Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
Gentlemen, I'm mastering brewing Belgian ales. Recently I was advised to rack Belgian ales from the primary vessel as soon as the FG is reached (i. e. bottling after just 8 or 10 days in primary, not after 4 weeks as I usually do). That's supposed to be a way to retain the most of the unique yeast character. What seems to confirm this idea is a recommendation in Fermentis BE-256 Belgian Dry Yeast leaflet: "To maintain the aromatic profile at the end of the fermentation, we do recommend to crop this yeast as soon as possible after fermentation".
My question is, is that true? All other things equal (yeast strain, fermentation temp etc.), does a standard 4 weeks stay in the primary really cleans out, along with fusel alcohols, those desirable Belgic phenols and esters? Is it really better to bottle them ASAP?
My own attempts to find the answer gave quite inconsistent results and my experience in Belgian brewing is quite limited yet.
My question is, is that true? All other things equal (yeast strain, fermentation temp etc.), does a standard 4 weeks stay in the primary really cleans out, along with fusel alcohols, those desirable Belgic phenols and esters? Is it really better to bottle them ASAP?
My own attempts to find the answer gave quite inconsistent results and my experience in Belgian brewing is quite limited yet.