Belgian Dark Strong Ale The Pious - Westvleteren 12 style quad - multiple

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I guess my yeasties aren't too happy @ 1.040 - no fermentation has started. It's been approximately 12 hours since pitching the slurry into the 3L starter. I've had starters start slow but this has me a bit concerned.

If it doesn't start doing something shortly, tomorrow's brewday will be off.

Good news - the starter took off last night and is working like a champ. Today's brewday is on.
 
I got through about 10 pages of this thread and decided i HAVE TO make this recipe..... BUT, all grain for me at the moment is no bueno. I saw a few extract subsitutions which could work but I'd be down with a partial mash. Has anyone in this massive thread come up with a PM recipe before I just go try the extract?
 
For an extract version at least my first version of this one, I used 9.9 pounds pilsner lime and 1 pound pilsner DME. Prep yourself for a lighter wallet friend... and good luck :mug:
 
Ha! Even when it was available stateside none made it to PA. Even in Delaware it was off the shelves in under ten minuted. I'd have to make the trek yo the Abby for it...not a terrible idea, just expensive.
 
Hmm my local store Parker Payless Liquors has a bomber room with what I thought was products from all 6 official Belgian Trappist breweries (Orval, Chimay, Westvleteren, Rochefort, Westmalle, Achel). I'll check on my way home tomorrow but from your chuckles I'm assuming there will be no 12 on the shelf.....
 
I am sure there will be a St Bernardus 12° there (still a very tasty brew, I dig em), you could try one of those...
 
If you do find it definitely pick it up. Its extremely rare and utterly delicious. There was a one time release a few months ago to a few states. It was around 86.00 for a four pack brick...and worth every penny. If you do find it buy every single bottle they have and hide them.
 
They've got Rochefort 10 at 19$ a small bottle so I shouldn't be that shocked by 86/4pk
 
Yea man. Even with atrocious PA liquor taxes at a six pack store I can get the 10 for 11 bucks. If I remember right Jersey had it for about 8.00 a bottle.
 
I wouldn't move to Jersey if Rochefort was 50 cents :)

But that's the ex-long islander in me talking!
 
Looking for feedback from those brewing the New World recipe ... what has your efficiency been? Mine yesterday was about 65%. I'm using in the upper 70's for smaller beers. I mashed for 90 minutes - it started at 148.5 and ended at 146. I then batch sparged.

My grains have been in the freezer for 8 months. Perhaps that may have lowered the extraction?

The original recipe states 75%. Seems a bit high.

Without the sugars which are added post-boil, @ 75% efficiency, the estimated gravity is 1.078.
 
ultravista said:
Looking for feedback from those brewing the New World recipe ... what has your efficiency been? Mine yesterday was about 65%. I'm using in the upper 70's for smaller beers. I mashed for 90 minutes - it started at 148.5 and ended at 146. I then batch sparged.

My grains have been in the freezer for 8 months. Perhaps that may have lowered the extraction?

The original recipe states 75%. Seems a bit high.

Without the sugars which are added post-boil, @ 75% efficiency, the estimated gravity is 1.078.
Click to expand...

This sounds more like a process thing than a raw material issue. I sometimes shoot for a higher initial temp and let it come down to your desired mash temp over the course of 90 mins with a single temp mash config.
 
ultravista said:
Looking for feedback from those brewing the New World recipe ... what has your efficiency been? Mine yesterday was about 65%. I'm using in the upper 70's for smaller beers. I mashed for 90 minutes - it started at 148.5 and ended at 146. I then batch sparged.

My grains have been in the freezer for 8 months. Perhaps that may have lowered the extraction?

The original recipe states 75%. Seems a bit high.

Without the sugars which are added post-boil, @ 75% efficiency, the estimated gravity is 1.078.
Click to expand...

I think you hit it right on. I think freezing definitely reduces diastatic strength.
 
Gothic_Horror - I'm not following you. What process are you referring to? Dropping 1.5 degrees over 90 minutes isn't bad.

CSI - the grains were already crushed, sealed, but not vacuum sealed.

Nonetheless, with the syrup, I come very close to target gravity.
 
How long did it take the average batch to hit target gravity? I'm almost there, just getting a little antsy. Been in primary for two weeks and slowly getting to it. I'm at 1.018 right now. Still a little sweet
 
BeerMeDuffMan said:
How long did it take the average batch to hit target gravity? I'm almost there, just getting a little antsy. Been in primary for two weeks and slowly getting to it. I'm at 1.018 right now. Still a little sweet
Click to expand...

It should be at or very near 1.012 in about 7 days if everything went well.
 
I'll probably give it a good shake tonight with a bit of yeast nutrients to give a good boost. That may help as well as the tempos being higher this weekend.
 
BeerMeDuffMan said:
How long did it take the average batch to hit target gravity? I'm almost there, just getting a little antsy. Been in primary for two weeks and slowly getting to it. I'm at 1.018 right now. Still a little sweet
Click to expand...

Mine was the same as g-star said. 5-7 days you should be around 1.012.

I just cracked one of mine to ensure carbonation was going ok. At 2 weeks, it is carbing but not quite finished (probably another 2 weeks). Tastes awesome despite the fact that it is still very young.

image-3014406368.jpg
 
I pitched about 6 PM last Sunday (08/18), the starter was really active. Nearly 7 days later, the yeast has started to drop and the beer is clearing. I may take a hydro sample this week or wait another week.

At this point, fermentation is over. It's been at 80-81F the entire time.

This is my second attempt @ the Westy. It was a fast and furious fermentation.

Is this on-par with everyone else, clearing after 5-6 days?
 
ultravista said:
I pitched about 6 PM last Sunday (08/18), the starter was really active. Nearly 7 days later, the yeast has started to drop and the beer is clearing. I may take a hydro sample this week or wait another week.

At this point, fermentation is over. It's been at 80-81F the entire time.

This is my second attempt @ the Westy. It was a fast and furious fermentation.

Is this on-par with everyone else, clearing after 5-6 days?
Click to expand...

It seems to be. Around 5-7 days seems to be when people have been reaching the FG.
 
The first batch was higher in SG and FG. Perhaps too little yeast .. don't know. It wouldn't go past 1.019. A great beer nonetheless.

This batch was made from non-washed yeast from that batch in December of last year. It was labeled 12/28. The starter took a while to start, but when it did, it went pretty crazy. I probably poured 2.5L of the 3.5 starter and saved the remainder.

It is sitting now at ambient temp, around 80-81, on the kitchen table.

I don't want to take a reading too early so I'll wait until next Sunday. If it hasn't finished by then, then this one will be a high gravity batch too. I'm OK with that.
 
Approximately two weeks since brew day, mine is down to 1.010-1.012 (measured at 80F). It's ready to be cooled down to drop the yeast.

I'm puzzled as to why this batch, the same as the first batch, is 10 points lower in FG. The same recipe, the same everything with the exception of the yeast. This time, I re-used the yeast from the first batch brewed in November of 2012. Built a 3L starter, and pitched most of it. So a year old yeast and it performed like a champ.

It's all good. The taste is great.

The first batch that finished @ 1.020 is noticeably sweeter. Not bad sweet, but sweeter. The two taste similar, but with the 1.010 batch being dryer, it tastes considerably different.
 
ultravista said:
Gothic_Horror - I'm not following you. What process are you referring to? Dropping 1.5 degrees over 90 minutes isn't bad.

CSI - the grains were already crushed, sealed, but not vacuum sealed.

Nonetheless, with the syrup, I come very close to target gravity.
Click to expand...

What temp was your mash with the batch sparge? Did you hit at least 168 after the initial lauter/first runnings?
 
After much fiddling with this one I've discovered that I don't have a stuck fermentation. I think I've reached my limit at 1.020 with extracts. It doesn't taste bad at all just on the sweet side
 

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