belgian trippel not finishing out

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jedheuer

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Hey guys,

I made a belgian trippel using Jamils recipe in Brewin Classic Styles. Mashed at 149 for 90 mins. I oxygenated the wort at 1L per minute for about a minute and pitched an appropriate starter of white labs 530 at 64 and let rise to 70 over about 4 days, then left it there for another for a total of about 16 days. I went to keg it today and found the gravity to be at 1030. So i have a couple questions:

1) How long do your high gravity belgians take to finish out? did i pull it out of the fermentor too soon?

2)What can i do for this beer? I racked it to secondary now. Is there enough yeast in suspension to keep fermentation going? or is this a stuck fermentation situation?

3) What can i do to get my belgians to dry out? I have no trouble with 001 and 002 and usually hit my final gravity dead on.

Thanks for the replies.
 
Hi,

If your O.G. was above 1.070, you may have underpitched your yeast. I think that your fermentation temps are ok. When you racked into secondary, did you taste it? If so did it taste ok? If not it could be infected. If so you can try adding yeast nutrient or yeast energizer to help get those yeasts going again. You can pitch another vial of yeast. High gravity beers can sometimes take a little longer to finish at 1.012 or lower. Hope it works out for you.

Cheers
Kev
 
I did taste it and it was very sweet still. Tastes clean though so i dont think its infected at all. I dont think i under pitched as i used the yeast calculator to make an approriate starter. I will check it out and maybe repitch another vial.

thanks for the reply!
 
I did taste it and it was very sweet still. Tastes clean though so i dont think its infected at all. I dont think i under pitched as i used the yeast calculator to make an approriate starter. I will check it out and maybe repitch another vial.

thanks for the reply!
 
I am in this exact situation except my gravity on transfer was 1.040. I got fermentation started again and I am not sure if it will finish it out to the 1.01x it is supposed to end at but here is what I did: I stirred the existing yeast back into suspension during the transfer. Then I bought some WLP545 (I used the belgian ale yeast originally) which is the belgian high grav yeast and made a small starter. I then added the yeast starter and some yeast nutrient (only 1t) to the overall beer. 4 or 5 hours later a new krausen had formed and I've got consistent bubbles through the airlock. I will report back soon when I do my follow up gravity reading.
 
You should have skipped the secondary. No reason to secondary for that beer. It *could* have been the problem that stalled your fermentation since you took a high gravity beer away from most of the yeast. The rest of the yeast may have been too stressed to finish the job.

You can make a pint starter and pitch it at like 8-12 hours when it's peaking in activity and you should have it finish up some more. Next time don't mess with a secondary unless you are oaking, fruiting, or souring.
 
So I did my reading yesterday and to my misery: 1.030. I have been trying to keep it at 72F to see if that finishes it out. Myabe I'll add some more nutrient in a day or so.

IL1kebeer said:
You should have skipped the secondary. No reason to secondary for that beer. It *could* have been the problem that stalled your fermentation since you took a high gravity beer away from most of the yeast. The rest of the yeast may have been too stressed to finish the job.
Click to expand...

I know this is a polarizing debate but as someone who does not filter their beers, secondary is the only way to get a semi-clear beer. If you stir up the yeast during the transfer (which I did, although I can't remember if the OP did), you are bringing the yeast with the beer to secondary so this wouldn't be the issue. My beer has been in fermentation for about a month now which is too long to be in one container with the trub and all. Each beer is different but I do a lot of Belgians and the strong Belgians need time, which needs a secondary.
 
WissaBrewGuy said:
So I did my reading yesterday and to my misery: 1.030. I have been trying to keep it at 72F to see if that finishes it out. Myabe I'll add some more nutrient in a day or so.



I know this is a polarizing debate but as someone who does not filter their beers, secondary is the only way to get a semi-clear beer. If you stir up the yeast during the transfer (which I did, although I can't remember if the OP did), you are bringing the yeast with the beer to secondary so this wouldn't be the issue. My beer has been in fermentation for about a month now which is too long to be in one container with the trub and all. Each beer is different but I do a lot of Belgians and the strong Belgians need time, which needs a secondary.
Click to expand...

Nope and nope. If your sanitation is good there is no reason your beer can't spend months in the primary fermenter. Lots of people have done that with no problems.

Are you ready yet to boost the temperature like I suggested earlier? Some Belgian strains like the mid 80's. Wyeast 3944 likes it up to near 90 to finish.
 
Like I said this is a debatable issue but I am not worried about sanitation but off flavors that come from trub over a long period of time. Many books mention this and since you are obviously an experienced brewer you know that off-flavors from autolysis can happen but since the jury isn't out on whether or not it really matters many people have done away with secondary fermentation. For me I have more 5gal carboys than 6.5gal buckets and on top of the autolysis, I just brew too much beer not to use the 5gal carboys for the purpose of freeing up a fermenter. You are right in terms of the temps. I am ramping up the temp even more as I type.
 
WissaBrewGuy said:
I know this is a polarizing debate but as someone who does not filter their beers, secondary is the only way to get a semi-clear beer
Click to expand...

That's strange because I don't secondary or filter and my beers are clear as day. Maybe I'm doing something wrong -.-

WissaBrewGuy said:
If you stir up the yeast during the transfer (which I did, although I can't remember if the OP did), you are bringing the yeast with the beer to secondary so this wouldn't be the issue
Click to expand...

You are bringing a small fraction of the yeast. If your fermentation wasn't conducted properly then your newly downsized yeast are stressed. This will you lead to attenuation and off flavor problems.

WissaBrewGuy said:
Each beer is different but I do a lot of Belgians and the strong Belgians need time, which needs a secondary.
Click to expand...

Absolutely false. Once the yeast have finished then you aren't getting any sort of magical conditioning from keeping it in a secondary. When they are done then they are done. Period. And for most ales "done" is in 8-14 days unless you screwed up or are doing an extremely big beer. By extremely big I mean over 1.090 because I can get a 1.082 done at 1.012 in 14 days and then it's on to the keg. When the yeast are done all of the reactions that you will get in the secondary will also be achieved in a bottle or a keg by aging/cold conditioning.
 
jedheuer said:
3) What can i do to get my belgians to dry out? I have no trouble with 001 and 002 and usually hit my final gravity dead on. Thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...

Next time Try brewing with belgian candi sugar. Easy fermentables and it can also bring out the wonderful esters belgian yeasts produce.
 
IL1kebeer said:
That's strange because I don't secondary or filter and my beers are clear as day. Maybe I'm doing something wrong -.-



You are bringing a small fraction of the yeast. If your fermentation wasn't conducted properly then your newly downsized yeast are stressed. This will you lead to attenuation and off flavor problems.



Absolutely false. Once the yeast have finished then you aren't getting any sort of magical conditioning from keeping it in a secondary. When they are done then they are done. Period. And for most ales "done" is in 8-14 days unless you screwed up or are doing an extremely big beer. By extremely big I mean over 1.090 because I can get a 1.082 done at 1.012 in 14 days and then it's on to the keg. When the yeast are done all of the reactions that you will get in the secondary will also be achieved in a bottle or a keg by aging/cold conditioning.
Click to expand...

Thats good! how long do you wait to clarify? I would like to clarify more in the bottle but I find that I waste too much beer in the bottle due to sediment. Do you clarify mostly in primary?

I have never had a problem with stressed yeast as I take care of them very well. This is the first beer of many that I have had this issue. You are right, stressed yeast=off flavors.

I think you misinterpreted my statement. What you have said here is absolutely correct. The secondary for me, since I don't keg, is so I can get more out of each bottle and like I said earlier, free up a fermenter.

I'm sorry I got this thread off topic with secondary blabber. Lets just get the OP's beer finished ok?!
 
WissaBrewGuy said:
Thats good! how long do you wait to clarify? I would like to clarify more in the bottle but I find that I waste too much beer in the bottle due to sediment. Do you clarify mostly in primary?
Click to expand...

I primary for 10-14 days depending on the beer and cold condition in the keg until its carbbed. First couple of pints are cloudy but its clear after about week in the keg cold. Cold conditioning in the bottle should yield similar results with a good pour. Of course this all depends on the yeast strain too.
 

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