If I drink coffee while I brew beer, they cancel out to be healthy overall, right?
Based on this recipe, which I chose largely because the author has a very Finnish-sounding name. I’ve had to adapt a couple of bits - particularly the yeast, because I don’t have anywhere I can keep it that is warm enough to sustain the high temperature kveik yeasts - but I feel like I’m keeping it within the right spirit.
I’m trying out fungal chitosan finings for the first time with this brew. I’m not normally bothered about cloudiness, but that’s partly because most of what I brew is exclusively for my own consumption. With Christmas time being what it is, there’s a good chance some of this will go to others, so I want it looking a little nicer too
Looks great!
In case you haven’t done a lot of research on sahti, there’s a few ways it’s treated differently than normal beer.
The yeast often used is “fresh yeast” which can be hard to find depending on where you live. It comes in bricks like little sticks of butter, and it has the consistency of modeling clay. It’s normally used for baking, which is why the recipe calls for baking yeast. It can give flavors somewhat like hefeweizen yeast. In the US, I was able to find that kind of yeast in a Latino grocery store, but I can’t say for certain if it was anything like finnish fresh yeast.
It’s normally drunk really young, by some people, even before it’s done fermenting.
It’s also typically not very carbonated.
One day I’m going to build a proper setup to do the traditional mash/lauter.
I’ve done a little reading, but without having any contact with locals it’s always a little difficult to know what matters. I mostly just really like the flavour of juniper in the beer!
Hefeweizen yeast is what I’ve used here. I was tempted to go with the bread yeast, as I’ve seen it suggested a few times, but I figured it was maybe meant to be more like a sourdough bread yeast and I don’t have any starter kicking about. Here in the UK there’s not much in the way of Latin American shops. Our big immigrant communities are Eastern European and South Asian, and their shops are well worth visiting for other ingredients even if they’re not where I’d get beer stuff. Have you made bread with that yeast? I’m curious to know if it tastes any different from the dried bread yeast available in supermarkets
Interesting note about it being drunk early. I’d guess if it’s not done fermenting then that might make it a little sweeter? I was surprised by the amount of grain used in the recipe, maybe that being so high is to ensure there’s unfermented sugars left
One day I’m going to build a proper setup to do the traditional mash/lauter.
You’ll be better equipped than me, then! I’ve got a couple of big pots, a couple of big glass jars, a siphon tube, and a tea filter. I will admit that it hurts my fingers a bit holding the siphon when the mash is too hot, so I have to stop every so often.
I looked it up, and apparently it’s also called either “cake yeast” or “compressed yeast”. I baked some rolls with it, if I remember right, and you could definitely taste it (which I liked, but some people probably want a “cleaner” taste).
Looks like there are some ways to get it in the UK. I have no clue if the genetics would be similar to what I can get, or what they use in finland.
Same same! Yesterday was brew day for a Guinness-dark sahti x stout. It was my first beer recipe and this run is the fifth time making it.
Traditional sahti is very well available in my area (not the case for all of Finland) so my stuff can be a bit less trad: 1300 EBC black malt and some Simpsons caramalt backed with a hint of rye malt and standard issue Viking sahti-malt. A particular fresh yeast is the only required ingredient according to EU authentic produce guidelines, that’s what’s bubbling mine. Cheers & merry Xmas!
Oh that sounds absolutely delightful. I might have to experiment with something like that once I get a bit more familiar with making this style. Cheers!
EU authentic produce guidelines
Would you share a link to this?
I think it has technically been repealed since 2008, but it’s here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3AC2001%2F125%2F03&from=EN
Normally you can find them on eAmbrosia
But this is the law that registered it, and you can see that it is “implicitly repealed”. I’m definitely not up for reading a bunch of laws to find out exactly why right now
More interestingly, here’s the description it has for making sahti:
Sahti is brewed by gradually adding water to the mixture of malt and cereals, starting at a temperature of around 40 C, which is increased to around 100 C by the time the last water is added. This is known as “mashing”, and in some places this phase also includes boiling the mash. The heating times vary from short to a thorough boiling. Next, the wort is separated by straining in a trough or vat, and hops may be added. Traditionally, juniper twigs and rye straw are used for straining the wort, which is then fermented into sahti using baker’s or harvested yeast. Top fermentation is used. The main fermentation takes around three days at room temperature or cooler, after which the sahti is kept cool for at least one week. The alcohol comes exclusively from the sugar in the malts and other cereals.
“Baker’s or harvested yeast” is presumably the relevant part here, as that seems to me to exclude cultivated brewing yeast. So on that basis I’ve done it wrong (and I plan to do some fining too, so doubly wrong), but since my stomach doesn’t know any better I think I’ll be safe from legal challenges
Impressive research there!
I also did some googling. The production of this particular yeast was sold off to Canadian company Lallemand in 2007. It is still made at the Polttimo facility in Lahti, Finland, where Viking Malt products are also made. And this is the actual product. I use half a pack (25 g) for 21 L of beverage.
There are Sahti brewing competitions locally and an annual Finnish championship too. To participate, one does not need to employ the traditional mashing procedure. I understand the yeast has got to be that particular stuff though. It gives the brew a banana-like sweetness.
