Wyeast 3864 Canadian/Belgian ale

I picked up a pack of this to make Trois Pistoles from Beer Captured. Anybody have any other clone recipes that they have used this strain with?

Has anybody used this yeast before? I brewed a Trois Pistoles on Nov 21 and I'm still getting a small bit of fermentation activity in the airlock - I thought it would have been done by now. I pitched a 3 liter starter and the temp is in the mid 70s.

Have not brewed this, but the guy seems good:
http://stoutguy.com/beer/recipes/Transumptum_Acerbus.html
I don't think its a clone of anything, but looks like a good brew.

That does look interesting. Thanks!!

This yeast is irritating. I brewed Three Pistoles on November 21, and it still seems to be fermenting. It's been in the carboy in a cool basement (55-60 f), and I am getting a slight trail of bubbles, enough to see one layer on the top of the beer around the edges.

I racked to my keg, and have some leftovers I am tasting. I put some in a small Bodum tea cup, and after I got around to have a taste, the entire surface of the cup is covered in bubbles!! WTF is up with that? I finished the third week of fermenting at 80+ degrees...

My White Labs Edinburgh is doing the same thing in my Scottish 80/-. It's been 14 days, and it's still at 1020 instead of 1010. I've peeked every 2 days and the krausen still hasn't dropped, even if I disturb it with a sanitized spoon, it re-forms within 10 minutes. Room temps are 67-68, so internal temp shouldn't be more than about 71F. Needs to hurry up, the bugger, because I gotta bottle this for a competition, or at very least keg it and force carb. Rrrrr.

Given, 14 days and 6 weeks are a big difference. But I'm just sayin, I feel your pain.

mr x said:

This yeast is irritating. I brewed Three Pistoles on November 21, and it still seems to be fermenting. It's been in the carboy in a cool basement (55-60 f), and I am getting a slight trail of bubbles, enough to see one layer on the top of the beer around the edges.

I racked to my keg, and have some leftovers I am tasting. I put some in a small Bodum tea cup, and after I got around to have a taste, the entire surface of the cup is covered in bubbles!! WTF is up with that? I finished the third week of fermenting at 80+ degrees...

Click to expand...

Just read this post because of the freakiness of VSS 3864 Belgain Canadian in my last batch (a Belgian IPA). I put this batch in the secondary after 14 days, and the bugger bubbled away just like this for me too.

When I noticed this (day 3 in the secondary), I opened the air lock and got the rankest whiff- imaginable--thought the brew was infected with the same mold that destroyed another batch this summer.

I was too lazy and sad to pitch the batch for another week (as it slowly bubbled away every day!). But when I finally got the courage to throw it out, I took a quick whiff (then a taste), and was surprised to see the batch was actually fine. Just some strange behavior by this yeast. I transferred the batch to a keg to condition till at least summer, but I now have some high hopes.

Anyway, I almost tossed a $$$$ and difficult beer to brew because this yeast acted so freaky. Moral of the story is always prepare for the unexpected, especially with a new, uncharted yeast.

Yeah, I noticed on the Wyeast site that they list at least one of their Belgian strains (1388) as continuing to release CO2:

'May continue to produce CO2 for an extended period after packaging or collection, while in refrigerated storage.'

I wonder if this strain has those same properties? I'm letting mine condition for a while as well, so I hope it's good.

Thanks X. One more quick question--Did you notice any foul smell with 3864, like I had mentioned. That's what really freaked me out, coupled with the continued bubbling.

I've brewed a few Octoberfests that left the lager fridge with some serious stank, but this latest batch with 3864 could clear out a room with the smell. I honestly thought nothing that smelled that bad could not have spoiled, especially since this wasn't a lager strain.

I didn't really notice any odd/bad smell, but I don't have the best nose either.

I just picked up a package of this yeast strain last week. My intention was to clone one of my favorite Belgian beers, La Fin Du Monde. The yeast package (WY3864) had a date 10-17-2012 on the front and said best if used before 6 months of purchase. So I understand by using it 4 months after creation it isn't exactly "fresh yeast." So because of the fact that what I'm making has such a high original gravity (~1.080) I have made a starter. One thing I did notice while making the starter was initial foul smell of the yeast. When I first opened the bag I was a little disturbed. So I went ahead and created the starter in a half gallon growler. When I checked back in the morning, it seemed like fermentation hasn't even occurred yet. No bubbles forming, just a dark tan lining of what appears to be yeast at the bottom. Same foul smell as before, so I am a little concerned about this batch. Ingredients are a little costly here so I don't want to ruin the batch by pitching dead yeast. Any suggestions?

let me know as I found a pack in the fridge dated 2/10/2009

TD

I brewed a Maudite clone 3 weeks ago (OG 1.080). It fermented like crazy for 10 days at 74 deg.F (glad I used a blow off tube) and then just stopped. Gravity was 1.044 & tasted very close to Maudite, but too sweet with no foul odor. I racked to secondary and it did nothing for 3 days. On 4th day, 1.5" of new Kreusen & burps every 5 seconds and still going strong...I thought it had an infection until I read this thread. I'll test it tomorrow & post results.

At 1.044 your brew was not finished. I would have left it in primary another week or so. It is a good thing you have new activity in the secondary. Sounds like fermentation kicked in again.

sghead... I knew it wasn't finished at 1.044. I don't like to keep beer in primary after activity stops.

Gravity is now 1.030, 6.56 abv. no off flavors. Alcohol is becoming apparent. It should finish at 1.017 (I hope). I'll cold crash for 2 days & filter it (medium) as it fills the bottling bucket. I'll update on any problems/success.

MoreBeer.com may have a few packs left in their Cal store, mfg 3/14/14.