Kviek

[D Shoe]

Who has been using Kviek yeast? Have you found it a successful replacement for your typical favorite yeast varietal?
I’ve brewed about six batches with Omega Lutra dry yeast with great success. Emulating Wyeast 1056 and going to complete fermentation in less than three days at approximately 80°. No discernible off-flavors and the Lutra was favored in a recent split-batch head to head comparison of a hoppy American pale ale (SNPA clone)
What are other people‘s experiences?

 

[D Shoe]

Who has been using Kviek yeast? Have you found it a successful replacement for your typical favorite yeast varietal?
I’ve brewed about six batches with Omega Lutra dry yeast with great success. Emulating Wyeast 1056 and going to complete fermentation in less than three days at approximately 80°. No discernible off flavors and was the Lutrs was favored in a recent split-batch head to head comparison of a hoppy American pale ale (SNPA clone) What are other people‘s experiences?

 

[J A]

I haven't used it but I've been tempted sometimes. I'd never use it a "clean" malty beer because I've sampled plenty of Kveik "lagers" at breweries that I really just didn't like. It's not flavorless and I find it disagreeable in those beers. I'd try it in an IPA, for sure, but US-05 runs fine for me - I have good temp control and I seldom need a beer to finish in super fast time.

 

[Craigerrr]

I use VOSS quite a bit, it is the only kveik I have seen available dry.
I found that it not only does it prefer warmer temperatures, but in my opinion it needs to be fermented warm, I ferment at 29C (84F). I found it gave off a very zesty orangy tangy flavor which I didn't like.
Some like that in a Hazy, but I find that I get enough of the citrus/tropical flavors from the hops when combined properly with the grain ill and water profile.
I typically go from grain to glass (via keg) in 6-7 days at that temperature.

 

[Dave Y]

I use Kveik, it's a natural fit for Texas in the summer, which is... Mid March through mid October-ish. @Bigbre04 is a Voss enthusiast as well.

I've used Voss, Lutra, Hornidal and I think Espe. Hornidal was interesting, nice floral aroma. Voss works well for IPAs, and you can get a fantastic turnaround time but you'd better like the smell of grapefruit.

In peak summer, I've seen fermentation as high as 102F, but mostly 94-98 and on that setting, I have seen pitch to cold crash as short as 32 hours.
Lutra is also great for IPAs giving you a clean fermentation, staying out of the way of the malt and hops. I'm not really fond of Lutra as a substitute for lager yeast though.

I just used Lutra to do up some dry, semi-sweet mead. It didn't do as well as I expected. I made a 2l starter with honey and yeast starter, pitched half in a 1.8 gallon batch, another half in a 2.5 gallon batch. By the end of day 2, it was clear it would not make it across the finish line, so I did a 2nd pitch of Voss to get it there. It made it to 1.013, and the unhelped batch stalled at 1.018, which is not as bad as it sounds.

 

[Sunfire96]

Lutra kveik is my house yeast most of the year

 

[Josh Hughes]

Not used Kveik for about 5 years. But plenty on here do. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Minbari]

Kviek = poo.

 

[Craigerrr]

Kviek = poo.

Boooo

 

[Zambi]

I use kveik Voss, mainly because of it's hot temperature resistance

 

[Yooper]

I’ve never found any of the kviek yeast available to be ‘clean’ like advertised. Lutra is the worst- I can taste it a mile away and dislike it (it tastes almost like s04 fermented too warm). I know I know, Omega says it’s ’shockingly clean’. I think it’s a bit foul.

But I’m really picky about off flavors, and like some beers to have a yeast character (Especially some English varieties or Belgians) but little in most of my daily drinkers.

 

[Sunfire96]

I’ve never found any of the kviek yeast available to be ‘clean’ like advertised. Lutra is the worst- I can taste it a mile away and dislike it (it tastes almost like s04 fermented too warm). I know I know, Omega says it’s ’shockingly clean’. I think it’s a bit foul.

But I’m really picky about off flavors, and like some beers to have a yeast character (Especially some English varieties or Belgians) but little in most of my daily drinkers.

I'm curious if you've noticed Lutra off flavors at a particular temperature?

I wouldn't personally use Lutra under pressure at ale/higher temps and call it a lager. But I do find versatile

 

[Yooper]

I'm curious if you've noticed Lutra off flavors at a particular temperature?

I wouldn't personally use Lutra under pressure at ale/higher temps and call it a lager. But I do find versatile

I don’t think it’s a temperature thing, but it could be. I just don’t care for it in the beers I’ve tried.

 

[Dave Y]

I wouldn't personally use Lutra under pressure at ale/higher temps and call it a lager. But I do find versatile

Have you used Lutra under pressure? I was wondering about that not long ago.

I suspect that Lutra changes the character of the beer - as would any other strain of yeast - a beer that we "know" and it's ..."different". Not necessarily worse, but different. It's not a Belgian or English strain, so using it in a beer that is otherwise the same will give different results, not to our expectation.

It has produced some clear beer for me and been a good performer, but you're not making a Lutra Märzen that tastes right. OTOH, if you use it in a style it can fit in, it works fine for what it is.

Kviek = poo.

There is a place for Kveik haters...

 

[Minbari]

Have you used Lutra under pressure? I was wondering about that not long ago.

I suspect that Lutra changes the character of the beer - as would any other strain of yeast - a beer that we "know" and it's ..."different". Not necessarily worse, but different. It's not a Belgian or English strain, so using it in a beer that is otherwise the same will give different results, not to our expectation.

It has produced some clear beer for me and been a good performer, but you're not making a Lutra Märzen that tastes right. OTOH, if you use it in a style it can fit in, it works fine for what it is.


There is a place for Kveik haters...

You mean places with good beer?

 

[Sunfire96]

Have you used Lutra under pressure? I was wondering about that not long ago.

Almost exclusively under pressure. Typically at 10-12 psi regardless of fermentation temperature

 

[Yooper]

Have you used Lutra under pressure? I was wondering about that not long ago.

I suspect that Lutra changes the character of the beer - as would any other strain of yeast - a beer that we "know" and it's ..."different". Not necessarily worse, but different. It's not a Belgian or English strain, so using it in a beer that is otherwise the same will give different results, not to our expectation.

It has produced some clear beer for me and been a good performer, but you're not making a Lutra Märzen that tastes right. OTOH, if you use it in a style it can fit in, it works fine for what it is.


There is a place for Kveik haters...

I’ve only used it, and had friends who used it, in American style beers when they had no temperature control. That’s the whole issue to me of this “clean” yeast. It tastes like grapefruit or a bit like other citrus fruits and not “clean” at all. BUT I did not ferment under pressure and I did not ferment hot. Warmer than typical ale yeast, yest. “HOT”, no. We just don’t get very high ambient temperatures in the UP of Michigan, so the highest may have been 82F. It was not clean. It was not enjoyable. It was weirdly odd citrus with definitely notes of something off.

 

[Craigerrr]

I’ve only used it, and had friends who used it, in American style beers when they had no temperature control. That’s the whole issue to me of this “clean” yeast. It tastes like grapefruit or a bit like other citrus fruits and not “clean” at all. BUT I did not ferment under pressure and I did not ferment hot. Warmer than typical ale yeast, yest. “HOT”, no. We just don’t get very high ambient temperatures in the UP of Michigan, so the highest may have been 82F. It was not clean. It was not enjoyable. It was weirdly odd citrus with definitely notes of something off.

I don't like VOSS at typical ferment temperatures, as you get the flavors you describe. When I say I ferment at 29C, I am talking about the beer temperature, not ambient. I start it there, and keep it there, also at 10-12 PSI.

 

[Zambi]

I don't like VOSS at typical ferment temperatures, as you get the flavors you describe. When I say I ferment at 29C, I am talking about the beer temperature, not ambient. I start it there, and keep it there, also at 10-12 PSI.

I've found the same for Voss, which is the only kveik I've used.
Ferment hot! Close on 30 oC (beer temp )
I don't ferment under pressure.
It looses it's tang.
I don't know if I would call it clean, I would rate it a bit towards the Belgian yeast side

 

[Bigbre04]

i have used voss for all of my juicy IPAs. it performs really well.

I have made other styles in the past with decent results when i had glycol issues.

I am not sure that i would use it trying to replicate a lager, especially when Chico plays this trick so well when fermented cold and under pressure.

I have used horni and voss in dry form. A local brewery that i am friends with uses Lutra pretty often. It is not my first choice, but they make it work.

I would bet that you could make a hop forward "golden lager" work or even a "dryhopped" golden lager and hide the yeast flavors with a light dry hop easily enough.