Belgian Golden Strong Ale - Page 2

jerryalan · 12-18-2008, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcb317

One thing i heard on JZs tripple show, i think, was that when you use a good amount of simple sugars, such as candi sugar or in my case table sugar, you want to add it during primary rather than during the boil. Yeast will want to take the easiest route to feed, so if you give them the easy stuff right away(the simple sugars) they will focus on that and leave the harder to break down sugars untouched. If i ever brew this or similar style again thats what I am going to do.

I'll have to remember that for next time. Thanks for the tip!

--
Jerry

lordbeermestrength · 12-18-2008, 04:27 PM

Really, your OG was a little high as well. I wouldn't go much above 1.08 on that style. It's better to have a slightly lower ABV with no residual sweetness than a higher one with a high FG. Adding sugar after a majority of your fermentation has completed is a good idea too.

menschmaschine · 12-18-2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordbeermestrength

Adding sugar after a majority of your fermentation has completed is a good idea too.

This has been said a couple times in this thread and, apparently, said or implied my Jamil, but Duvel (Moortgat) doesn't do this and they still get insane attenuation. They add dextrose to the boil kettle. So, aside from malts and mash schedules, there's got to be another way and my thinking is primarily increases in temperature during fermentation. (IIRC, they pitch around 62 or 64°F and raise it to ~82°F. It's finished primary in 5 days.)

dontman · 12-18-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by menschmaschine

This has been said a couple times in this thread and, apparently, said or implied my Jamil, but Duvel (Moortgat) doesn't do this and they still get insane attenuation. They add dextrose to the boil kettle. So, aside from malts and mash schedules, there's got to be another way and my thinking is primarily increases in temperature during fermentation. (IIRC, they pitch around 62 or 64°F and raise it to ~82°F. It's finished primary in 5 days.)

Duvel might not do it but still it remains a great way for the average homebrewer to manipulate FGs downward.

This also remains an option for anyone trying to get a few more points of attenuation. On occasion, I will pasteurize a pound of dextrose or honey and add it to the primary or even secondary to get another round of fermentation. Done carefully and judiciously it can do a great job of notching down the sweetness.

EDIT: I agree, though, that Duvel is accomplishing their attenuation through temp mods.

**Saccharomyces** · 12-18-2008, 06:49 PM

I bet their pitch rate is probably insane too, if you pitch a gallon of yeast it doesn't matter much what the gravity is, you will get very rapid attenuation...

jerryalan · 12-18-2008, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordbeermestrength

Adding sugar after a majority of your fermentation has completed is a good idea too.

Shouold I add some corn sugar to the secondary? And if so, how much?

--
Jerry

lordbeermestrength · 12-18-2008, 07:58 PM

for the style, anywhere from 10-20% of the total fermentables.

Harder for me to calculate if you are doing a partial mash... But for a 5 gal batch probably about 3 lbs...

EDIT: I should say that is TOTAL sugar. I would not add it to the seconday, just in the primary after your fermentation slows down a bit. Even then I'd only add about half to 2/3 of the total amount of sugar.

Speaking of temp control, do you have a way to slowly ramp the temp up? really more importantly than that you need to make sure you don't have any swings in temp. If you start ramping up, don't let it drop hard again.

**Malticulous** · 12-18-2008, 08:03 PM

I'm brewing one now. I going to add a pound of honey and a pound of candy sugar in primary at day three give it a few days then turn up the heat. I'll secondary it to clear it (adding sugar then would kind of defeat the purpose.) Mine is just 10 pounds pilsner. I'm using a decoction mash to try to get it as fermentabe as I can and the same yeast in a one gallon starter.

menschmaschine · 12-18-2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccharomyces

I bet their pitch rate is probably insane too, if you pitch a gallon of yeast it doesn't matter much what the gravity is, you will get very rapid attenuation...

If I remember BLAM correctly, I think it's actually lower than what most breweries do.

carnevoodoo · 12-18-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by menschmaschine

If I remember BLAM correctly, I think it's actually lower than what most breweries do.

They do underpitch a little. It helps to develop some of the esters they are looking for.

I just did a golden strong using the Golden Ale from White Labs and it went from 1.088 to 1.007. I added the sugar during the boil, and I just used simple table sugar. I believe the rest of the grain bill was just base malt and some munich.

The temp started at 68, I let it rise to 74 after a few days and it never went much higher.

I think my mash temp was 148. In fact, I can't imagine it could have been anything else.