Belgian Dark Abbey Ale Recipe Fermenting Temperature?

[kinkothecarp]

So yesterday I brewed the following recipe:

10 lbs Liquid Pilsner Extract
1.50 lb Amber Candy Sugar
1.00 lb Caramunich Malt
8 oz Biscuit Malt
7 oz Special B Malt
5 oz Aromatic Malt
1 oz Chocolate Malt

1.00 oz Sorachi Ace @ 60minutes giving 21.6 IBU / 14 HBU

Wyeast Abbey Ale II (Rochefort Yeast)

8.9% ABV
Original Gravity
1.089
Final Gravity
1.022

I pitched the yeast (without a starter, because, well, it's a long story...but I've pitched without a starter before in a few Imperial Stouts with a mix of American Ale I, II, and Pacman and I'm not TOO worried - unless I should be with this yeast?) Anyhow, I pitched at maybe 84-85' when it was outside, we got some really wierd weather, and when I woke up 8 hours later, my house was around 54', so I'm guessing the beer was about 60ish. I turned the heat on and got my house to about 65ish. The beer was fermenting away wildly, so what ambient temperature should I try and keep the beer at (knowing its hotter inside the fermentor)?

 

[bknifefight]

I'm sure the WYeast website has specs for that yeast's temp. Belgian strains usually like to have the temp raised slowly through the fermentation. Maybe 65ish and up it 1 degree each day until you get 72. If it doesn't finish dry enough, you can probably up it to 80 without ill effects.

 

[mr_bell]

Mr Malty calculates nearly a 4 liter (3.87) starter with that OG. Are you worried about under-pitching as well as temp control?

 

[kinkothecarp]

Maybe. I've wayyyyyyy underpitched Imperial Stouts according to Mr. Malty and they all came out fine. Once I even underpitched a stout with a washed Pacman yeast that was a few months old. It took a week to get going, and by the time it did we pitched an American Ale II on top of it (we got worried). The thing fermented 24 hours later to 1.020...We've aged it on oak and it's *awsome* now. I've also vastly underpitched an Imperial Chocolate Stout before, too. There is a thread about not pitching starters somewhere on the forum, so I'm not too worried considering the thing is going crazy now.

Should I be worried?

It seems like that within 24 hours, I should have the same number of yeasts (or at least close) as anyone who pitched a starter.


This is a quote from the thread:
"Did any of you listen to the Brewing Network show a couple of weeks back? They had Chris White of White Labs on. Good show with A Lot of yeast info. Including unless you're making a 2+ liter starter all you are doing is waking the yeast up, certainly will speed up the lag time, but it won't increase you cell count. Good show, check it out if you missed it."

 

[althalos]

I agree, especially with the higher gravity beers optimal starter size and efficient aeration are key. I usually hold than any ABV's above 9 need an airstone and oxygen cylinder to properly aerate. Also check out info about adding olive oil to starters and brews for cell membrane sterol production. You add literally a drop to a 5 gallon batch and can see efficient fermentation. Really interesting stuff.

 

[mr_bell]

This is a quote from the thread:
"Did any of you listen to the Brewing Network show a couple of weeks back? They had Chris White of White Labs on. Good show with A Lot of yeast info. Including unless you're making a 2+ liter starter all you are doing is waking the yeast up, certainly will speed up the lag time, but it won't increase you cell count. Good show, check it out if you missed it."

I've heard those podcasts on the BN with Chris White and JZ too, talking about the topic. Agree 1 yeast pack into a 1L or a 2L starter will not produce a high enough cell count for say a 1.089 beer. I can't say I'm speaking from experience. I've never done a beer that big in 2 years brewing. Closest I've done was my Bourbon Barrell old ale at 1.074, and I used 15g (calculated w/ Mr Malty) of re-hydrated S-04. If you're pleased with your end result, it's all good.

 

[kinkothecarp]

The first is essentially what will underpitching do to this particular beer? How badly will it mess stuff up?
I heard that a lot of Belgian breweries under-pitch and that it is hypothesized by Stan Hieronymus in Brew like a Monk that underpitching actually contributes to the flavor associated with Belgian ales. So, did I just wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy underpitch?