Belgian Tripel stalled at 1.030.

Here's the deal:

Brewed Belgian Tripel extract kit. OG of 1.086. Hydrometer reading @week 3 is almost 1.030--well above the target of 1.015.

I recently pitched a starter of S-33 (Saturday afternoon); I'm not noticing activity in the fermenter. The temp @ time of pitching was 66.

This morning I moved it on top of a heat vent, and the temp is around 72.

What more do I need to do to save this beer?

At this point with the alcohol in the beer you will have a difficult time with restarting. My suggestion is to make a 2 litre starter and pitch it at its peak of activity with yeast energizer. That might give them enough energy to get the job finished.

Jeepaholic said:

At this point with the alcohol in the beer you will have a difficult time with restarting. My suggestion is to make a 2 litre starter and pitch it at its peak of activity with yeast energizer. That might give them enough energy to get the job finished.

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Could I attempt to pull yeast from the bottom to create the starter? Or do I need to just go get a new packet (local homebrew store doesn't sell liquid)?

I've racked on top of WLP099 and had good success.

You could try and create a starter using the yeast from the bottom and repitch to see if you can get it going again. Belgian yeast are pretty alcohol tolerant so you might have a chance. Keep the temps in the low to mid 70's or even higher at this point. Were there a lot of temperature fluctuations during fermentation? How were you managing your temps? Did you let it rise above 66 or did you hold steady. I have never had any problems with stalling but I have read that if you try and cool a rapidly rising Belgian strain they could easily stall.

PaulVikingAles said:

You could try and create a starter using the yeast from the bottom and repitch to see if you can get it going again. Belgian yeast are pretty alcohol tolerant so you might have a chance. Keep the temps in the low to mid 70's or even higher at this point. Were there a lot of temperature fluctuations during fermentation? How were you managing your temps? Did you let it rise above 66 or did you hold steady. I have never had any problems with stalling but I have read that if you try and cool a rapidly rising Belgian strain they could easily stall.

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I keep my fermenters in a closet; it got as low as 59 on the fermometer during a cold spell; otherwise, it's been in the low 60's with low variation.

I now have it perched over a heating vent and it's in the upper 70's (currently 79).

Interested to see what happens. Keep us posted. If you had a cold spell during fermentation then that is most likely the cause of your stalled fermentation. Belgians tend to stall if there is a drop in temperature. They prefer a steady or rising temp

I just checked the SG; it's still 1.025 or so. Very little change over the last week. Should I do the "nuclear option" and pitch champagne yeast?

JaySherman said:

I just checked the SG; it's still 1.025 or so. Very little change over the last week. Should I do the "nuclear option" and pitch champagne yeast?

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Champagne yeast isn't the nuclear option. Wyeast 3711 is the nuclear option. It sounds like it's still dropping. I'd keep it warm and gently rouse. You don't have too terribly far to go.

I keep my fermenters in a closet; it got as low as 59 on the fermometer during a cold spell

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That is your problem right there. If a Belgian yeast gets too cool fermentation jsut stops.

Chris White of White Labs talks about Belgian yeasts.

I am quoting from memory so it may be a little off but close.

"If you cool a Belgian yeast, it just stops. The yeast goes into survial mode. You can warm it up, rouse the yeast but it will not start again. You just have to add new yeast."

Wyeast 3711 is the nuclear option.

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3711 will ferment anything. If you take to long stirring it it might just start to try to ferment the spoon.

Looks like this same thing happened to me. I posted this yesterday with no replies, but seems like I'm in the same boat:

Brewed the Houblonmonstre Tripel IPA extract kit from Northern Brewer three weeks ago. The only difference was that I used WLP510 Belgian Bastogne Ale Yeast instead of the kit's Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes. Made a 1L starter 24 hours ahead of time, pitched right around 66F, and had the carboy in a room with a temp that varied between 60 and 70F. (I will admit that I definitely did not aerate enough.) I had a blow-off tube, and for the the first week, the sanitized water at the end of it was going like mad, and the carboy was sporting the best looking krausen I had ever seen. Measured OG was 1.082. I took a reading today (1st one) and was bummed to see it was only down to 1.036. And when I tasted it before taking the reading, I noticed that it was way too sweet.

The room temp where the carboy is probably got down to 60 around 5 times over the course of the three weeks. Think that was what stalled it?

I have some washed 3711 from a couple months ago. Should I whip up a starter and pitch it?

The room temp where the carboy is probably got down to 60 around 5 times over the course of the three weeks. Think that was what stalled it?

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That is most likely your problem. Once fermentation slows and is not producing heat then the temp drop will cause the brew to get too cold. Dropping the temp during a fermentation, before final gravity is reached is not good for most yeasts, but pretty much guarantees a stuck fermentation with Belgian yeasts. Temp control when brewing Belgians is critical.

You can try the 3711. I have never had a stuck fermentation, but have used 3711 a lot and it is a beast. Even Wyeast suggests it for re-starting a stuck fermentation. MAke a starter and pitch it at high krausen, and it should help get things going again. And remember to keep the temp up.

Brewing Belgians takes a little more attention to details, the main one being temp control, but also pitching enough healthy yeast and aerating the wort properly go a long way to getting good results. If you notice the number of threads about stuck fermentations lately, most of them are about Belgin brews.

Thanks, beergolf. Yeah, this is my first Belgian, which is probably pretty obvious. I think this weekend I will invest in a carboy tub, aquarium heater, and some good, old-fashioned water. I've read this method works pretty well in the absence of a ferm fridge/chamber. Thoughts (anyone) on that?

Another question: should I also invest in aeration equipment? Well, let me rephrase: I WILL definitely do so before my next brew day, but should I do it for this batch? Should I try to aerate the partially fermented wort before pitching the 3711? Or will this wreck havoc due to oxygenation, and should I just pitch the 3711 at high krausen?

Note: Be prepared that 3711 will likely dry the bejeesus out of your beer. My stalled beer at 1.040 finished at 1.002 with a starter of 3711.

pabloj13 said:

Note: Be prepared that 3711 will likely dry the bejeesus out of your beer. My stalled beer at 1.040 finished at 1.002 with a starter of 3711.

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Sounds good to me! That's what I'm hoping for.

I've never repitched before. Is there any trick to it? Or is it as simple as making a good starter and pouring it in?

ngunsch said:

Sounds good to me! That's what I'm hoping for.

I've never repitched before. Is there any trick to it? Or is it as simple as making a good starter and pouring it in?

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Just make a good starter and pitch at high krausen. 3711 is a damned monster. It will not stop. Don't let any kids or pets near the fermenter lest they be consumed too.

Giddy up. Thanks. That's just what I'll do.

Cheers!

ngunsch said:

Thanks, beergolf. Yeah, this is my first Belgian, which is probably pretty obvious. I think this weekend I will invest in a carboy tub, aquarium heater, and some good, old-fashioned water. I've read this method works pretty well in the absence of a ferm fridge/chamber. Thoughts (anyone) on that?

Another question: should I also invest in aeration equipment? Well, let me rephrase: I WILL definitely do so before my next brew day, but should I do it for this batch? Should I try to aerate the partially fermented wort before pitching the 3711? Or will this wreck havoc due to oxygenation, and should I just pitch the 3711 at high krausen?

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You're past the point of aerating, it's called oxygenation at this point. Don't do it!

I think that I will end up pitching a new starter of S-33. I cannot get access to liquid yeast (LHBS carries only dry).

JaySherman said:

I think that I will end up pitching a new starter of S-33. I cannot get access to liquid yeast (LHBS carries only dry).

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What is the gravity now?

I'm hijacking this a little to ask about aging a Belgian. I started a dubbel on 1/5. The original gravity was 1076. Used White Trappist Ale yeast. I let the fermentation go wild in a 62 degree room. As it cooled down I warmed it to 66 with a heating pad. It never got below that temp. It stayed in the fermenter for 35 days (final gravity 1012) then kegged for 15 days before I had some friends taste it (I'm on a cleanse so no beer for another week - that's another topic)

Anyway, my esteemed tasters gave it a thumbs down. Too fruity, too sweet, too wild. I can't wait to taste it myself but I'm scared (one of my tasters is a Belgian snob)


So - my descriptions are vague but is this beer too young to evaluate? How long would you let a dubbel age before expecting decent flavor?

pabloj13 said:

What is the gravity now?

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It's stuck around 1.025. Haven't seen it dip any in the last 2 weeks or so.

ngunsch said:

Looks like this same thing happened to me. I posted this yesterday with no replies, but seems like I'm in the same boat:

Brewed the Houblonmonstre Tripel IPA extract kit from Northern Brewer three weeks ago. The only difference was that I used WLP510 Belgian Bastogne Ale Yeast instead of the kit's Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes. Made a 1L starter 24 hours ahead of time, pitched right around 66F, and had the carboy in a room with a temp that varied between 60 and 70F. (I will admit that I definitely did not aerate enough.) I had a blow-off tube, and for the the first week, the sanitized water at the end of it was going like mad, and the carboy was sporting the best looking krausen I had ever seen. Measured OG was 1.082. I took a reading today (1st one) and was bummed to see it was only down to 1.036. And when I tasted it before taking the reading, I noticed that it was way too sweet.

The room temp where the carboy is probably got down to 60 around 5 times over the course of the three weeks. Think that was what stalled it?

I have some washed 3711 from a couple months ago. Should I whip up a starter and pitch it?

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Thought I'd give an update on my stalled Belgian. After all the great advice I got from you guys, here's what I did:

Ended up rigging a beerquarium (as SWMBO calls it) with a rubbermaid bin, water, and an aquarium heater. Put the stalled carboy in there and let it heat up slowly for a day or two. Water temp around it was/is still holding steady in the mid-to-high 70s.

Made a starter of 3711 from a washed batch from a few months ago. Pitched about 24 hours later into the stalled beer. (I only used part of the washed yeast batch, and I don't have a stir plate, so I probably ended up underpitching, but still . . .)

After a week, gravity came down from 1.036 to 1.019.
Another week, gravity is down to 1.015. Just took the reading this morning.
Oh, and it is also delicious. It's gonna make a superb beer for the steamy Baltimore summers. And it's gonna be packing a punch at almost 9%. Will have to remember to switch to Kolsch (brewing next weekend) or the hefe (currently carbing) after downing one of these. But I digress.

My question is this: What to do now? This beer tastes pretty damn good as it is, and I was hoping to bottle next weekend. What if the 3711 is still going? Should I take it out of the beerquarium and "cold crash" in my 60-degree basement?

Any advice on next steps would be much appreciated. I am super pumped to have saved this beer (with all your help) and want to make sure I finish the job properly.

Cheers!

You really have two options. If you like the way it tastes, you can bottle it now. BUT you have to monitor the carbonation and stovetop pasteurize and or chill the entire batch once it's carbed to avoid bottle bombs. There's a nice thread on that here. The other option is to let it ride. But 3711 is a damned monster. It will dry the hell out of that beer if it can. Mine dropped to 1.002. The one thing that is NOT an option is to cold crash it. All that is going to do is make the yeast go to sleep and as soon as you warm the bottles, they will wake up and potentially overcarb/bottle bomb.

pabloj13 said:

You really have two options. If you like the way it tastes, you can bottle it now. BUT you have to monitor the carbonation and stovetop pasteurize and or chill the entire batch once it's carbed to avoid bottle bombs. There's a nice thread on that here. The other option is to let it ride. But 3711 is a damned monster. It will dry the hell out of that beer if it can. Mine dropped to 1.002. The one thing that is NOT an option is to cold crash it. All that is going to do is make the yeast go to sleep and as soon as you warm the bottles, they will wake up and potentially overcarb/bottle bomb.

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This sounds like the best advice.
Don't forget, after bottling carbonation may happen relatively fast (as fast as a few days even) as 3711 keeps attenuating trying to knock off more points. If you have the feeling it is where it should be, then follow pabloj's directions.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm gonna wait it out. It DOES taste good right now, but perhaps it will be even better with a drier profile. Here's to patience. Cheers!

ngunsch said:

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm gonna wait it out. It DOES taste good right now, but perhaps it will be even better with a drier profile. Here's to patience. Cheers!

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Cheers to that!

I'm currently in the same boat. One week today on BB Belgian Tripel kit. OG was 1.086 and today it is a at 1.030. Never had any airlock activity, which I contribute to a leaking primary top. Consistant temperature in the fermenter was 64* - 66*F. Put the primary in a Rubbermaid container with water and aquarium heater and set it for 75*. Gave the bucket a little aggitation and now have some decent air lock activity. Gonna give it another week to see what happens.

mblanks2 said:

I'm currently in the same boat. One week today on BB Belgian Tripel kit. OG was 1.086 and today it is a at 1.030. Never had any airlock activity, which I contribute to a leaking primary top. Consistant temperature in the fermenter was 64* - 66*F. Put the primary in a Rubbermaid container with water and aquarium heater and set it for 75*. Gave the bucket a little aggitation and now have some decent air lock activity. Gonna give it another week to see what happens.

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That's not really the same boat. It's only been a week. Give it time

Quick update:

I ordered a 3711 from a HBS 70 miles away...it was in my mail in 1 day.

Built a starter, gave it a few days. When I pitched, we were stuck at 1.025...as of Saturday it was down to 1.015. The fermentor is in the low 80 degree mark, the taste is off what it was (all I had was amber DME for a starter, should have used light oh well) but screw it, this beer WILL be done.

To any of y'all out there still following this thread, thought I'd give an update.

Due to life -- and being a bit too slow moving on some "free" weekends -- I never got around to bottling my Belgian (to which I added 3711 to help it along after it had stopped at 1.036) -- until yesterday. Two months later, and it finally finished at 1.008. Boom. Tastes delish. And the thimble-sized amount I sipped gave me a buzz. It's about 9.6%, so I'm going to have to warn people before this one. But man does it taste wonderful. The 3711 certainly did the trick. Thanks for all of your help.

Currently making a sour dough with some harvested 3711. I'll also let you know how that goes.

Cheers!

Final Update!

I bottled the Tripel yesterday. 3711 got it down to a final gravity of 1.009~1.010. That means that it is currently 10.1% ABV.

I added the 5 ounces of sugar--even though it was about 1/2 a gallon short. Here's to hoping that it isn't a bottle bomb!