B-Dub
Well-Known Member
For what it's worth, I have been brewing some Belgian beers over the last year and have finally reached a point where my FG is down where I want it.
The last Quad (1.094 with 27% simple sugar by extract, not weight) got 1 minute of pure O2 though a stone, mashed at 147-149 for 90 min, built up 1 vial of yeast on a stir plate 1500mls....dump beer then 2000mls more, added yeast nutrient, fermented wlp530 at 66 deg for 2 days (with a blow off tube because it was making a huge mess) then ramped the temp up to 82 (fridge with heating pad). Some will debate the high temp, but I was going with advice from a friend who has been to Belgium and what Brew Like a Monk states some brewers temps get up to. The FG was 1.010 after 1 week.
Tasted great going to conditioning fridge where it will spend 1 month at 34 deg. Then transfer to clean keg, warm up for 2 days to 72 in warm fridge, add fresh yeast and sugar and bottle.
Belgian yeasts are not like any other yeasts I have used and need a different approach to pitching amounts and temperature. Finally have the FG down to a nice dry level, but it took me a year to figure it out and some sweet beers.
Sorry to be so long winded, but I love brewing Belgian beers. I also love the Dark Candi sugars for darker styles.
Happy Brewing,
B-Dub
I reposted this from the bottom of another thread because I thought some might like to hear what is working for me. Hope it helps.
The last Quad (1.094 with 27% simple sugar by extract, not weight) got 1 minute of pure O2 though a stone, mashed at 147-149 for 90 min, built up 1 vial of yeast on a stir plate 1500mls....dump beer then 2000mls more, added yeast nutrient, fermented wlp530 at 66 deg for 2 days (with a blow off tube because it was making a huge mess) then ramped the temp up to 82 (fridge with heating pad). Some will debate the high temp, but I was going with advice from a friend who has been to Belgium and what Brew Like a Monk states some brewers temps get up to. The FG was 1.010 after 1 week.
Tasted great going to conditioning fridge where it will spend 1 month at 34 deg. Then transfer to clean keg, warm up for 2 days to 72 in warm fridge, add fresh yeast and sugar and bottle.
Belgian yeasts are not like any other yeasts I have used and need a different approach to pitching amounts and temperature. Finally have the FG down to a nice dry level, but it took me a year to figure it out and some sweet beers.
Sorry to be so long winded, but I love brewing Belgian beers. I also love the Dark Candi sugars for darker styles.
Happy Brewing,
B-Dub
I reposted this from the bottom of another thread because I thought some might like to hear what is working for me. Hope it helps.