| Ref | 2024-02 Sarka | Brewer | Pain & Patience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style | Czech Lager | Type | Beer, all-grain |
| Started | Fri 2nd Feb 24 | Status | Conditioning |
| Packaged | Wed 14th Feb 24 | Fermenter | Fermzilla |
| Handle | 2024-02 Sarka |
|---|---|
| Brewer | Pain & Patience |
| Style | Czech Lager |
| Type | Beer, all-grain |
| Fermenter | Fermzilla |
| Status | Conditioning |
| Started | Fri 2nd Feb 24 |
| Packaged | Wed 14th Feb 24 |
I wanted to use up some of the more esoteric scraps which had been hanging around and at the same time create a brew which would survive well in the keg and not oxidise, especially seeing as we’ll be travelling a bit over the next few weeks. So this one’s another go at Sarka, the brilliant Bohemian Pilsener but with a twist: some melanoidin to give it a slightly sour taste, and half a sachet of questionable Hornindal (expiry: 18 months ago) to try for citrus, stone fruits, and anything else that might be along for the ride. Tracking in Brewfather.
I’ve just put away 19 litres into a Corny keg and some leftovers into a plastic bottle. Cold-crashing had done a great job of dropping out any stray meatballs and also lightened the colour of the brew considerably, so there’s hope yet. Tilt reports FG 1.008 for 3.4% ABV and I’m fine with that, though I’ll take a reading with the analogue hydrometer at some stage because I’m curious to find out if the age of that yeast has had any impact.
Two days ago the krausen started to subside, opening up several holes in the surface with fermentation slowing right down as tracked by Tilt. We’re still ostensibly short of target and I’m used to seeing the yeast disappear completely at this point, but it’s still hanging around at the edge of the vessel and there are still some meatballs floating around which haven’t (and probably won’t) broken down to smooth waste. Not sure wether to add some fresh yeast for a secondary fermentation, but as I’ve been at 8 PSI now for about a week it’s not going to make any racking or re-pitching too much fun. Maybe just cold-crash and keg, hope for the best.
There was some doubt at the back of my mind as to whether or not half an 18 month out-of-date sachet of Kveik would be viable, but this morning around 08:00 there was enough Krausen to cover almost 50% of the brew’s surface. An hour later the cover was complete, we’re up to 8 PSI on the spunding valve, and all vital signs are good. Go do your thing, you mad Norwegian bastard.
Pretty good brew day today, must be my second or third run with the new manifold? I wasn’t anticipating any problems but wanted to throw in some rice hulls all the same, this being my first ‘light’ beer seemed like an ideal opportunity to try and get by without stirring. Might have been a tad too much (or not?) but regardless, the mash went well and I was looking at over 90% efficiency. No issues today, solid brew.
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