Kveik: a curious microorganism and your beer ready in 7 days.
If I told you that there are yeasts that produce beer in seven days, with a tenth of the dose, without needing a refrigerator, would you believe me? It may seem like a miracle, but they exist! They are the Kveik. How about we get to know each other a little better?
Traditional European beers
Europe was the birthplace of farmhouse ales, Viking heritage recipes made in a very rustic way and traditionally kept by peasant families.
In particular, Norway and neighboring countries carried out this process using water infused with juniper branches for the mash, for long periods of time. The yeasts – Kveik, in the native language – were inoculated while the must was still hot and fermented it in a very short time.
Counting on inhospitable geographical characteristics, there was little introduction of microorganisms in the region, so the same strain was selected and reproduced, depending on the best result in beer.
This process aroused the interest of researcher Lars Marius Garshol, who in the 2000s intensified his research with producers in the region, not letting this important biological material perish.
How do they work?
They are a line of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with a profile similar to the common ones. The production process follows the standard, only the source and quantity of inoculum changes, and only a tenth of the dosage can be used without causing problems to the process.
As for temperature, due to adaptation to the selection pressures imposed by the climate and producers, this is a yeast that can act in an approximate range of 15 °C to 40 °C. Furthermore, it requires almost no maturation period, which means that the entire process can take place at room temperature, excluding refrigerators from the equation.
With so many positive characteristics, will they really not have an unpleasant result? On the contrary!
In Brazil, breweries and home producers are achieving surprising results with this material, whether due to a sensorial profile that suits the chosen style or because it innovates, moving away from BJCP. The demand has become so significant that it has caught the attention of most laboratories, which already produce them on a large scale.
I also highlight that even in adverse conditions, it is not common for them to release many off flavors, the aromas and flavors that are harmful to their style or to beers in general. Even with esters in large quantities, the solvent aroma, for example, may be rare.
It is worth remembering that there are many types of Kveik, capable of bringing different aromas and flavors, which makes it very important to compare its characteristics with those of the chosen style. For those that are very hoppy, it may be difficult to maintain their aromas, so dry-hopping is recommended.
With so much to offer, I confess that I have already ordered mine for the next brewing.
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