tripel wyeast 3787 sleeping

I brewed a belgian tripel last night. I got the wort to 75 degrees quickly. And after pouring into my fermenter and getting air circulated in i pitched my wyeast 3787. No i know there would be not activity yet, but my question to you all is that though the wyeast bag says it is good for direct pitch into 5 gals of beer at 1.060 do you think it will be a real big issue that i pitched one with no starter into a 5 gal batch of 1.070? Or will it just struggle to get going? Thank you

underground and under the influence

It may start slow but that yeast will just chug away. You did underpitch but should be fine. It may take some time to mellow out. Leave it for a good 4-6 weeks to give it time to finish. Many Belgian yeasts can take a long time to get the last few points down.

I had a brew that I did with 3787 that showed active fermentation for 3 full weeks. It was about 1.067 when I pitched, then I added more sugar after about 5 days and it came out fine.

That being said you are better off making a starter.

Leave it in the primary for 6 weeks?

underground and under the influence

Since I have started leaving my Belgians in the fermenter for longer they condition faster. So yes, 4-6 weeks. After you bottle them leave for a good long time too. They will just get better with age.

I have an extra fermenter for doing Belgians(and other big beers) that require more time. That way I can leave them for longer times and not mess up my pipeline.

Here is a quote from Brew Like a Monk.....

"Let the fermentation finish, perhaps at a higher temperature. It may take as long to get the last few points of attenuation as it did for the first 80%"

If you like Belgian beers BLAM is a great read with lots of good tips for brewing them.

Buying it today

underground and under the influence

Since it's a belgian, I think you will be okay. You will have some by-products from your underpitch and higher than desired pitching temp. I agree with above and maybe leave that beer on primary yeast for 5 weeks or so. Then either secondary for anyother 6 weeks, or bottle condition for quite awhile.

In the future I would make a large starter for any beer bigger than 1.06. Mr Malty app has the recommended pitching rates.

That much under pitching and at 75? Honestly, be prepared for some intense fusel alcohols.

You should have been pitching at least two or three packs for something at 1.070. Even then two is on the border of the lower side.

Nooooooooooo!

underground and under the influence

Its at 70 now. Two day in.. I pitched two more bags.. Terrible idea?!

underground and under the influence

!??!!

underground and under the influence

It'll make beer just fine. It's fine that you added more yeast, but the difference will be within the first 36 hours or so while the yeast is reproducing. If there is an insufficient amount of yeast, they will multiply many times. It's during this reproductive phase that you get a lot of byproducts. That's why you make a starter of a certain quantity, so that the yeast still reproduce some, but not too much.

Adding extra yeast 2 days will likely not change the amount of byproducts produced, but it may reach FG a little sooner. I would give the beer extra time on the yeast to clean up after itself. 4-5 weeks, and maybe some time in secondary as well.

Thank you. Im glad. Top fermentation has clearly begun now. I will wait until nov 21 and rack into. Secondary for maybe 2 weeks or does that sound absurdly long?

underground and under the influence

Sounds good, secondary 2-6 weeks. It's pretty flexible.

My hopes are soaring high again. I cant wait to toast a belgian tripel to your user name in late Feb!

underground and under the influence

Pitching more bags at this point won't avoid off flavors from underpitching and pitching high, most flavor compounds are produced in the first 48-96 hours of fermentation. You learn a lesson with every batch, this batch's lesson was on pitch rate.

Oh.. My heart

underground and under the influence

Your lesson from this experience is DON'T LISTEN TO PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET!

Sure, you underpitched your yeast (even at 100% viability) BUT you let people get you worked up and wasted money by adding more yeast (probably after the existing yeast has already multiplied enough to handle the beer).

Dont listen to people on the internet... Why does this forum exist!!

underground and under the influence

2brew1cup said:

Dont listen to people on the internet... Why does this forum exist!!

underground and under the influence

Click to expand...

You'll get some good advice on here but I see a lot of bad advice too. My point is, don't freak out when someone on the internet tells you something, there is a possibility they might not know what they are talking about. Instead of reacting, research their advice and see if they are full of **** or not.

Yes or just read closer mate "should have been pitching..." that's the most past tense way to conjugate, it is pluperfect! I didn't mean now after 96 some odd hours, that's why I phrased the entire thing past tense!

bknifefight said:

You'll get some good advice on here but I see a lot of bad advice too. My point is, don't freak out when someone on the internet tells you something, there is a possibility they might not know what they are talking about. Instead of reacting, research their advice and see if they are full of **** or not.

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I think bad advice would be telling somebody that drastically underpitching yeast into 75 degree wort is okay. So yeah, there is bad advice on the internet, I'll agree with you there. Don't blame people on here for him pitching a bunch of smack packs into beer that has already been fermenting - nobody suggested doing that. Live and learn. In my opinion, fermentation is the most critical factor in making good beer, so I think that the principals of fermentation should be one of the first things learned. Instead of blaming us, I would advise him to pick up a book and do some reading. As far as this batch goes, controlling fermentation temperatures for the remaining fermentation and time are all you can really do at this point and just hope for the best. For a 1.070 beer, it shouldn't be fusel city with a longer fermentation and conditioning, and I would bet that it will be drinkable, but why be misleading in telling him that everyone is just full of ****? A mistake was made, and we are here to inform him.

NCBeernut said:

...words words words...

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My whole point, as stated, was that he should not get worked up and react so quickly to what he reads online. No one told him to add more yeast, they said he underpitched. This is 100% accurate. He reads that he added too little yeast and added more. The problem here is the reaction. My solution, as stated, was to hear what people say and research it, before reacting to it.

I think it went fine. Read online and it doesnt seem to be a big deal outside of the ever pretentious HBT vets. I also pitched more within 36 hours of the intial pitch. Not 90 hours as someone randomly said. Many people dont even see the effects of over pitching outside of with ales. I think its good. And im not in a panic reacting hastily. I just like to use !?! sometimes

underground and under the influence

2brew1cup said:

I think it went fine. Read online and it doesnt seem to be a big deal outside of the ever pretentious HBT vets.

Click to expand...

Let us know if you feel the same in a month or so when you crack open that first bottle to test.

We're just trying to help you make great beer man, not slam you. Fermentation is the most important aspect of producing great beer, that includes pitching the correct quantities of yeast at the correct temps.

Bottled today. Great fruity esters. Hot. Reyeasted with 3787. Ready to age for 10 months. Happy it all worked out.

Congratz on your accident

Spoke to soon. Diacetyl bomb.. Literally a butterscotch tripel!!

Belgians will surprise you.


Let it sit for a few months and report back. I had one that I thought was terrible. At 6 months it is very goood and I expect at 9-12 months it will be great.

Put them in a closet and re- visit them in a few months.

<3