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The Village Idiot

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I have a Cream Ale that has been in for 12 days using US05 no action for 3 days, cleaned and sterilised the keg, ready to go and I have a look at the top of the wort..... very foamy but no bubbling. Past brews have been "calm" on top.....is this something that the flaked maize may contribute to?? GGGGRRRR What to do?.........can't check the FG cause and some fool (me) broke the hydrometer.......
 
Have a taste, if it's sweet leave it a week. Unlike bottles, you can't get bottle bombs in a keg, you may just end up with a slightly sweeter beer.

QldKev
 
Thanks Kev... not sweet, dryslight hop and slight alcohol taste(if my eff figures were right it will be about 5.5%) risk it?
 
I have a Cream Ale that has been in for 12 days using US05 no action for 3 days, cleaned and sterilised the keg, ready to go and I have a look at the top of the wort..... very foamy but no bubbling. Past brews have been "calm" on top.....is this something that the flaked maize may contribute to?? GGGGRRRR What to do?.........can't check the FG cause and some fool (me) broke the hydrometer.......

I'm getting exactly the same thing with US 05 at the moment. When I check the FG it's spot on. I have been CC'ing anyway and there has been no problems with the beer. By way of interest are you using a commercially available type or a type packaged by a brew store.
 
US-05 is soo yesterday


I used to love it, now I rarely use it because it's become unpredictable and wont floc properly.

QldKev
 
US-05 is soo yesterday


I used to love it, now I rarely use it because it's become unpredictable and wont floc properly.

QldKev

Are you a 1272 convert yet? I'm really enjoying it personally :)
 
US-05 is soo yesterday


I used to love it, now I rarely use it because it's become unpredictable and wont floc properly.

QldKev


I just find dry yeast quick and easy Kev. Not much interested in harvesting as seems like a pain. Always keen for suggestions though. :icon_cheers:
 
I'm getting exactly the same thing with US 05 at the moment. When I check the FG it's spot on. I have been CC'ing anyway and there has been no problems with the beer. By way of interest are you using a commercially available type or a type packaged by a brew store.


Safale from CB......Just about over it to....had an issue last time I used it..... didnt think it finished fermenting.
 
1272 is a great yeast, good floc, but I find it a bit too tart.
I think at the moment my favourite neutral ale yeast is San Diego.


As far as harvesting goes it can become a lot of work if you want it too, but it does not have to be...

Not the best practice, but our method is

Pitch initial yeast from the original source into 1st fermentor (could be dry, smack pack or a bottle from a mate)
Allow to ferment out, taste the beer for any signs of infection, and drain fermented beer into keg or what ever
If no infections, swirl residual beer and tip a good half into a sanitised 330/600ml coke bottle (depends on how much beer is left in the fermenter) and store it in a fridge.
Pour the next beer directly onto remaining old yeast cake which is still in the fermentor,
Allow to ferment out, and drain fermented beer.
Repeat until you have too many 330/600ml bottles of the yeast spare and have sent them to all your mates.
Once you have a couple of brews on the yeast cake you may get sick of the yeast, pour left over yeast (if wanted more) into bottles,
AND start fresh with the next yeast your wanting.

To reuse the yeast from the 330/600ml bottle
just tip of a little beer form the top of the bottle and taste test, it will be yeasty or even a bit of Vegemite if it's been many months, as long as no sign of infection
tip rest of bottle into the fermentor and tip in the cube of beer, done for the next cycles.

Never pitch a light style beer onto a dark beer's yeast cake.


QldKev
 
1272 is a great yeast, good floc, but I find it a bit too tart.
I think at the moment my favourite neutral ale yeast is San Diego.


As far as harvesting goes it can become a lot of work if you want it too, but it does not have to be...

Not the best practice, but our method is

Pitch initial yeast from the original source into 1st fermentor (could be dry, smack pack or a bottle from a mate)
Allow to ferment out, taste the beer for any signs of infection, and drain fermented beer into keg or what ever
If no infections, swirl residual beer and tip a good half into a sanitised 330/600ml coke bottle (depends on how much beer is left in the fermenter) and store it in a fridge.
Pour the next beer directly onto remaining old yeast cake which is still in the fermentor,
Allow to ferment out, and drain fermented beer.
Repeat until you have too many 330/600ml bottles of the yeast spare and have sent them to all your mates.
Once you have a couple of brews on the yeast cake you may get sick of the yeast, pour left over yeast (if wanted more) into bottles,
AND start fresh with the next yeast your wanting.

To reuse the yeast from the 330/600ml bottle
just tip of a little beer form the top of the bottle and taste test, it will be yeasty or even a bit of Vegemite if it's been many months, as long as no sign of infection
tip rest of bottle into the fermentor and tip in the cube of beer, done for the next cycles.

Never pitch a light style beer onto a dark beer's yeast cake.


QldKev


Kev I don't rack to a secondary, so I CC on the cake. Does this make a difference?
 
People harvest yeast that has been CCd with no problem (i do) for a number of generations. The theory is that the CCing would cause stress and produce heat shock proteins. I think this might result in you not being able to run it for as many generations until mutations come into play.
 
People harvest yeast that has been CCd with no problem (i do) for a number of generations. The theory is that the CCing would cause stress and produce heat shock proteins. I think this might result in you not being able to run it for as many generations until mutations come into play.

I'm might give it a crack using Kev's method then. What worries me is how do you know you have enough yeast cells left in what you are using?
 
One cup of slurry pitched within 1 or 2 weeks will be heaps. I just wouldn't dry hop in primary then use that slurry

Have u read wolfys threads on rinsing yeast?
 
Kev I don't rack to a secondary, so I CC on the cake. Does this make a difference?


I haven't racked to a secondary for quite a few years.


Generally the issue with this method is often ending up with too much yeast. Mr Malty has some calcs to give you an idea.


Give it a go, you will be surprised how easy and effective it is. I'm not recommending it, but I've done it on yeast cakes up to 3 or 4 months. About the only yeast I've found issues with changing was the Whitbread, floc'd perfect first batch, by the 3rd it didn't floc out too well.



QldKev
 
Daz,
I do dry hop in the primary.......I have read wolfy's thread and found it great.


Kev,
Thanks for getting back to me. I often jump on your webpage. It helped me heaps when I first started AG and I still poke my nose in every now and again. I owe you a beer.
 
Glad you liked the website, it's good to hear it's helping people get ideas from it.


I've added hops to the fermentor and still used the yeast cake, honestly I have never found big issues. If you was brewing for a comp then it would be worth doing a full wash, including an acid rinse.


QldKev
 
I'm not recommending it, but I've done it on yeast cakes up to 3 or 4 months. About the only yeast I've found issues with changing was the Whitbread, floc'd perfect first batch, by the 3rd it didn't floc out too well.



QldKev


3-4 months? I reckon you've used yeast longer than that.That san diego yeast i gave you i've been using back to back since the homebrewing conference last year (November?).
 
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