wort aeration

[mrkrausen]

So I have a Belgian Quad kit coming from William's Brewing. I haven't had any issues with lag time with any of my previous beers, one of them being a Belgian Triple which was 1.076. I get visible fermentation in 4-6 hours. I had been aerating just from vigorous shaking of the bucket/carboy. I had been having some issues with my a few of my beers finishing high though. I'd say 5 points or so.

After some reading I came to the conclusion that I may not be getting enough aeration so I went ahead and added an oxygen aeration system into the cart and am excited to see the results. My question is, if I haven't been having significant lag times but have been having slightly higher finishing beers does aeration sound like it could still be the issue? I guess in short, are long lag times and high finishing gravities mutually inclusive?

 

[turkeyjerky214]

If you're making starters and pitching the proper amount of yeast, I'd be willing to bet that aeration is the culprit. I (and most others around here) highly recommend the 02 system from William's. IMO, it's an absolute must for bigger beers.

 

[mrkrausen]

As of yet I am not making starters, but that is next in line on my list of purchases. I'm hoping this will make a big difference and from the reviews I read it sounds like people are in agreement that it is a necessity. The LHBS I go to uses the Munton's yeast in their kits. I prefer the liquid yeast and am hoping that I'm pitching enough. At least until I can begin making starters. Btw, thank you for tue quick reply.

 

[bellam87]

If you're going to get into starters go ahead and spend the extra dough on a stirplate as well. You won't be disappointed with the results!

 

[Malticulous]

Two packs or a two litter simple starter would be better. Less yeast will take longer. Fermentation rate is pitch rate and temperature dependent. As long as they stay alive they will consume all the available sugars. The high FGs might just be from the extract's lack of fermentability. If not you might have some highly carbonated beers.

 

[Philip_T]

I just bottled up a batch of that Williams Quad yesterday. The sample I pulled tasted amazing already. Can't wait for it carb up and condition. You're gonna love it!

 

[mrkrausen]

Philip T, how long did you primary and did you secondary at all, if so for how long? Did you stick to the recipe? I've been thinking about how I want to go about doing it. Also did you end up pitching more yeast when you bottled or just prime it up and rock? Sorry for the barrage of questions. I was thinking of giving it a month or a little longer in primary and then moving to secondary to batch condition for 3 months then bottle.

 

[Philip_T]

mrkrausen, here is what I did.
Primary = 2 weeks
Secondary = 2 weeks
Added provided additional champagne yeast right before bottling.
I called Williams to get the yeast they used in this kit and went to my LHBS and bought a second that I used to get a starter going. Then I pitched the starter along with the smack pack included. Wyeast Abbey II (1762).
Used my new Williams aeration system (so nice not to have to rock the carboy)
Added the whole spice pack included.

Definitely go longer in the primary than the recipe calls for (only 7 days).....and I would recommend at least 4 weeks of total ferm time. Your call for a 3 month batch condition would probably be a good call.

Watch your ferm temps as well. I think I started mine a little low at 64, but then raised it gradually up to 72. I've heard that if you go even warmer with Belgians that you can obtain more of the banana vibe. I may try a higher ferm temp next time I do it to compare the difference (this is my 1st Belgian batch).

One more thing I noticed. When bottling, the instructions call for you to add priming sugar and yeast to water at between 80-105 degrees. I did this and had a weird reaction to the sugar when I added the yeast....it all started sticking to the bottom of the pan. So, next time I'm going to boil the sugar in 1st to get better dissolving action, then cool to 90ish, then add the yeast.

Good luck with the brew!

Phil

 

[Philip_T]

One more thing.

Hopefully you have a basement or other closed off area to ferment this in. The smell emitted over the first few days is like a rotten egg salad, sulfur, fart bomb. When I opened the door to my storage room after the 1st day of fermentation, the stench almost knocked me over.

 

[mrkrausen]

Thank you for the additional information. Yeah, I made their triple in November and being a novice only left in primary for the 7 days. I've learned a bit since then. I'm excited for it to get here. I'm planning on brewing this up May 5th for Homebrew Day. As far as a separate fermentation area, unfortunately I live in a one bedroom apartment and usually ferment in my room or a closet. I guess I'll have to keep the windows open or get creative. Thanks again.