When to rack or bottle, Wyeast 1388?

[RichSib]

Only my second ever homebrew project, I have many questions but this one first.

First attempt to make a strong Belgian ale.
Boiled and cooled 5.25 Gallons wort @ OG 1.089, (all extract with some steeped specialty grains).
Pitched one smack pack of activated Wyeast 1388 into wort at about 75*F, in a 6.5 gal bucket fermenter. I learned subsequently that I should have used more yeast or prepared a starter, I know for next time.

Fermentation started within 24 hours. It fermented vigorously for about 3 days then slowed down. The Fermometer on the fermenter showed 72*F during this phase, the ambient air temp in the room is 67*F. After one week the gravity had dropped to 1.028. Now, two weeks after initial pitching, it is still bubbling about once every 30 seconds, the Fermometer on the fermenter now shows 68*F. I haven't taken a subsequent gravity reading (want to minimize risk of infection).
At what point should I take another gravity reading? Should I just rack to a secondary at the three week mark to get it off the trub?
Thanks, Rich.

P.S. The sample I measured at the one week mark tasted pretty good, overly volatile alcohol but very distinct Duvel yeast flavor.

 

[Bensiff]

You will not need to rack this beer to a secondary at all. Given the strain the yeast are dealing with due to under pitching you want to make sure you have an air tight seal on your fermenter and then agitate the yeast as much as possible, every time you walk by or a commercial is on. This will get your gravity down as much as possible. You also want to heat it up to encourage further fermentation. Use a heating pad or something to get it into the mid 70's. After a good five days of this check your gravity and see where you are at, that is likely as low as its going to get. Then, let it sit on the yeast for another month or more to let the yeast clear the off flavors and then bottle.

 

[Calder]

If you can do it, push the temp up to about 80 F to get as much out of the yeast as you can. Place in big plastic tub, and keep refreshing water with hot water.

You want to get the gravity as low as you can. You might be able to make 1.015 with that yeast. Under-pitching was a mistake, and is probably the reason for the volatile alcohol taste.

Keep at temperature for a few days, and then let come back to RT and leave for at least a week. Then you can bottle or rack. If you bottle, just make sure the gravity is stable. I would rack to secondary and leave it for a month or more, especially since you say it has an alcohol bite. Secondary is not always needed, but I would use one in this case because the higher fermentation temperatures accelerate yeast breakdown (things rot quicker at higher temps).

In bulk or in the bottle, it will probably take a few months to mellow out. I find Belgians improve over time.

 

[RichSib]

Wow, you guys are fast.
Bensiff, I like the idea of not racking to a secondary but will a month on the yeast and trub not risk imparting off flavors to the beer? Some of the break material and hops made it into the fermenter.
What would be the consequences of racking to a secondary and repitching to help with clean up?
Thanks again, Rich

 

[jjones17]

I really wish Palmer and other authors would recant the 'Yeast Autolysis' bogeyman misinformation in literature, as they did on that podcast verbally. I used to be terrified of a long primary. Now I never rack off the primary for usually an entire month or more for big beers. Do not worry about off flavors from sitting on your trub, it is actually a good thing to leave it there for awhile. Sounds like an awesome beer!

 

[SickTransitMundus]

Belgians used to be a rare exception to my habit of never using a secondary - I cold-crashed in a secondary after fermentation is complete. Now I just cold-crash in the primary and add a fresh yeast starter at packaging time.

In my experience, 1388 will ferment high-gravity beers down to 1.012 with the temperature control others are describing. You won't get that low, since you used extract, so I would consider anything below 1.018-ish to be complete. Belgian yeast can take weeks to grind out the last few gravity points, so err on the long side.

Even then, consider leaving the beer on the cake for a long time. It will clean up the solventy aroma and other off-flavors.