Beer Forum

While my step-father and I were brewing he was surprised to learn about the different styles of yeast available, and the impact those yeasts can have on a beer. Thinking about it I've never actually gone and experimented with the different flavors since I've always done extract kits and recipes. My question is if I wanted to do this with a recipe I've brewed a few times and know the flavor profile of, would it be appropriate to put split a 5 gallon batch between two carboys and pitch each with different yeasts to do side by side comparisons? In the archives that I've listened to I've heard the term head pressure thrown around a lot and I'm not really familiar with what exactly that refers to and how to take it into account.

Pitching side by side like that is a great idea. Don't worry about head pressure. Using an airlock won't create enough pressure to bother anything. Now if you were to do fermentation in a sealed up corny keg where no gas could escape, you could then have issues.


Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Are you referring to head space? The empty space above the beer?

Quin wrote:Are you referring to head space? The empty space above the beer?

If the reference is simply to the head space, that is no problem during primary due to the amount of CO2 given off.

Head pressure as I described it above refers to the effect of increased CO2 pressure on yeast growth. The higher the pressure the slower the growth. This will only occur in a sealed fermenter (or insufficient venting in a fermenter).

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

I love doing this with 10 gallon batches. It's a great way to compare Hefes, Belgians, etc...

+1 to sheen. 10 gal batch split the yeast 5 and 5 or 3.3 3.3 3.3 if you have the smaller carboys. do the hefe experiment, that will show you a huge difference.

Good stuff, thanks!