Just curious if anyone has done much repitching with Novalager yeast. I have started a 5 gallon, low ABV Pils (1.038 OG) that I expect to rack off this weekend and repitch to a 10 gallon batch at about the same gravity. Wondering if a lesser amount of slurry will be adequate for this. Lallemand says it is fine to repitch this, but I couldn’t find anything on amount to repitch…Cheers.
Not yet but I will be doing this. I just saw something that said that 15g of dry yeast is preferred for a first time lager pitch (which is a little over 2 packs so I will probably pitch two packs). Once I get to the point where I have a slurry to repitch, I think I would follow the standard amount of slurry and pitch that amount. For me, most of my batches run between about 4.8% and 5%. 200ml of healthy slurry is typically a good amount of cells to repitch. Novalager and Baja are both waiting patiently for me to try this out on. Please post if you learn something new about the Novalager… I have never used it.
Last batch 2 pks of Novalager was used for the first time.
Novalager won’t be re-pitched from this batch. Next two batches
will be W-34/70 and Wyeast 2112. I intend to use and re-pitch
Novalager, but not until another 3 batches.
The batch found below was OG 1.038 & FG 1.008, bottled about day 12.
Bottles from this batch won’t be ready for drinking rotation in about a month or two.
Although an early test taste will be done in about 3 weeks.
Pitch rate calculator was too close for comfort for one pack, so two were used.
One pack would probably be fine under perfect storage conditions. There is no way
of knowing what storage conditions the yeast had from being manufactured to my fridge.
AG Batch #89, (4.5-5 gal in Fermenter)
7 lbs S. Golden Promise
1 lb DC Dark Munich
1/2 lb Flaked Rice
1/4 cup Sugar
50 min, 1 oz Tettnanger (dried cone 4.3 AA)
15 min , 1 oz Tettnanger
2 PKS NOVALAGER
60 min Mash, 1/4 t gypsum
50 min Boil, 1/4 t gypsum
BIAB, Double Drop
Cheers
The initial pitch went from 1.038 Saturday morning to 1.009 this morning (Tuesday) at 55F, so I will let it finish out through Saturday. But it appears that a single sachet at that gravity and temperature will finish relatively quick. I’ll see how far it goes in a week. I will probably pull about a half of the slurry for repitching, since it will be so fresh. I’ll report back…
Our batches are nearly identical, mine was @ 59f.
Based on your experience, one pack will be used next time.
Cheers
Ugh, I know I saw that “15g for 5 gallons of 1.050 wort” somewhere but now I can’t find it. The Lallemand site shows 50g to 100g per hectoliter and I was told there would be no math so I’m not crunching those numbers. :D In the old MrMalty yeast calculator, about 200ml of slurry were usually required for five gallons of 1.050 lager wort and all my flasks are marked with milliliters so I generally just eyeball that amount. Not sure if that’s an old way of seeing it but that’s my process, typically.
I bought a pack of Novalager and plan to try it soon. I brew 3 gallons so thankfully only need one pack.
I was planning an American Amber Lager since it is a hybrid ale yeast. Thinking something like this Brooklyn Brewery Lager clone.
I am eager to hear other brewers results. I am not sure if this yeast will be a good candidate for Pils and Helles type beers or not.
if you google “lallemand yeast calculator” they have a quick calculator, so you could perhaps find thr volume and og of wort that would be recommended for pitchig a single packet, im guessing it would be 4 gallons or so if15g is for 5 gallons
Yea, I’m focusing on re-pitching slurry from a fermented batch….
Using their calculator, one packet is still pushing it for me.
Indeed, it suggests 2 packets, but in fact, my initial use of one 11 g packet on Saturday hit terminal gravity (1.008) Tuesday fermented at 55F. I thought my Diamond fermentations were fast…but this stuff really rips through my low ABV pils.
So I repitched a five gallon slurry into a ten gallon batch. It went from 1.039 t0 1.014 in about 30 hours at 56F. The 5 gallon batch was incredibly clean tasting for only 7 days from brewing. Nova lager may be everything it is touted to be….
lallemand made a bunch of videos on novalager. im adding them to my driving usb now
note: two of the breweries interviewed are ontario breweries. amsterdam is an old classic that makes decent, solid beer in general. exchange is hit or miss and i dont bother with them anymore.
I brewed this beer with Novalager yesterday. I pitched 1 pack into 3 gallons of 1052 wort. According to Tilt activity started about 12 hours after pitching. The temp is 55F.
I am looking forward to trying this beer. I am also interested to hear back from others on this thread. I am a bit afraid to use Novalager in a Pilsner based on the manufacturer’s description - I’m not sure about those esters.
My next beer will be a Novalager pils. I plan to ferment at 53 per Lallemand’s tests. I’m a little leery, too, but there’s only one way to find out.
I used it in a German Leichtbier. Nice pint. I don’t get any esters. …but it hasn’t cleared yet — still kind of cloudy.
Early taste using Novalager was awesome, won’t be in drinking rotation for about 2 months.
Currently drinking Batch #85, this batch was #89, each batch is 2 cases of 22 oz bottles.
Might be one of my best yet, time will tell, but always changing the recipe so it could be that too.
I brewed this on March 25 2023.
AG Batch #89, (4.5-5 gal in Fermenter)
7 lbs S. Golden Promise
1 lb DC Dark Munich
1/2 lb Flaked Rice
1/4 cup Sugar
50 min, 1 oz Tettnanger (dried cone 4.3 AA)
15 min , 1 oz Tettnanger
2 PKS NOVALAGER
60 min Mash, 1/4 t gypsum
50 min Boil, 1/4 t gypsum
BIAB, Double Drop
Good to know. They show a pretty prevalent red apple character that had me worried.
I have a “Euro lager” on tap right now fermented using Novalager, and I don’t pick up any red apple character. It was a 5 gallon batch fermented at 52 degrees with 2x 11g packs. By contrast, I very commonly get some red apple in 34/70, which is why I’ve switched over to Diamond (and now perhaps Novalager!).
Looking forward to your perceptions!
The beer will be brewed tomorrow. Just milled grain and got set up for it. If it was just 5 gal I’d be tempted to just use one pack to see how it went. But I’m doing 6.5 so I’ll use 2.