Belgian Tripel...Did I mess up???

[EddieTheBrewerLADET]

Hey everyone,


Pitched my yeast on a tripel about 2 days ago. Today is the 3rd day and its very warm here in LA today so I stuck the fermenter in the bathtub filled with cold water to keep the temp in check, fermentation was quite active this morning before I left for my day out. Came back this evening and somehow my tub had completely drained, most likely via a very slow drain leak. I feel the fermenter and it still feels very cool to touch luckily...however I see no activity in the airlock any more and see no foam on top of the beer inside. Am I ok or did I stall my fermentation?? Thoughts???

 

[giraffe]

Let it warm up, and give it a swirl; it will be fine. If it gets too hot again toss a wet towel over it, that will be good for 3 or 4 degrees.

 

[EddieTheBrewerLADET]

Let it warm up, and give it a swirl; it will be fine. If it gets too hot again toss a wet towel over it, that will be good for 3 or 4 degrees.

I hope so! lol


Also...I still have to do my 1lb Candi Sugar addition. How long would you wait and should I just boil it up in a small amount of water first then cool or just pitch it right in warm?

 

[giraffe]

Dont pitch it in boiling. cover the pot and let it cool to a resonable temp (like 100 or less). Id add it when fermentation starts to slow a bit, but really, the timing isnt that critical unless you are making a 13% monster.

 

[EddieTheBrewerLADET]

Dont pitch it in boiling. cover the pot and let it cool to a resonable temp (like 100 or less). Id add it when fermentation starts to slow a bit, but really, the timing isnt that critical unless you are making a 13% monster.

for sure, its about a 9 percent mini monster haha.

As for knowing when its slowed...the airlock has no activity at day 3. Is this normal and does that mean its slowed? Or do you think it just needs to get some warmth...its already around the same temp I pitched at, maybe a few degrees warmer.

Also, these yeast strains say they can handle up to 85...truth? Also, what happens if I push it to that end? Fusel?

 

[ruger988]

Also, these yeast strains say they can handle up to 85...truth? Also, what happens if I push it to that end? Fusel?

Yes.

Belgian beer happens.

Warmer is better if you're looking for that signature Belgian spice characteristic. 78-80 is damn near perfect for yeast like 3787 IMO.

 

[pdxal]

Give us some more detail.
How about recipe, including yeast. Also, what temperature has the room been at, and what has the beer temp been at? Have you checked the gravity? Airlock activity isn't the best indicator of where your beer is at.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Definitely warm it up and give it a swirl. Keep it at 70F until fermentation restarts and then slowly let it rise to the upper 70's. You can even get into the 80's depending on the yeast. Belgians love the high temps.

Once the krausen starts to lessen then you can do your sugar addition and keep the temps warm. Once the second fermentation slows down, take a gravity reading and see where you are. Don't decrease temps until it is close to FG. No quick temp drops since some strains love to stall out. Give it at least a couple of weeks after fermentation appears done. Some Belgians take a long time to finish. I've never left a Belgian in the fermenter for less than 5 weeks. I had one that dropped 3 points during weeks 3 - 5.

Once you bottle, you will also need to give it a good couple of months to let it condition and the flavors to mellow and meld. My last one didn't hit its prime for 6 months. Patience will be rewarded. Enjoy!