And Here We Go

[Sundaz]

One thing not yet mentioned is to build a profile for your equipment, so the recipe builder (a great predictor of your brew’s characteristics) can be accurate. There nay already be a profile, go have a look.

Before brewing with the equipment, ’brew’ a batch with plain water only. Use a couple gallons tap water, bring it up to mash temperature, hold it for a while, then boil for an hour. Boil-off rate is an important number to know.

(I have a Brewzilla, it boils (around) 1.25 gallons per hour. )

Then practice cooling it, and adding it to the fermenter. All that will help you get familiar with the processes.

Good luck!

That makes a lot of sense. I’ll definitely do this.

 

[Sundaz]

Welcome to the forum @Sundaz !!



Adding to what HVM said:
2) Fermentation is exothermic. At high kreuzen when the yeast is most active, the beer will be warmer than the room the fermenter is in. So targeting the lower end if the yeast's optimal range will ensure you don't go beyond the yeast's happy zone. But having said that, don't freak out if it does. I brewed plenty of beers (mostly extract kits) before I started controlling fermentation temperature. None were ruined by exceeding the yeast's temperature zone. But my beers did get better when I kept them in the zone.

3) If RO or distilled water isn't viable, and you are on a municipal water system, then be sure to use a campden tablet (sodium or potassium metabisulfite) to get rid of chlorine or chloramine that most water utilities add.

4) 100% on this one. It's your beer!

This is probably my biggest Concern, fermentation temperature. I don’t have any way to control it. I’ll most likely just put the fermenter in a closet.

 

[Dave Y]

This is probably my biggest Concern, fermentation temperature. I don’t have any way to control it. I’ll most likely just put the fermenter in a closet.

What's your fermentation 'area' climate like?
If you can't keep it below 80F, then a kveik yeast will work, but most put off a bit of a citrusy ester. Voss, tends to leave a grapefruit character, Hornidal a floral finish, and Lutra is a bit cleaner. Some people say Lutra Kveik has a citrus aroma to it as well. I think they're just jealous

All of these will ferment at temperatures from 70-95F or more. I have fermented with Voss at 105F, literally letting it ferment on my back porch and it was a good beer when completed.

You can do some things to help of course. You can put a cooling coil in the fermenter and circulate ice water through.
A cheap fridge you can cycle on / off with a temp sensor
etc.

 

[Sundaz]

What's your fermentation 'area' climate like?
If you can't keep it below 80F, then a kveik yeast will work, but most put off a bit of a citrusy ester. Voss, tends to leave a grapefruit character, Hornidal a floral finish, and Lutra is a bit cleaner. Some people say Lutra Kveik has a citrus aroma to it as well. I think they're just jealous

All of these will ferment at temperatures from 70-95F or more. I have fermented with Voss at 105F, literally letting it ferment on my back porch and it was a good beer when completed.

You can do some things to help of course. You can put a cooling coil in the fermenter and circulate ice water through.
A cheap fridge you can cycle on / off with a temp sensor
etc.

I’m out in California, so I’m pretty sure I can keep the temp of the house in the in the high 60s for a week. That Voss sounds interesting. What beer did you make with it, or would you recommend for it?

 

[Zambi]

I’m out in California, so I’m pretty sure I can keep the temp of the house in the in the high 60s for a week. That Voss sounds interesting. What beer did you make with it, or would you recommend for it?

I have made a lot of beers with kveik voss as I lack(ed) temperature control.
I would dare to compare Voss a little with Belgian yeasts as the yeast has a serious impact on the beer (this is common for Belgians, where the hops are less important than in other styles) as does the fermentation temperature.
I would put Voss in the blonde, triple, wheat, pale ale range. Even red ale is possible

 

[Craigerrr]

I use VOSS pretty frequently, for me it has to be kept warm, hot even or it gives off what I would describe as a tangy zingy flavor which isn't horrible in a big hazy NEIPA. I ferment VOSS at close to if not 90F and like the results I get with hazy beers.
@Bigbre04 uses VOSS a lot with what I understand to be great results.

 

[J A]

I’m out in California, so I’m pretty sure I can keep the temp of the house in the in the high 60s for a week. That Voss sounds interesting. What beer did you make with it, or would you recommend for it?

Don't go down the Voss rabbit hole. You need temp control to keep it hot (which, granted, is easier than keep it cool in most places, but still...)
Stick with predictable, dependable standard yeasts. Chico is literally your local indigenous strain - use it. The US-05 version is probably the most used yeast in homebrewing. If you can keep ambient anywhere in the low/mid-60s, you're golden. A simple water bath and a couple of frozen water bottles will keep things in range even if ambient is a little warmer. S-04 English strain is similarly un-fussy. Eventually, you'll want to use some lager yeasts and do cooler fermentations and try some other styles and experiment with yeast. For now...keep it simple.