. Eventually, I'll dump the works into a brew bucket and clean the fermenter out.

The Norwegian Kveik is recommended for high temperatures ..... up to 100 deg, and the description encourages using it at the higher end. I would not do this with another yeast.

H.W.