[denny]

I transferred this Oktoberfest Lager to a keg and I was able to get a small amount into a cup for a sample.  The good news is that I detected ZERO red apple.  Hooray.  The weird news is that the beer tasted a little "hot" and "harsh".  I assume it's just young beer but I was surprised at what I tasted.  More later after it's cold, carbed and aged a little bit.  The aroma of the yeast is really nice and the room where I did the transfer smells AMAZING.  Hopefully it comes out nicely.  Another "gold beer" is planned for the Novalager this weekend.  Cheers Beerheads.

Could what you're detecting be yeast in suspension?

[BrewBama]

I think my initial taste of NovaLager was a bit weird …but it turned out great.

[Village Taphouse]

Could what you're detecting be yeast in suspension?

Maybe but the sample was quite clear.

[Village Taphouse]

I think my initial taste of NovaLager was a bit weird …but it turned out great.

This is good to know.  I don't know how else to describe it but I'm pretty sure my face crinkled up and turned inside out.  It just tasted very hot and strong.  This was a 5% beer, 55% pils, 45% Bonlander Munich and Magnum hops to about 27 IBUs.  The water is leaning towards chloride and many here have mentioned that Nova seems to accentuate maltiness.  No reason to lose sleep for another month ish.

[tommymorris]

My fermenter samples are always full of yeast and other particles since my spigot is down near the yeast cake. I get lots of hotness, sometimes bitterness, and other off flavors that I have to try to ignore. All I can really tell is no diacetyl and no infection. A lot of the subtle good flavors are easily hidden by yeast and muck.

[Village Taphouse]

My fermenter samples are always full of yeast and other particles since my spigot is down near the yeast cake. I get lots of hotness, sometimes bitterness, and other off flavors that I have to try to ignore. All I can really tell is no diacetyl and no infection. A lot of the subtle good flavors are easily hidden by yeast and muck.

Yeah, these are all great points.  Also, I never, ever take a sample at this point in the process.  The transfer is closed but when it's done there is beer in the tubing and I just let that dribble into a cup and I sampled it .. mainly to see if I could pick up red apple because the beer was warm.  So this is a very small piece of data .. possibly irrelevant.  Everything else with the batch was normal and I can't think of one thing that would create a flavor that would make the beer undrinkable.  Also, it was in the fermenter a total of 11 days so it's clearly young.

[ynotbrusum]

You will like the end result and the repitches get even better.  At least that has been my experience so far.

[Village Taphouse]

You will like the end result and the repitches get even better.  At least that has been my experience so far.

I like the sound of that.  When you used it did you happen to have this experience where a sample had an unusual flavor?  Hey, I'm certainly capable of ruining a batch of beer, you know?    I could have done something but that brewday went very smoothly and I had the most beautiful, crystal clear wort going into the fermenter so I had/have very high hopes.   

[ynotbrusum]

As I recall (from a couple months ago), the first pitch went through fermentation in about 4-5 days and was a bit yeasty tasting on the initial rack after 7 days.  It then cleared/lagered normally and I just kicked the first keg in which batch it was used.  All was acceptable after another week or so (14 days from brewday) in the keg following the racking and even improved further with a couple more weeks on keg.   For me, it is a winner.

[Village Taphouse]

As I recall (from a couple months ago), the first pitch went through fermentation in about 4-5 days and was a bit yeasty tasting on the initial rack after 7 days.  It then cleared/lagered normally and I just kicked the first keg in which batch it was used.  All was acceptable after another week or so (14 days from brewday) in the keg following the racking and even improved further with a couple more weeks on keg.   For me, it is a winner.

Good to know.  If everything aligns I plan to brew late in the day tomorrow (Friday) and do an 80/20 Avangard Pils/Munich 1, with Liberty hops and the Nova.  I just looked at the harvested yeast and the wort on top is very clear and the aroma is really nice.  I'm getting all these positive data points in addition to the weird flavor yesterday. 

[Iliff Ave]

I very well have missed it. Can someone tell me the advantage of using nova over other dry yeasts such as Diamond, 34/70, 189, etc?

[BrewBama]

Speed. It ferments very quickly.

[tommymorris]

It also is supposed to have no sulfur and not throw diacetyl.

I used it for 3 batches and liked the results a lot.

[dmtaylor]

It also is supposed to have no sulfur and not throw diacetyl.

Those are the touted benefits of Nova (Renaissance) over the other subspecies (Frohberg & Saaz).  It's *technically* a "lager" yeast but unlike other subspecies, 3/4 of its DNA is cerevisiae.

How it performs in real life, I haven't used it yet so I will withhold any opinions for or against it.  People really do seem to like it and I will eventually have to try it.  After all, it is a dry yeast, so there's that.  I love my dry yeasts.

[ynotbrusum]

It also is supposed to have no sulfur and not throw diacetyl.

Those are the touted benefits of Nova (Renaissance) over the other subspecies (Frohberg & Saaz).  It's *technically* a "lager" yeast but unlike other subspecies, 3/4 of its DNA is cerevisiae.

How it performs in real life, I haven't used it yet so I will withhold any opinions for or against it.  People really do seem to like it and I will eventually have to try it.  After all, it is a dry yeast, so there's that.  I love my dry yeasts.

And like any dry yeast, it is only a dry yeast on its initial pitch....