Belgian Dark Strong Ale Westvleteren 12 Clone - Multiple Award Winner

[ruger988]

Just have to come in here to say, my quad I brewed with help in this thread was tapped last night... by far and away the best beer I've brewed to date. Didn't really use the recipe here but CSI and Kee, your advice and insight on brewing an awesome quad was certainly helpful, couldn't have done it without you guys, thanks.

 

[Kee]

I have a question about the wort boil down. It seems you can do without it but I'm wondering what affect that will have on my OG? Would I need to compensate by adding more sugar? Also it was mentioned to not use a plastic fermenter. I have one of the new fast ferment plastic conicals that I would love to use on this beer. I can dump trub, harvest the yeast and it has a thermowell for temp control. What affects would this have to use it? Another option is that I could use it for the first two phases of fermenting and for the final lagering transfer to a keg for. Would that work? Thanks for any help. Awesome thread!

I don't know if CSI is on his computer today so here is my take:

To hit the OG and volume into the fermenter right on the numbers you have to have a good idea what efficiency your system has, plus your boil off rate. Adjust the grain bill accordingly, but keep the ingredients in proportion. (If you don't usually mash this large of a grain bill,expect a lower than normal efficiency).

Yes the boil down helps raise the OG while at the same time lowering the water volume, just adjust accordinglyl.

I'm not sure who recommended against plastic, I know that there are opinions on both sides of that issue.

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

Just have to come in here to say, my quad I brewed with help in this thread was tapped last night... by far and away the best beer I've brewed to date. Didn't really use the recipe here but CSI and Kee, your advice and insight on brewing an awesome quad was certainly helpful, couldn't have done it without you guys, thanks.

Thanks for the good word. Happy brewing!

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

I don't know if CSI is on his computer today so here is my take:

To hit the OG and volume into the fermenter right on the numbers you have to have a good idea what efficiency your system has, plus your boil off rate. Adjust the grain bill accordingly, but keep the ingredients in proportion. (If you don't usually mash this large of a grain bill,expect a lower than normal efficiency).

Yes the boil down helps raise the OG while at the same time lowering the water volume, just adjust accordinglyl.

I'm not sure who recommended against plastic, I know that there are opinions on both sides of that issue.

Yes, absolutely concur. Dialing in the recipe based on equipment takes time, trial and error.

Boil down definitely does help OG due to the concentration of consummables. If we were doing a traditional decoction, (with grains and all), the efficiency would increase without too much boil-off due to the grains being opened up to saccarification.

 

[Kee]

Just have to come in here to say, my quad I brewed with help in this thread was tapped last night... by far and away the best beer I've brewed to date. Didn't really use the recipe here but CSI and Kee, your advice and insight on brewing an awesome quad was certainly helpful, couldn't have done it without you guys, thanks.

CSI does the heavy lifting but I am happy to contribute. I will be brewing this again soon.

 

[ruger988]

CSI does the heavy lifting but I am happy to contribute. I will be brewing this again soon.

Do you prefer the "traditional" recipe? I did mine with 10lbs of Bel Pils, 5lbs Bel Pale, threw in 1lb of Special B, 2lbs of D-180 (along with the boildown) and used Magnum. Finished out at 1.008 and I think it came out amazing.

 

[Kee]

Do you prefer the "traditional" recipe? I did mine with 10lbs of Bel Pils, 5lbs Bel Pale, threw in 1lb of Special B, 2lbs of D-180 (along with the boildown) and used Magnum. Finished out at 1.008 and I think it came out amazing.

My first batch I used 4 lbs of pale but the last two I used all Pils except for some minor specialty grains, but basically the traditional recipe. I play around a little with the recipe since I have never had a Westy 12 and I am brewing for my taste. The only time I have been less than ecstatic with the results I used a different yeast (I won't do that again).

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

Do you prefer the "traditional" recipe? I did mine with 10lbs of Bel Pils, 5lbs Bel Pale, threw in 1lb of Special B, 2lbs of D-180 (along with the boildown) and used Magnum. Finished out at 1.008 and I think it came out amazing.

I'm still interested in your experiment with Magnum. How did the flavor and bitterness come through in the carbonated finish? I love this hop and the heavy alphas sound like they would be worth trying in a high ABV ale like this.

 

[ruger988]

I'm still interested in your experiment with Magnum. How did the flavor and bitterness come through in the carbonated finish? I love this hop and the heavy alphas sound like they would be worth trying in a high ABV ale like this.

I really think the magnum is playing well in this brew. Just enough bitterness snuck through to give it a very well balanced feel. Going to brew another batch this wekeend and rack it on a cake that I have a dubbel on but use Brewer's Gold so I can compare (used a very similar scaled down recipe for the dubbel with the BG rather than Magnum)

Forgot to mention earlier I also pureed 8oz of golden raisins with some pre boil wort and added them in for the last 45 minutes or so of the boil. Definitely getting some raisin notes but not sure how much of that was the raisins and how much is coming from the yeast. No raisins in the Dubbel.

 

[gotbags-10]

I have a question about the wort boil down. It seems you can do without it but I'm wondering what affect that will have on my OG? Would I need to compensate by adding more sugar? Also it was mentioned to not use a plastic fermenter. I have one of the new fast ferment plastic conicals that I would love to use on this beer. I can dump trub, harvest the yeast and it has a thermowell for temp control. What affects would this have to use it? Another option is that I could use it for the first two phases of fermenting and for the final lagering transfer to a keg for. Would that work? Thanks for any help. Awesome thread!

Sorry I should have been more specific. I was referring to the first running boil down. Not the entire batch boil. If I omit that first running boil down do I need to compensate with adding more sugar?

 

[gotbags-10]

I have a question about the wort boil down. It seems you can do without it but I'm wondering what affect that will have on my OG? Would I need to compensate by adding more sugar? Also it was mentioned to not use a plastic fermenter. I have one of the new fast ferment plastic conicals that I would love to use on this beer. I can dump trub, harvest the yeast and it has a thermowell for temp control. What affects would this have to use it? Another option is that I could use it for the first two phases of fermenting and for the final lagering transfer to a keg for. Would that work? Thanks for any help. Awesome thread!

Sorry I should have been more specific. I was referring to the first sparge running boil down. Not the entire batch boil. If I omit that first running boil down do I need to compensate with adding more sugar?

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

Sorry I should have been more specific. I was referring to the first running boil down. Not the entire batch boil. If I omit that first running boil down do I need to compensate with adding more sugar?

I wouldn't add additional adjuncts. The initial wort boil-down adds a subtle maltose caramel but is not critical.

 

[gotbags-10]

Would love to give this a go soon. I have a few bottles of Rochefort Trappistes 10. Would it be worth while to make a starter from them to use in this?

 

[ruger988]

Would love to give this a go soon. I have a few bottles of Rochefort Trappistes 10. Would it be worth while to make a starter from them to use in this?

You could certianly give it a shot, but as well as 3787 does, you'd almost be crazy not to use it. If you want to use Rochefort and want a guarantee that its viable check out RVA204 from http://www.rvayeastlabs.com/ale-strains.html they sell vials with 200 billion cells for around the same price as wyeast and white labs packs, will ship as well. I've had great luck with their stuff (including the 204.)

 

[av8bdriver]

First of all, I just wanna send my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for everyone involved in making this thread what it is today. I have had the privilege of having 3 Westy 12s and it is by far the greatest thing ever to grace my taste buds! So happy to have a chance to clone it.

My question:
Just brewed this yesterday at 10pm. Fermentation started out slowly, but today by late afternoon, finally had some action. I then wrapped in blankets at about 5pm. It is now 1:30am and the temp is at 87F (using laser thermomter on side of bucket)!!
1) How bad/big of a deal is this?
2) Do I need to do anything at this point? (besides remove from blankets, which I have already done)
3) What can I expect now that the temp has gone up so high?

Thank yall so much in advance!

 

[Kee]

First of all, I just wanna send my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for everyone involved in making this thread what it is today. I have had the privilege of having 3 Westy 12s and it is by far the greatest thing ever to grace my taste buds! So happy to have a chance to clone it.

My question:
Just brewed this yesterday at 10pm. Fermentation started out slowly, but today by late afternoon, finally had some action. I then wrapped in blankets at about 5pm. It is now 1:30am and the temp is at 87F (using laser thermomter on side of bucket)!!
1) How bad/big of a deal is this?
2) Do I need to do anything at this point? (besides remove from blankets, which I have already done)
3) What can I expect now that the temp has gone up so high?


Thank yall so much in advance!

You really should get the temperature down a few degrees if possible. If you bring it down too much the yeast could stall. Above high 70's low 80's there is a chance of fusil alcohols and undesirable esters. However, results vary you may be fine.

I don't have a specific temperature target in mind that you should shoot for now, maybe CSI or someone else can give more specific advice.

 

[av8bdriver]

Thanks, I ended up putting the whole bucket in the tub last night filled with tap water and also placed a wet towel around it. You should have seen my wife's face when she woke up to that... lol. Anyway, got the temp down to 72, and still bubbling pretty good. I pulled it out of the water and now just waiting to see what happens.

So strange.... I mean I spent hours and hours reading the original thread.... I didn't see anyone that had this issue. My house temp is 69F. I assumed I would have to add heat but did not expect this. Strange that nobody else had or discussed this issue.

 

[Kee]

Thanks, I ended up putting the whole bucket in the tub last night filled with tap water and also placed a wet towel around it. You should have seen my wife's face when she woke up to that... lol. Anyway, got the temp down to 72, and still bubbling pretty good. I pulled it out of the water and now just waiting to see what happens.

So strange.... I mean I spent hours and hours reading the original thread.... I didn't see anyone that had this issue. My house temp is 69F. I assumed I would have to add heat but did not expect this. Strange that nobody else had or discussed this issue.

I sounds like you have it under control. I remember a few people in saq's thread discussing this. Is that the thread you are talking about:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f73/pious-westvleteren-12-style-quad-multiple-147815/

There is a lot of good info there but most people do not have the time or patience to read the whole thing, and some of the info is contradictory. CSI saved a lot of confusion by starting this one.

 

[Bottoms_Up]

You really should get the temperature down a few degrees if possible. If you bring it down too much the yeast could stall. Above high 70's low 80's there is a chance of fusil alcohols and undesirable esters. However, results vary you may be fine.

I don't have a specific temperature target in mind that you should shoot for now, maybe CSI or someone else can give more specific advice.

No, CSI can correct me if I'm wrong, but for this style of beer, you DO want the temperature to stay in the high 70's or low 80's (no less than 78 F and no more than 83 F) in order to achieve high attenuation. This was discussed many times. The only debate was whether to reach these temperatures over the period of several days, or as soon as possible. Saq's view was to get there as soon as possible. CSI suggests that one should get there more slowly, over a period of about 7 days. I chose to get there quickly. When my temperature climbed over about 83 F (when wrapped in blankets), I just opened the blankets a bit to get it down to about 81-82 F. Later, as the yeast activity slowed down, I had to keep the temperature from dropping by keeping the carboy in a water bath with an aquarium heater. I only dropped the temperature again when I reached a S.G. of about 1.015.

 

[marca31]

I made this a little over a year ago and it has turned into a very tasty brew. I have never had the original, but am very happy with this recipe. Thank you everyone.

 

[Kee]

No, CSI can correct me if I'm wrong, but for this style of beer, you DO want the temperature to stay in the high 70's or low 80's (no less than 78 F and no more than 83 F) in order to achieve high attenuation. This was discussed many times. The only debate was whether to reach these temperatures over the period of several days, or as soon as possible. Saq's view was to get there as soon as possible. CSI suggests that one should get there more slowly, over a period of about 7 days. I chose to get there quickly. When my temperature climbed over about 83 F (when wrapped in blankets), I just opened the blankets a bit to get it down to about 81-82 F. Later, as the yeast activity slowed down, I had to keep the temperature from dropping by keeping the carboy in a water bath with an aquarium heater. I only dropped the temperature again when I reached a S.G. of about 1.015.

I don't think there is any disagreement here about the ideal temperature range. I did want to emphasize that bringing the temp down after it gets away from you is a different situation, and for me targeting a specific temperature would be a guess.

 

[av8bdriver]

I sounds like you have it under control. I remember a few people in saq's thread discussing this. Is that the thread you are talking about:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f73/pious-westvleteren-12-style-quad-multiple-147815/

There is a lot of good info there but most people do not have the time or patience to read the whole thing, and some of the info is contradictory. CSI saved a lot of confusion by starting this one.

Kee,
Yeah... that's the thread I spent hours on. I never saw much on what to do if the primary got too hot though... but could have missed it in my scan. And I didn't get to the end of the 229 pages. Got through about 100 I think.

BottomsUp.... I didn't mean to get the temp all the way down to 73... it just happened in the cold water bath while I was asleep. Now I am trying to get the temp up to the 78-83 range... using a heating pad. Geez, I feel like I am chasing my tail here.
Anyway, I was hoping to get Saq or CSI to chime in as well. Trust me I read and re-read ALOT of that original thread about how important temps were and what the ideal range is.. .. My question was about mine getting a bit too hot and if I should be concerned. Well, I was very concerned so I tried a fix. It worked too good. Oh well, at least it is still fermenting and still early (day 3). BTW the temp is at about 75 now. Later I will post the recipe I used. I am trying the extract version with specialty grains.

 

[Bottoms_Up]

Kee,

BottomsUp.... I didn't mean to get the temp all the way down to 73... it just happened in the cold water bath while I was asleep. Now I am trying to get the temp up to the 78-83 range... using a heating pad. Geez, I feel like I am chasing my tail here.
Anyway, I was hoping to get Saq or CSI to chime in as well. Trust me I read and re-read ALOT of that original thread about how important temps were and what the ideal range is.. .. My question was about mine getting a bit too hot and if I should be concerned. Well, I was very concerned so I tried a fix. It worked too good. Oh well, at least it is still fermenting and still early (day 3). BTW the temp is at about 75 now. Later I will post the recipe I used. I am trying the extract version with specialty grains.

Hi av8bdriver, I don't think you need to worry at all about the temperature going up that high, as it was only for a few hours. Also, it doesn't seem critical that the temperature is still below the ideal range, at least for the first week, as one approach is to raise the temperature slowly. It would be an interesting experiment to test the difference between the two approaches.

 

[Bottoms_Up]

I don't think there is any disagreement here about the ideal temperature range. I did want to emphasize that bringing the temp down after it gets away from you is a different situation, and for me targeting a specific temperature would be a guess.

True, the optimum temperature range is a guess, based on what's been reported concerning the actual practice. That's why there's a range (about 78-83).

 

[drunkrhino]

Short of going to the Abbey yourself you are doing absolutely ZERO to suport the monastery. They never have and never will approve of the distribution of their beer outside the Abbey, especially to America, so anyone selling it over here (or sites like Belgium in a Box) for outrageous money are pocketing 100% of the profits and doing so against the wishes of the Monastery.

Not that its a big deal or most people care, but figured I'd make that point clear.

not true. on 12/12/12 they did a release which included the US.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/2292576

 

[jtp137]

First of all, I just wanna send my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for everyone involved in making this thread what it is today. I have had the privilege of having 3 Westy 12s and it is by far the greatest thing ever to grace my taste buds! So happy to have a chance to clone it.



My question:

Just brewed this yesterday at 10pm. Fermentation started out slowly, but today by late afternoon, finally had some action. I then wrapped in blankets at about 5pm. It is now 1:30am and the temp is at 87F (using laser thermomter on side of bucket)!!

1) How bad/big of a deal is this?

2) Do I need to do anything at this point? (besides remove from blankets, which I have already done)

3) What can I expect now that the temp has gone up so high?



Thank yall so much in advance!

I have had this yeast crash on me when it got too hot to early. I tried everything and couldn't get it started again. Luckily it was on a Tripel with no expensive sugar

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

No, CSI can correct me if I'm wrong, but for this style of beer, you DO want the temperature to stay in the high 70's or low 80's (no less than 78 F and no more than 83 F) in order to achieve high attenuation. This was discussed many times. The only debate was whether to reach these temperatures over the period of several days, or as soon as possible. Saq's view was to get there as soon as possible. CSI suggests that one should get there more slowly, over a period of about 7 days. I chose to get there quickly. When my temperature climbed over about 83 F (when wrapped in blankets), I just opened the blankets a bit to get it down to about 81-82 F. Later, as the yeast activity slowed down, I had to keep the temperature from dropping by keeping the carboy in a water bath with an aquarium heater. I only dropped the temperature again when I reached a S.G. of about 1.015.

Some have let this ale go beyond 80F with acceptable results. The original reasoning for this was to invigorate an underpitch to complete fermentation and 'languish' the yeast to produce more and specific esters. It was originally a recommendation from the previous thread. I haven't been able to verify the metabolism science in the latter part.

By using a closer-to-Fix rate when pitching then controlling temp rise evenly, (as it is done at St. Sixtus), we get a very balanced ale. A little spice fresh plums/prunes and good attenuation.

In the end it's about preference and goals. Our goal is to clone the import as closely as possible, (but even better ales in this category can be brewed).

 

[jtp137]

The primary is a given of course. When primary is complete the gravity *should* be at or around 1.012 - 1.014 assuming a healthy pitch. Diacetyl can be absorbed in smaller amounts even at slightly lower temps than previously expected. For the Westamalle strain a secondary at two days at 70-75F will consume most of the Diacetyl in what Chris White terms '" an uneccessary temperature modification" The brightening, (tertiary), is only for clarifying the ale but we have noticed some interesting aging and mellowing characteristics as well. Some have skipped this step altogether and done very well. I think the monk's idea on this stage is to clear any exhausted yeast and prepare for fresh yeast at bottling. There are a lot of reasons that this method seems redundant but we do it as a tradition outside of brewing science since it is reported that the monks at St. Sixtus do it this way

So do you think if you left the fermentation temp at 80 degrees for another week then the fg would stay at 1.012? Or do you think you are stopping it early by reducing the temp

The reason i am asking is i have had 88% attenuation mashing at 149 with 10 percent sugar. Looks like you want around 83% for this recipe. I may try mashing at 150 to 152

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

So do you think if you left the fermentation temp at 80 degrees for another week then the fg would stay at 1.012? Or do you think you are stopping it early by reducing the temp

The reason i am asking is i have had 88% attenuation mashing at 149 with 10 percent sugar. Looks like you want around 83% for this recipe. I may try mashing at 150 to 152

That's a good topic to bring up. The mash temp and attenuation within the range of 'digestable' ale has always been a challenge with the Westy 12 clone. Assuming few over-mash polysacc's at 1.013 we dump our primary yeast and lower the secondary temp to finish the ale out at 1.012. If left on primary yeast at 80F more attenuation would result, but at the end of primary it's slower. As the attenuation environment becomes less hospitable, and the density of the active yeast in decreased, the attenuation will slow after the yeast dump. The temp drop at secondary will slow attenuation further, flocc most of the remaining yeast, then bring it to a slow halt.

The lower mash range has done better for us in the past so mashing at 150F would be about the upper limit. We've tested the Westy 12 mash at 152F and found it a little on the high side...although a good ale can still result with a higher mash if digestibility is not a high priority.

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

The primary is a given of course. When primary is complete the gravity *should* be at or around 1.012 - 1.014 assuming a healthy pitch. Diacetyl can be absorbed in smaller amounts even at slightly lower temps than previously expected. For the Westamalle strain a secondary at two days at 70-75F will consume most of the Diacetyl in what Chris White terms '" an uneccessary temperature modification" The brightening, (tertiary), is only for clarifying the ale but we have noticed some interesting aging and mellowing characteristics as well. Some have skipped this step altogether and done very well. I think the monk's idea on this stage is to clear any exhausted yeast and prepare for fresh yeast at bottling. There are a lot of reasons that this method seems redundant but we do it as a tradition outside of brewing science since it is reported that the monks at St. Sixtus do it this way

I brewed the AG version of this ~10 days ago. My primary is now sitting at 80F and I am trying to figure out the next step (assuming my gravity tonight is on-point). I see I should lower the temp to 73-75 for a few days for a diactyl rast, but then what?

CSI recommends a secondary at 50F for 40 days, but says it's mostly just based off tradition. I have never racked to a secondary for my brews and the thought of potential infection when doing so has me cringing. Can I do a week or two in the primary at 50F and then bottle from the primary? Has anyone tried this?

 

[jtp137]

I brewed the AG version of this ~10 days ago. My primary is now sitting at 80F and I am trying to figure out the next step (assuming my gravity tonight is on-point). I see I should lower the temp to 73-75 for a few days for a diactyl rast, but then what?

CSI recommends a secondary at 50F for 40 days, but says it's mostly just based off tradition. I have never racked to a secondary for my brews and the thought of potential infection when doing so has me cringing. Can I do a week or two in the primary at 50F and then bottle from the primary? Has anyone tried this?

What is the gravity

 

[orangehero]

There's no diacetyl rest in the profile and you wouldn't lower temperature to do one anyway as the higher the temperature the faster the clean-up of diacetyl.

As CSI explains in detail directly above your post, the purpose of the transfer to secondary is to get the beer off the yeast to prevent overattenuation. As long as your sanitation regimen is solid there is little risk of infection for a fully fermented beer, especially one at over 10% alcohol.

A secondary at 50°F is not just for tradition, not sure where that was mentioned, but it will speed up the maturation of the beer. Think of it as lagering except at ale yeast temperatures.

Just follow the instructions from the CSI website:

"Ramp primary to 77F for 6-7 days. At 1.013 rack off yeast to secondary
and crash to 55-60F. Hold for 3-4 days until FG is reached. Dump yeast again and lower to 45F and hold for 8 weeks."

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

There's no diacetyl rest in the profile and you wouldn't lower temperature to do one anyway as the higher the temperature the faster the clean-up of diacetyl.

As CSI notes above, the purpose of the transfer to secondary is to get the beer off the yeast to prevent overattenuation.

A secondary at 50°F is not just for tradition, not sure where that was mentioned, but it will speed up the maturation of the beer.

Just follow the instructions from the CSI website:

"Ramp primary to 77F for 6-7 days. At 1.013 rack off yeast to secondary
and crash to 55-60F. Hold for 3-4 days until FG is reached. Dump yeast again and lower to 45F and hold for 8 weeks."

I didn't take the reading yet, but assuming its at 1.013 my question is then, can I cold crash to 55-60 in the primary (instead of racking to secondary) and then bottle once FG is reached? Is the reason for racking primarily to get rid of all but the yeast still in suspension?

Do I need to do the 45F/8week step was my main question.

 

[orangehero]

Yes you can do as you propose. The cold maturation is not necessary, but it will improve the flavor. Also don't assume 1.013 is your terminal gravity as we don't know anything else about your ingredients and process. If it doesn't change three days in a row go ahead with bottling. Don't be afraid of secondaries, though.

 

[Kee]

I brewed the AG version of this ~10 days ago. My primary is now sitting at 80F and I am trying to figure out the next step (assuming my gravity tonight is on-point). I see I should lower the temp to 73-75 for a few days for a diactyl rast, but then what?

CSI recommends a secondary at 50F for 40 days, but says it's mostly just based off tradition. I have never racked to a secondary for my brews and the thought of potential infection when doing so has me cringing. Can I do a week or two in the primary at 50F and then bottle from the primary? Has anyone tried this?

Yes, I have bottled from primary after just a couple of weeks with excellent results. I would never claim that to be equal to the recommended schedule, but it works. The beer ages well in bottles (although I have trouble keeping any past a few months).

As with any beer look for a stable FG and clarity. And give it a few extra days if there is any doubt.

 

[CSI - CandiSyrup]

I brewed the AG version of this ~10 days ago. My primary is now sitting at 80F and I am trying to figure out the next step (assuming my gravity tonight is on-point). I see I should lower the temp to 73-75 for a few days for a diactyl rast, but then what?

CSI recommends a secondary at 50F for 40 days, but says it's mostly just based off tradition. I have never racked to a secondary for my brews and the thought of potential infection when doing so has me cringing. Can I do a week or two in the primary at 50F and then bottle from the primary? Has anyone tried this?

You can perform primary and secondary in a single vessel, however, your would want to use a temp controlled conical with a 2" dump valve to make it more straightforward. This also has the advantage of oxygen shielding the ale throughout under its own CO2.

If manually moving from one vessel to another, I would thoroughly clean then over-soak vessels and equipment in star-san for longer than required. Drip dry and slowly decant onto the star-san foam using a siphon. Pouring may create oxidation and this ale will usually show it.

You're absolutely correct about the 40 days in secondary. Even the brewing accounts at the monastery indicate the long secondary is a rule of thumb only. They've combined secondary & tertiary, (brightening) since clarity isn't that important for a dark belgian strong. Theoretically it could be done in much less time.

 

[av8bdriver]

Ok, primary seems to be stuck at 1.020. I pitched 2 viles of WLP530, then added a 3rd vial several days after initial pitch. I posted earlier that the temp got pretty high.. 87ish.. and I cooled it down in a cold bath overnight. That brought it down a little too much to 73ish. Put it on a heating pad and wrapped it up. got the temp up to 78-79 for about a week. let the temp come down to 73-74 (where it is at now). Worried that it wont come down to the 1.012. Brewed this on Dec 16th. Any advice? Thanks!

 

[jtp137]

Ok, primary seems to be stuck at 1.020. I pitched 2 viles of WLP530, then added a 3rd vial several days after initial pitch. I posted earlier that the temp got pretty high.. 87ish.. and I cooled it down in a cold bath overnight. That brought it down a little too much to 73ish. Put it on a heating pad and wrapped it up. got the temp up to 78-79 for about a week. let the temp come down to 73-74 (where it is at now). Worried that it wont come down to the 1.012. Brewed this on Dec 16th. Any advice? Thanks!

Try this. I have had problems with this yeast as well. I stick to wlp500. I think it crashes when it gets too high



Stuck fermentation



Create a new WLP530 stir-plate 3000ml starter. The large starter has be able to quickly ferment under adverse conditions so it has to be large. Oxygenate the starter before seeding with 1 vial WLP530, oxygenate it again at 8 hrs, and after high krausen has subsided oxygenate it a third time. Crash the starter to flocc. Take out of chill and pour off almost all of the starter beer and let the temp normalize to your primary temp. Pitch and stir in *very* gently. In 1-2 days a slow fermentation will resume. Monitor until you reach FG 1.012. Probably another week to 10 days. It worked

 

[av8bdriver]

Is there something about getting this yeast to the 65 deg range that helps it attenuate further?

 

[Kee]

Is there something about getting this yeast to the 65 deg range that helps it attenuate further?

No. Starting fermentation around that temperature is to get the desired esters and phenols, not to help attenuation. Letting the wort temp get up to 78 or slightly above (83 max) will give you the best chance to reach the desired FG.