Eight days after brew day, the Lawnmower Citra Inferno has got me stumped.
Right from the start, the WLP300(*) yeast I'd pitched it with kicked off with gusto, creating a dense, 6 inch head of frothy yeasty yumminess on top of the fermenting wort. Airlock went bubblybubble and all was well and brewsy.
*) a German hefeweizen strain, chock full of estery aromas and whatnot
But after eight days at a steady 18-20°C, my ordinary Safale US-05 yeast should be done already.
Measurements indicate fermentation is still ongoing, or at the very least incomplete.
More confounding still: that spanky Valentine refractometer the Missus so kindly donated to science (i.e. me) showed consistent readings at brew day: 1049 OG (13.9% Brix) but is way off at this stage, showing a measly 1025 SG (6.3% Brix) which should be around 1008 or lower (2.1% Brix) at fermentation's end. Whatever the state of my yeast at this time, both the refractometer and the densimeter should show consistent, nearly identical readings.
Whichever is more accurate, that yeast is still going on, but decidedly slower than I'd expected. Perhaps it's typical for the strain, something I plan to ask the lab.
This is my first time using White Labs, and this particular Hefeweizen strain in particular, and the Yinterwebzthingy tells me 14 days in primary is not unheard of. Since the airlock shows more activity is ongoing, I'll take my chances and keep things as they are.
Meantime, I got me a sample and oooh baby is this brew coming together or what?
It's a weizen, so yes, it's cloudy to the point of looking like anisette. At this stage, it's flat with a mild tingle, but I don't expect I'll be carbonating this very strongly. The smell is Hefe all the way: a citrusy, estery fragrance, with hints of banana and clove, and juuuust enough hops to spark my interest. Odd, since I was aiming for about 45 IBU, which is about 3 times more than a typical weizen, but at this stage, this is floating my boat all the way to Beervana and back. The original plan was to dryhop the fermented beer with Citra, but as it is, I'm tempted to split the batch and leave half as it is: it really is that yummy.
Plus: be silly to call it Citra Inferno if it only contained a whiff of Citra, wouldn't it?
Not sure how the almost soapy fruity esters of the yeast would combine with more hops, and I'm inclined to forego Citra, which can impart a pepperminty flavour sometimes, in favour of the more grapefruity tang of Amarillo, which I'd planned for a variant of this brew later on. Choice, the brewer's nighmarish muse...
Pretty stoked about this brew, which puts more forcus on yeast than I'm used to, but is pleasing me no end, even in this immature state. With or without extra Citra (Amarillo? Something else even?), I've a feeling this one's a keeper.
Greetz
Jo
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| Dramatic lighting will save any beer. |
Right from the start, the WLP300(*) yeast I'd pitched it with kicked off with gusto, creating a dense, 6 inch head of frothy yeasty yumminess on top of the fermenting wort. Airlock went bubblybubble and all was well and brewsy.
*) a German hefeweizen strain, chock full of estery aromas and whatnot
But after eight days at a steady 18-20°C, my ordinary Safale US-05 yeast should be done already.
Measurements indicate fermentation is still ongoing, or at the very least incomplete.
 |
| 1012 SG, coming from 1049. Blurry picture is in fact an opaque measuring glass. |
Whichever is more accurate, that yeast is still going on, but decidedly slower than I'd expected. Perhaps it's typical for the strain, something I plan to ask the lab.
This is my first time using White Labs, and this particular Hefeweizen strain in particular, and the Yinterwebzthingy tells me 14 days in primary is not unheard of. Since the airlock shows more activity is ongoing, I'll take my chances and keep things as they are.
Meantime, I got me a sample and oooh baby is this brew coming together or what?
 |
| Plush yeast is being bored by beer. |
Plus: be silly to call it Citra Inferno if it only contained a whiff of Citra, wouldn't it?
Not sure how the almost soapy fruity esters of the yeast would combine with more hops, and I'm inclined to forego Citra, which can impart a pepperminty flavour sometimes, in favour of the more grapefruity tang of Amarillo, which I'd planned for a variant of this brew later on. Choice, the brewer's nighmarish muse...
Pretty stoked about this brew, which puts more forcus on yeast than I'm used to, but is pleasing me no end, even in this immature state. With or without extra Citra (Amarillo? Something else even?), I've a feeling this one's a keeper.
Greetz
Jo
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