Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 8, 2017 Below is a pic if my lager brewed on Saturday. Beautiful looking right now now this is my kolsch, same brew but different yeast than above. I used omega kolsch II with no starter. Bag says it can go straight into 5 gallons as long as its under 1.060 . Anyone ever use kolsch yeast before? Is it a very active yeast? One would think it should show more activity than this. Currently sitting at 67 degrees Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sarge 1,762 Posted May 9, 2017 1 hour ago, Creeps McLane said: Below is a pic if my lager brewed on Saturday. Beautiful looking right now now this is my kolsch, same brew but different yeast than above. I used omega kolsch II with no starter. Bag says it can go straight into 5 gallons as long as its under 1.060 . Anyone ever use kolsch yeast before? Is it a very active yeast? One would think it should show more activity than this. Currently sitting at 67 degrees No experience with the kolsch yeast but, without looking it up, don't they ferment warmer? I know I'm not much help here and might be wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotrod3539 912 Posted May 9, 2017 Some questions... 1: Any Trub? 2: Proper pitching temp reached before adding yeast? 3: Did you let the yeast Slurry warm to room temp? 4: Are we sure the yeast was alive? (The starter would have been a good indication if you had done one)(Also the pack might have swelled out a bit once you warmed it....) 5: Did you gently shake the pouch to blend the contents before adding to wort? 6:Did you play some loud obnoxious music to wake up the yeast then crack the whip to get its lazy butt into action? 7: Did you RDWHAHB? (Ok... 6 and 7 are meant to make you smile and relax a bit...) (yes... i know these are basic questions but sometimes the basics can get overlooked in the midst of a busy brew day) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotrod3539 912 Posted May 9, 2017 6 minutes ago, Big Sarge said: No experience with the kolsch yeast but, without looking it up, don't they ferment warmer? I know I'm not much help here and might be wrong. Omega info on the yeast (direct from their website) Kolsch II OYL-044 The Kolsch II strain is warmer fermenting than Kolsch I, flocculates much better and clears more quickly. Though a little easier to manage, they are similar in that they are both lager-like ale strains that are lightly fruity, crisp and clean, accentuating of hop flavors, and with a hint of sulfur that disappears with age. Details Flocculation: Medium Attenuation: 72-78% Temperature Range 65-69° F (18-21° C) Alcohol Tolerance: 10% ABV 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 9, 2017 11 minutes ago, Big Sarge said: No experience with the kolsch yeast but, without looking it up, don't they ferment warmer? I know I'm not much help here and might be wrong. Omega say 65-69 i believe. Checked that before I posted a question with an obvious answer 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 9, 2017 7 minutes ago, hotrod3539 said: Some questions... 1: Any Trub? 2: Proper pitching temp reached before adding yeast? 3: Did you let the yeast Slurry warm to room temp? 4: Are we sure the yeast was alive? (The starter would have been a good indication if you had done one)(Also the pack might have swelled out a bit once you warmed it....) 5: Did you gently shake the pouch to blend the contents? 6:Did you play some loud obnoxious music to wake up the yeast then crack the whip to get its lazy butt into action? 7: Did you RDWHAHB? (Ok... 6 and 7 are meant to make you smile and relax a bit...) 1- hard to tell, theres protein in there too 2- yes, pitched within fermenting range 3- for 3 or 4 hours 4- not sure. I agree with the swelling. There was none upon pitching 5- shizzle im gonma take reading tonight and tomorrow and compare. Otherwise some k-97 is going in there 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotrod3539 912 Posted May 9, 2017 2 minutes ago, Creeps McLane said: 1- hard to tell, theres protein in there too 2- yes, pitched within fermenting range 3- for 3 or 4 hours 4- not sure. I agree with the swelling. There was none upon pitching 5- shizzle im gonma take reading tonight and tomorrow and compare. Otherwise some k-97 is going in there Welp... other than unsure of the viability of the yeast..... sounds like a good clean pitch (and it could be one of those that takes a while to get its butt in gear.... (although i read somewhere ( a couple comparisons and research posts and whatnot) that the proteins are great food (energy) for the yeast (like plenty of oxygen) to kick start it...it should have gotten going by now i would think) I think taking the readings and then pitching in the K-97 if needed is a good plan. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 9, 2017 I broke my refractometer on brew day so i didn't bother with a OG reading. But the recipe says it shouldve been 1.045 and the kolsch is sitting at 1.040. Ill measure tomorrow and see maybe its just stuck. I did add yeast nutrient for the first time on this batch. Maybe i need some energizer. Who knows 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sarge 1,762 Posted May 9, 2017 Not that you have much to play with, but are you able to warm it up a tick or two? I didn't doubt you were splitting that recommended range right down the middle, I was just wondering if you were favoring the higher end. I swear I've heard it somewhere before. Keep us posted with your findings; it may come in handy for anyone else using the yeast. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 9, 2017 8 minutes ago, Big Sarge said: Not that you have much to play with, but are you able to warm it up a tick or two? I didn't doubt you were splitting that recommended range right down the middle, I was just wondering if you were favoring the higher end. I swear I've heard it somewhere before. Keep us posted with your findings; it may come in handy for anyone else using the yeast. My germination mat that everyone hates on will do just that for me!!! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 9, 2017 Temp now set to 68 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 9, 2017 And now after 24 hours and heat mat set to 68. What a difference eh? 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotrod3539 912 Posted May 10, 2017 2 hours ago, Creeps McLane said: And now after 24 hours and heat mat set to 68. What a difference eh? YAY!!!! Looks like you just needed to light a fire under those yeasties butts!! lol! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creeps McLane 7,437 Posted May 11, 2017 May just be the highest high krausen ive seen in a while. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
