# Sigmind's Voss Kveik Yeast - Perfect for Australian Brewing?



## russell_c_cook (17/10/17)

Hi everyone, 

This yeast is available to buy as a liquid yeast, and it's fermentation range is 70 - 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about low 20s to mid 30s in Celsius, I believe).

https://www.theyeastbay.com/brewers-yeast-products/sigmunds-voss-kveik

Has anyone tried this yeast? To go to mid 30s and not produce fusels and harsh phenolics sounds amazing and would mean I could ferment and room temperature all year round here in Brisbane.


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## gap (17/10/17)

If you wish to produce Norwegian Farmhouse Ales


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## Gloveski (17/10/17)

yeah I wouldn't mind having a go at some Kveik yeast . David Heath on youtube does quite a few different brews with different strains of kveik yeast


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## hirschb (17/10/17)

I tried it once, not crazy about the results. Slightly cider-like, which may have been infection or low-carbonation related. I kinda screwed up this batch. I'll need to use it on a few more beers. Others have used it to great effect. I also need to use it at 30C+.


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## russell_c_cook (17/10/17)

Gap, fair point 

Gloveski, cheers for the tip, I'll check out those videos.

Hirschb, yeah apparently it prefers those higher temps eh. I was thinking this yeast could be a good one to try for my "yeast stick" experiment.


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## kaiserben (17/10/17)

I've got some in my fridge and I'm waiting till summer to use it. 

From what I've read a few people have successfully used it to make IPA-esque beers. 

But it does sound like you need to keep it 30C or over to get the best out of it.


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## russell_c_cook (18/10/17)

Kaisereben, it'd be great to hear how that goes, please post about it  I love the idea of brewing in summer without refrigeration.


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## hoppy2B (21/10/17)

What's that stuff they sell at BigW for $2 a pack? Brigalow I think it is labelled as. I think it is meant to be Mauri brew or something of the sort. Made in Queensland if I am not mistaken. Give that a go, that will work under hot conditions. 

Coopers kit yeast is another one.


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## Plyplema (26/10/17)

I've used the yeast a couple of times recently - just bottled one tonight (that I brewed on Saturday) following a recipe I use for a saison dupont clone just to compare. I did get it down to 1.006 but this one did contain some sugar in the grain bill. I mashed at a higher temp (66ºC for 60) for this one because...

Before that I did a version of a LCBA but mashed at 64ºC for 90min because I was worried it would finish high with a lot of talk saying it finishes at 1.015. It ended up finishing at 1.007. Taste though I'm very happy with and found it fruitier than the American Ale version I usually do. Definitely not Belgian fruity though (or cidery), more orange... it really suited the style and was not much different from the more standard yeast. I increased the bittering slightly to balance the extra alcohol but that was probably unneeded. I can confirm there are no harsh fusels or phenolics. I've been asked to get more of this ready for Christmas as it has gone down well with harsher critics than myself.

I pitched and fermented it at 37ºC and bottled on the 4th day. I used less sugar for carbonation that I should have, once again due to reading that the yeast is traditionally non-carbonated. I would prefer more carbonation and have done so for the recently bottled.

I've got ingredients ready to try this as an IPA next and will let you know how the farmhouse style tastes. My goal was to find a yeast to use in these pale ales while brewing in Brisbane so will be playing with it more as well as the dupont yeast I got from a couple of tallies.


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## eldertaco (26/10/17)

37 degrees?! Faaark.


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## Plyplema (27/10/17)

Yeah, it can go higher apparently  I wanted to start at an extreme and work backwards. It's pretty much the temp I get out of the grainfather so worked well - I hate wasting water while chilling and Brisbane tap water temp gets right up there during spring/summer. I used a couple of temp controlled heat belts within a fridge in a hot garage which kept the temp quite steady without needing the heat belts active too often. Plan was/ (and is) to have them outside the fridge (with the belts) but the temp has fluctuated here a bit due to rain. 

The bottles I filled last night are already tight and will be doing a tester tonight out of curiosity. The flavours are meant to evolve very fast.


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## kaiserben (27/10/17)

Good info there, Plyplema.


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## Plyplema (28/10/17)

This new one is going to be great as well; the orange citrus flavour really shines through. My co-taster-in-crime, who isn't a massive beer drinker, was very excited drinking it and said it was almost like an orange juice flavour with no prompting from myself. There was a little sweetness there but it could be due to some residual priming sugar not full eaten yet. It was still very dry despite this so may need a higher mash temp if it's going to be used with an IPA. 

I'll see how it goes once full carbonated and give a more reasonable time to age but pretty cool that it's only 6 days old, fermented hot with no consequence. I'll probably mash the next version a bit higher if the sweetness does disappear.


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## luggy (28/10/17)

Where'd you source the yeast mate, keen to try it out


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## Plyplema (28/10/17)

thebrewshop.com.au


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## luggy (31/10/17)

Cheers, just ordered some keen to give it a go


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## Moojie (4/9/20)

Just thought i'd add to this thread,
I've been using Voss in my lager i've been making for a few batches now. Its super aggressive, and i wouldnt recommend an airlock, as the krausen will just endup in there, it is super fast. Use some cling wrap (sanitized) over the top of the fermenter, it's a bit more forgiving, you may also like to pick a tiny hole in it. 
But yes, i have mine in a temp controlled fridge at around 30oC. I've been fairly happy with the results so far, but have also noticed, that after about 2-3 from pitching, and an extreamly agressive krausen, it can stall, so maybe i am just underpitching the amount i need.


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## kadmium (5/9/20)

Moojie said:


> Just thought i'd add to this thread,
> I've been using Voss in my lager i've been making for a few batches now. Its super aggressive, and i wouldnt recommend an airlock, as the krausen will just endup in there, it is super fast. Use some cling wrap (sanitized) over the top of the fermenter, it's a bit more forgiving, you may also like to pick a tiny hole in it.
> But yes, i have mine in a temp controlled fridge at around 30oC. I've been fairly happy with the results so far, but have also noticed, that after about 2-3 from pitching, and an extreamly agressive krausen, it can stall, so maybe i am just underpitching the amount i need.


Not to be pedantic but it's not really a lager if you don't use lager yeast. But other than that great tips!


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## butisitart (5/9/20)

couple of 'where do it get it' comments above.
if in brissie, hoppy days at virginia has got a pretty decent range of liquid kveiks (no affiliation, just my lhbs).


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## Moojie (5/9/20)

butisitart said:


> couple of 'where do it get it' comments above.
> if in brissie, hoppy days at virginia has got a pretty decent range of liquid kveiks (no affiliation, just my lhbs).


I sourced mine from Grain and Grape in Melbournes West, again no affiliation, but my LHBS


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## Moojie (5/9/20)

kadmium said:


> Not to be pedantic but it's not really a lager if you don't use lager yeast. But other than that great tips!


Appreciate the correction, any idea what it would be called?
I’m still trying to figure out what style of beer I like, but think it might be a mashup.
Sorry if off topic


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## Grmblz (5/9/20)

Moojie said:


> But yes, i have mine in a temp controlled fridge at around 30oC. I've been fairly happy with the results so far, but have also noticed, that after about 2-3 from pitching, and an extreamly agressive krausen, it can stall, so maybe i am just underpitching the amount i need.


More likely it's a bit cool (30c) I ferment at 35c and it seems the less I pitch the harder it goes, have settled on 8 to 9 gms dried flakes.


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## Standard (5/9/20)

Grmblz said:


> More likely it's a bit cool (30c) I ferment at 35c and it seems the less I pitch the harder it goes, have settled on 8 to 9 gms dried flakes.



Is that 8 to 9 g's for a 23L batch?

Are you using a commercial isolate or a multistrain?


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## Moojie (5/9/20)

Cheers, just turned the temp up. I’ve been reusing the yeast from previous batches, been collecting and storing in jars in the fridge. I use about a tablespoon so as you can probably tell, I’m far from a “exact” science guy on this, just playing and seeing atm.


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## Plyplema (5/9/20)

kadmium said:


> Not to be pedantic but it's not really a lager if you don't use lager yeast. But other than that great tips!



That's fair enough but there are now some strains that do a much better job at creating fast faux lagers than Voss. Oslo and Skare are very much lager-like and will do the trick if you don't have the fermentation control or patience for a lager fermentation. They do still get better with some cold conditioning but get to a good drinking stage much earlier. Clarity will be as good. The trick is getting your pH and buffering right to prevent the final product becoming too sour - it's been the biggest game changer for the kveik beers I've made..


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## Grmblz (5/9/20)

Standard said:


> Is that 8 to 9 g's for a 23L batch?
> 
> Are you using a commercial isolate or a multistrain?


Yep 23 lt. I pour the slurry onto a santised tea towel and just let it dry out, then break the bits up and keep it in clip lock bags at fridge temp's.
I've tried Kveik King, Loki, and Voss, I found not too much to choose between them, but Kveik King is probably my favourite. Be aware with ales (haven't done any lagers) that there's a similarity in taste almost independent of style, it's sort of a mandarin tone and can also have a faint hint of bitterness, best way I can describe it is the white pith you get under the skin/zest of citrus. I really like it in Belgians, and vintage style ales, but hate it in English bitters. Really should try it in an IPA but my next Kveik brew will be an export stout, so maybe after that. I did get a bit "Kveiked out" due to different brews all coming out with a "sameness" but it's remarkable stuff.


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## kadmium (5/9/20)

Moojie said:


> Appreciate the correction, any idea what it would be called?
> I’m still trying to figure out what style of beer I like, but think it might be a mashup.
> Sorry if off topic


It's a hard one. In reality, similar to a Kolsch, it's lager style but lagers really do need to be fermented with lager yeast _(Saccharomyces pastorianus) _

Kolsch is a German ale brewed at cold temps. Not quite a lager, different profile but similar. I was just being pedantic.


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## Moojie (7/9/20)

kadmium said:


> It's a hard one. In reality, similar to a Kolsch, it's lager style but lagers really do need to be fermented with lager yeast _(Saccharomyces pastorianus) _
> 
> Kolsch is a German ale brewed at cold temps. Not quite a lager, different profile but similar. I was just being pedantic.


i'm a noob, so happy for the input, means i might also start to try some Kolsch beers, and see if thats my thang


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## butisitart (7/9/20)

Moojie said:


> i'm a noob, so happy for the input, means i might also start to try some Kolsch beers, and see if thats my thang


made a couple of brews a couple of summers ago with 100% weyermans premium pale (cos it was the lightest ebc i could get), with wyeast kolsch, in bris temperatures, so low to mid 20s in my ferment cupboard. had a bobek/santium finishing hops on it. 
absolutely sensational, aged a few for nearly a year, and almost a delicate chardonnay wood on the palate from the hops choice. brilliant. 
can use in more robust stuff as well, but that showed to me that you can go pretty lageresque with it.


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## kadmium (8/9/20)

I love kolsch. Brewung up a Schwarzbeir using kolsch yeast and method in 2 beers. Next is a robust porter. 

Giving the hop bombs a pass for a couple brews, let my pallette recover.


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## Fatgodzilla (8/9/20)

Grmblz said:


> Yep 23 lt. I pour the slurry onto a santised tea towel and just let it dry out, then break the bits up and keep it in clip lock bags at fridge temp's.
> I've tried Kveik King, Loki, and Voss, I found not too much to choose between them, but Kveik King is probably my favourite. Be aware with ales (haven't done any lagers) that there's a similarity in taste almost independent of style, it's sort of a mandarin tone and can also have a faint hint of bitterness, best way I can describe it is the white pith you get under the skin/zest of citrus. I really like it in Belgians, and vintage style ales, but hate it in English bitters. Really should try it in an IPA but my next Kveik brew will be an export stout, so maybe after that. I did get a bit "Kveiked out" due to different brews all coming out with a "sameness" but it's remarkable stuff.


Oohhh. Oohhh you have kveik! Time to visit I think!


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