Sounds like a pretty normal starter to me. I've had them foam a little and look like nothing too special. I wouldn't worry unless you've got nothing on top and no "beer smell" coming from your starter. Also, depending on how much yeast you harvested, it could take a while to really kick off. I typically use as many as I can to get a starter going when I harvest. A single beer usually has very few active yeast and can take some time... Foaming means something is going on so give it a day or 2.
Sounds like a pretty normal starter to me. I've had them foam a little and look like nothing too special. I wouldn't worry unless you've got nothing on top and no "beer smell" coming from your starter. Also, depending on how much yeast you harvested, it could take a while to really kick off. I typically use as many as I can to get a starter going when I harvest. A single beer usually has very few active yeast and can take some time... Foaming means something is going on so give it a day or 2.
There was decent foam before I stepped it up, now there isn't much going on. Maybe it finished and I didn't even noticed.
i wonder if I should taste it and see if it is attenuated at all?
I used the sediment from three bottles of Chimay so there is a decent amount of yeast cells in there.
It will probably take about 1 to 1.5 days unless you really have a good starter before you notice much. I tend to do 2L starters and they can take from a few hours to nearly a day... On a side note, if you didn't start your starter recently, there's a good chance it didn't finish. I tend to start mine 4 or 5 days to well over a week ahead of time. If I'm using a freshly harvested yeast, I'll double that, minimum.
It will probably take about 1 to 1.5 days unless you really have a good starter before you notice much. I tend to do 2L starters and they can take from a few hours to nearly a day... On a side note, if you didn't start your starter recently, there's a good chance it didn't finish. I tend to start mine 4 or 5 days to well over a week ahead of time. If I'm using a freshly harvested yeast, I'll double that, minimum.
Well, the stepped up starter is now churning exactly like a mini fermentation! Awesome.
I started this one on Friday, so it is 4 days old. I am brewing tonight so I am going to pitch the actively fermenting stepped up starter in it's entirety into my brew. My experience has shown that actively fermenting starters usually start the primary fermentation fast. We'll see what happens.
I am excited about this recipe, it should give me a nice, pale, spicy/citrus belgian style ale. There is no doubt in my mind that the yeast is going to work by the looks of my starter.
My plans are as follows. I will bottle this brew after 3 weeks in primary and bottle condition it. I am going to wash the yeast, but save an extra large washed slurry to use for a 1.080 OG tripel that I am planning. Likely 16 pounds of pilsen, 1 # carapils and 2# clear candi sugar...or something along those lines.
The chimay was my first taste of trappist ales...I am fascinated at this point.
Glad things are working out. And I hope the ferment goes well. Just keep a handle on the temps and keep them in the upper 60s and you'll be fine. Personally, I'd probably only let it sit about a week to maybe two after fermentation. You don't have a huge SG so you shouldn't need a heck of a lot of extra time.
I've had all the Trappists other than Westy. I like them all pretty well and they all bring something a little different to the table. Try an Orval if you haven't already as it is the most unique, at least to me. And, if you haven't gotten your feet wet with Belgians yet, you're in for a treat!
I'd not worry too much about clear candi sugar. It's basically the same thing as regular sugar. The acidic wort will invert it for you. If you've got a mind to, you can make clear invert sugar yourself... Your recipe looks fine to me. I'd probably just go with 16 lbs of pilsner, 2 lbs of sugar, 1lb of light (as in SRM 8 or so) homemade invert sugar (both added at the end of the boil). But, if you have carapils on hand, go with it, you won't regret it.
Glad things are working out. And I hope the ferment goes well. Just keep a handle on the temps and keep them in the upper 60s and you'll be fine. Personally, I'd probably only let it sit about a week to maybe two after fermentation. You don't have a huge SG so you shouldn't need a heck of a lot of extra time.
I've had all the Trappists other than Westy. I like them all pretty well and they all bring something a little different to the table. Try an Orval if you haven't already as it is the most unique, at least to me. And, if you haven't gotten your feet wet with Belgians yet, you're in for a treat!
I'd not worry too much about clear candi sugar. It's basically the same thing as regular sugar. The acidic wort will invert it for you. If you've got a mind to, you can make clear invert sugar yourself... Your recipe looks fine to me. I'd probably just go with 16 lbs of pilsner, 2 lbs of sugar, 1lb of light (as in SRM 8 or so) homemade invert sugar (both added at the end of the boil). But, if you have carapils on hand, go with it, you won't regret it.
Again, good luck!
Man, you sure know about belgian beer! I will try an orval for sure. I wonder if I can harvest yeast from that as well. I personally preferred the chimay tripel, but the grand reserve was awesome too....they were all great. I think the secondary ferment in bottle gives them a silky carbonation and mouthfeel.
I have been making my own inverted sugar with citric acid, table sugar and water. I made a dark one that I cooked at 165 degrees for 3 hours before bringing it up to hard crack. I put 2 pounds of this in a barley wine after 5 days of fermentation recently. I also make clear candi, I just bring it up to hard crack and cool it.
Man, I can't wait to start making the heavy gravity belgian ales, I hope this yeast is OK..if so I will be a happy guy!
Est Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG Measured Final Gravity: ??
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.67 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.69 %
Bitterness: 28.2 IBU Calories: 202 cal/pint
Est Color: 3.2 SRM
If this isn't highly drinkable I will be suprised!
Man, you sure know about belgian beer! I will try an orval for sure.
My son has been dutifully studying Belgians one beer at a time. He has yet to find anything he prefers to Rochefort 10. Like all clones, I've seen recipes all over the map on it. Some seem to be overly complex by may still arrive at the right taste.
My son has been dutifully studying Belgians one beer at a time. He has yet to find anything he prefers to Rochefort 10. Like all clones, I've seen recipes all over the map on it. Some seem to be overly complex by may still arrive at the right taste.
Well now I have to find the Rochefort 10 at my beer outlet this weekend. I have had a lot of ales in my day, and having a true trappist ale really blew me away.
I know what I brewed tonight is certainly not traditional in any sense, but it's main goal was to get a healthy yeast cake to wash..so I can capture 7-10 jars of yeast......and use the rest to pitch a tripel on! I should know within a day or two if this thing is going to ferment...but when you pitch an actively fermenting starter into the beer...your odds of something happening are very good.
The starter was at 70 degrees and so was the wort when I pitched....perfecto! Time to sit back and enjoy a kolsch
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