Dubbel at 1.020...

So I brewed an extract batch for the first time in a while...

It was a last minute deal with a few shortcuts as a result. I live near the Maltose Express LHBS in CT (authors of the Clone Brews and Beer Captured books) and, on a whim, picked up their Westmalle Dubbel kit. I pitched 3 Wyeast smack packs instead of the recommended 2 based on the Mr. Malty calculator.

The brew went according to plan and was actually a lot of fun due to simplifying the process. Pitched the yeast and put the bucket in a temp controlled chest freezer set at 64. Over the course of the first week I adjusted the controller and let it gradually ramp up to 70.

I had a blowofftube in a gallon jug of starsan that was CHUGGING away the entire time. I mean every second... CHUG, CHUG... Thought for sure I had a healthy fermentation going.

After 2 weeks I check the gravity and it's at 1.020. I was surprised, figuring it would be somewhere around 1.015 or lower. So, I swirled the bucket around and brought it upstairs where the ambient temp is higher (68-72). 5 days later and it's at 1.019...

I'm assuming it's going to be on the sweet side and can deal with that (samples taste great). Here's the question... I am hoping to have my first kegging equipment setup in 2 weeks. At that point, the beer will have been on the yeast for 5 weeks. Do I get it off the yeast and bottle now? Or leave it until I have the ability to keg?

I'm thinking I just leave it on the yeast and wait until I can keg it. Especially considering the potential for bottle bombs...

Any thoughts?

If you really want to get it off the yeast, you could cold crash and move to a secondary, but I'd just leave it in primary and keg when you're ready.

You can leaving according to my history. I have left ales on for a six weeks due to travels and Lagers longer on purpose. Kegging is great. You will not likely bottle again. If you can, you can "condition" at a lower temp (50 to 60)

5 weeks on the yeast won't hurt it at all. Belgians can be somewhat slow sometimes, and there's no reason to rush them with how much they can improve with aging. I would just leave it in the warmest room in your house to help encourage the yeast to finish up any fermentable sugars that may be leftover, since the last 20% of fermentation can take as long as the first 80%.

Also, since it's extract, you may have hit the cursed 1.020 FG due to the fermentability of the extract. If it finishes any drier than where it's at now, great, but if not, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Thanks for the replies! I appreciate the input and it seems to confirm my hunch in just leaving it until I can keg.

I've convinced my wife to let it sit in our bedroom closet (one of the warmest places in the house) for the remainder of the time. I assume lugging it up the stairs and into the closet will roust the yeast enough that I can rest assured I've done all I can do.

If the gravity drops even a little bit over the next couple of weeks I will be really happy. If not, I will keg and figure it was a result of the dreaded 1.020 extract limitation!

That said... it tastes REALLY good at 1.020 - just a tiny bit sweet (but a proper carbonation might offset that). I just can't help but dream about what it what it could be at 1.013 or so...

Anyway... and Thanks!

I can't imagine getting my dubbel down to 1.013. Mine finishes at about 1.017, and it's absolutely perfect (IMO anyway)

Belgian yeast strains prefer warmer fermentation temps (70 to 74). I have the Beer Captured bokk that has that recipe in it, and the FG should be 1.013 - 1.015.

Having used THREE Wyeast packages (when the recipe only calls for one), it should have finished off nicely to that target with ease. I'm guessing that your lower fermentation temps (68 as you stated) could have gotten you off to a much slower start causing your fermentation to take much more time.

Is it possible that the yeast was shocked when you pitched it - yeast too warm, wort too cold?

I've done this beer and fermented it at 74, and ended up with an FG of 1.015 at the end of the primary.