Belgian Strong Ale Wyeast #1388 question

[DrunkenWeasel]

Ladies/Gentlemen,

I'm a bit concerned with a Golden Strong I'm brewing and appeal to your collective wisdom for insight.

Recipe: 10gal all grain.
22 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 73.3 %
2 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.7 %
6 lbs Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM) Sugar 3 20.0 %
5.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 27.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Belgian Strong Ale (Wyeast Labs #1388) [1400.00 ml] Yeast 5 -

I applied pure O2 for 1 min before pitching a 3 liter starter.

Embarrassingly, I'd forgotten that my high gravity hydrometer was broken in my last move, so I couldn't measure the precise OG. However, the OG was estimated to be 1.09. I've historically been very close to the estimated OG, or a few points higher, so I estimate my OG to have fallen between 1.09 and 1.095.

Three weeks after pitching, I've measured my gravity and it's sitting at 1.032. Beersmith estimates a FG of 1.011. There are signs of a very slow fermentation still occurring, but I'm concerned that I'm stalling well short of the finish line.

This is my first high gravity beer, so I'm open to (helpful) suggestions on how to move forward. I anticipated being well into conditioning by now, and am slightly frustrated that this will impact planned future brews.

Thanks

 

[highgravitybacon]

Raise the temp over a day or two to 80f+ and see if you get any decrease in gravity.

Sent from my C5170 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Renoun]

Lots of people are using 1388 for meads starting in the 1.095-1.110+ range that ferment dry with appropriate care. Raising the temperature (I set carboys/buckets on top of my electric hot water tank covered by a blanket) combined with some agitation to rouse the yeast may be helpful in restarting your fermentation, read this blog post to decide how high you want to go.

 

[Hello]

I'd raise the temp a bit. You can also take a cup of beer, put it in a flask and pitch any kind of yeast to it. If it ferments over a couple of days then you know you're not done yet. If you raise the temp and that doesn't do anything then it sounds like it could be stuck to me.

 

[DrunkenWeasel]

Thanks for the replies. I'm raising the temperature up to 75 degrees in hopes that activity picks up. If that doesn't yield perceivable results, I may take my wine degasser and use it to agitate yeast from the bottom of the conical back into suspension. I'm open to any other thoughts or suggestions.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

What was your mash temp? I ask because there was a similar situation with a guy in my LHBC and we were all baffled until he mentioned he had mashed at 160f. After hearing that it was a no brainer why his FG stuck in the 1.030 range.

 

[Beerswimmer]

I also had a 1.110 get stuck at 1.03 something using 1388. I raised the temp, stirred, added more yeast etc. and nothing worked. I racked it onto a big cake of 3787 to get it down to 1.010.

 

[DrunkenWeasel]

What was your mash temp? I ask because there was a similar situation with a guy in my LHBC and we were all baffled until he mentioned he had mashed at 160f. After hearing that it was a no brainer why his FG stuck in the 1.030 range.

Mash temp was 156. Would you care to elaborate on why it would be a no brainier at 160?

 

[Denny]

Mash temp was 156. Would you care to elaborate on why it would be a no brainier at 160?

High mash temp reduces fermentability. As does 2 lb. of carapils, which really has no place in a BGSA,

 

[DrunkenWeasel]

I began a starter for 3787 yesterday. I'm going to work it up to about 3L in size before I pitch it in at 73.

 

[Denny]

I began a starter for 3787 yesterday. I'm going to work it up to about 3L in size before I pitch it in at 73.

I would definitely recommend NOT pitching at 73 unless you want big time esters and fusels. You'll end up better off pitching in the mid-low 60s and letting it rise after a few days.

 

[DrunkenWeasel]

I would definitely recommend NOT pitching at 73 unless you want big time esters and fusels. You'll end up better off pitching in the mid-low 60s and letting it rise after a few days.

Why do you say this? The recommended temperature range is 64-78F, as stated on the Wyeast labs web site.

 

[AerationStation]

If you pitch at that temp the yeast will be hyper active and produce allot of flavor compounds while they replicate. Your better off starting low during replication and ramping up as they go in to the attenuative phase (24-48 hours later). This will also help get you down to target

 

[Denny]

Why do you say this? The recommended temperature range is 64-78F, as stated on the Wyeast labs web site.

That's the range at which the yeast works, not the range which necessarily makes the best beer. I have a LOT of experience with that yeast and pitching it at 73, when the heat of fermentation will make the temp rise even more, is not good idea. Not only that, but Westmalle (the origin of the yeast) starts low and lets it rise. You'd think they might even know a bit more than Wyeast. Your choice, though...

FWIW, I do know a bit about Wyeast and how the temp ranges are determined. Look at WY1450.

 

[DrunkenWeasel]

If you pitch at that temp the yeast will be hyper active and produce allot of flavor compounds while they replicate. Your better off starting low during replication and ramping up as they go in to the attenuative phase (24-48 hours later). This will also help get you down to target

I sincerely appreciate your continued insight. I've done a fair share of reading and am surprised I never picked up on this. Do you have a reference you can recommend so I can brush up and gain a better understanding of these nuances?

 

[AerationStation]

I sincerely appreciate your continued insight. I've done a fair share of reading and am surprised I never picked up on this. Do you have a reference you can recommend so I can brush up and gain a better understanding of these nuances?

Yeast by Jamil and Chris White is a good one imo

 

[Denny]

I sincerely appreciate your continued insight. I've done a fair share of reading and am surprised I never picked up on this. Do you have a reference you can recommend so I can brush up and gain a better understanding of these nuances?

also, look at Brew Like a Monk by Stan Hieronymous for info about this yeast.