Belgian session ale maturation time

[loctones]

Summer is coming up and I'm looking to make a tasty Belgian-style beer without the usual high alcohol content. I read Farmhouse Ales a while back, and am thinking about making a saison-inspired beer. I'm looking at something that finishes dry with an ABV of 4 to 5%.

The yeast I'm going to use will be WLP570 or Wyeast 1388, as I'm going to make a golden strong after this beer.

What I'm wondering is how long the beer will take to mature. Will this beer be ready in 5 or so weeks like American style beers of a similar strength, or do the flavors from Belgian yeasts cause the beer to take longer to mature? I'm not very experienced with Belgian yeasts and the pipeline is going to be empty soon.

 

[Prionburger]

I'd treat it just like American yeasts.

The yeast flavors change over time, but the session ones are great when fresh. Some of the yeasts don't flocculate as quickly as California ale, but they still drop out if given time in the fridge. The esters are mellower when you give it some age, but they don't drink them very old in Belgium unless it's a dark strong.

Just think how rapidly commercial Tripels are rushed out the door (it's about a month, isn't it?). Imagine how much faster a 4% beer would be.

I'm drinking a 6% Saison right now (started at 1.050) that's only 2.5 weeks from grain, and it's already very drinkable, although somewhat cloudy.

 

[DBear]

With most of my belgians including low alc (4-4.5) its minimum 2wks in primary usually 3wks and two weeks to bottle carb. My low alc versions they are usally best at 1-2 months. (since I have no patience two months is usually my last bottle.)

The 570 & 1388 are great fermentors but lousy floculators so unless you filter or cold crash you may need xtra time for the yeast to fall.

-Cheers

 

[loctones]

Thanks, that's good to hear. I'm planning on doing a primary of about 3 weeks, depending on how quickly the beer gets to final gravity. I've never used 570 before, and it will be interesting to see how long it takes to flocculate. I'll give it a few more weeks in the keg, if I can wait, and see how the flavor changes as the yeast drops out over time.

 

[Prionburger]

Sounds good. I find these beers flocculate better if you have a nice healthy Jamil-style fermentation.

I like to lock my fermenter up in a Styrofoam box with a temperature controller and a heating pad on low. I like these yeasts because I can start them at 68f, and I let the temperature go up as much as it wants to; no refrigeration needed.

Be sure to sample it over time. You know, to get familiar how Belgians change over time.

 

[loctones]

Most definitely! I've been trying to make nice low-alcohol beers lately. Tonight, I've had a good handful of samples of the English brown ale I made recently. It hasn't changed a lot over the last few hours, but I'm going to have a few more tastes, just to make sure it doesn't change too dramatically tonight.