Planning first Belgian (golden strong ale)... what to do after fermentation?

[DVCNick]

The brew itself seems straightforward enough, but once fermentation is complete... it seems like it gets blurry real fast and many folk's accounts of this seem to be light on specifics at best.
So what should be done after final gravity is hit with a Belgian golden strong ale?
I can put it in a pressure fermenter with good temp control, so pretty much any option should be on the table.
TIA

 

[Kickass]

I’d package and begin sampling around the 1-2 month mark. That’s knowing nothing about your beer and making a generic recommendation.

 

[DVCNick]

I’d package and begin sampling around the 1-2 month mark. That’s knowing nothing about your beer and making a generic recommendation.

Thanks... Keg is fine? (there does seem to be an above average drive to bottle this... but... obviously would prefer to avoid that unless there isn't a better way)
What temp for the 1-2 months?

 

[kevin58]

Yes, you can just keg it. I keg and put it in the keezer right away. Be patient and try not to sneak too many samples because they really do get better after a couple months of conditioning.

 

[Kickass]

Keg is great. That’s my preferred method.

 

[DVCNick]

So keg, 35 degrees, wait two months?
That certainly works for me.

I've also read accounts of (I believe) people letting it sit around at ~55f for a while, which I can do, but again would prefer not to since it would clog up my temp chamber for a while.

 

[MaxStout]

Once fermentation is complete, leave it in the FV a while longer, maybe a month. It won't hurt to have it in the primary vessel that long. Then package and let it ride at least a few more months. It gets better with age.

Belgian goldens are typically carbed high, over 3 volumes.

 

[DVCNick]

Once fermentation is complete, leave it in the FV a while longer, maybe a month. It won't hurt to have it in the primary vessel that long. Then package and let it ride at least a few more months. It gets better with age.

Belgian goldens are typically carbed high, over 3 volumes.

Thanks... I know they ferment at relatively high temp. So if going this route (say 5-6 weeks in the fermenter) would it be fine to drop it into the 60's after FG is reached, to allow for fermenting a "normal" ale alongside it in the same chamber?

 

[MaxStout]

Thanks... I know they ferment at relatively high temp. So if going this route (say 5-6 weeks in the fermenter) would it be fine to drop it into the 60's after FG is reached, to allow for fermenting a "normal" ale alongside it in the same chamber?

Sounds like a good plan. Ferm warm then soft-crash to 60s.

 

[hottpeper13]

I keg at 4 weeks with 4 oz pure cane juice sugar from aldi and let it condition next to the lagerator. After 3 weeks it gose in the 33* chamber hooked up to CO2. I like 3-4 weeks in there, then it's on tap when space allows.

 

[hotbeer]

You briefly mentioned bottles, but the replies seem to be focused on kegging which apparently you do both.

If you do decide to bottle, then after fermentation is over you probably still need to leave it in the FV for up to 5 weeks. Dropping the temps after the 2nd week if you have temp control. That will give all the suspended stuff time to settle and the beer to mature and age. That will keep your bottles from having a thick layer of sediment to easily get stirred up when you pour and lessen it's great taste.

Secondaries and other stuff you can do during aging is something you probably need to try just to see what works better for you and that particular recipe. But realize you can just leave it in the FV. So if you make it often, try different ways.

 

[DVCNick]

I would much prefer to stick to the keg if it is possible to get good beer that way.

If aging for months and months is ideal, I might want to bottle some from the keg already carbonated, just to clear the space in the kegerator.

Sounds like opinions vary significantly.

 

[DVCNick]

I keg at 4 weeks with 4 oz pure cane juice sugar from aldi and let it condition next to the lagerator. After 3 weeks it gose in the 33* chamber hooked up to CO2. I like 3-4 weeks in there, then it's on tap when space allows.

Just curious, why do this instead of force carb it?

 

[mac_1103]

Just curious, why do this instead of force carb it?

I do it because it forces me to condition the beer at ambient temperature for an extra three or four weeks.

 

[hottpeper13]

^^^ ya that. and I don't pressure transfer so I hope it helps with oxidation. Even if you don't want to do the sugar thing, hooking the keg to CO2 and leaving at ambient temps for 3-4 weeks is a good idea for beers above 7%

 

[ninkwood]

I'm glad OP started this thread as I recently had a similar question. I brewed a 10.5% ABV Belgian Quad about 3 weeks ago and my intention is to age this beer for a minimum of 6 months. It sounds as though OP and I have a similar setup except my fermentation chamber can only fit my fermzilla. So unless I stop brewing with temp control for 6 months (not gonna happen) I have to age this beer at either keezer temp (38* f or so), or at room temperature (high 60s).

I'm still not certain how I will proceed, but the beer is hanging out at 62*f for now. I plan on cold crashing soon for about 5 days, kegging most of the beer and bottling the last gallon (I brewed about 6 gallons) so that I can compare the quality of the two as they age.

Some questions I have:
1) are there pros and cons to keg conditioning vs force carbing?
2) it seems the preferred temperature for aging is cold vs room temperature. I have to decide between one or the other
3) are bottles better for long term (6 months plus) aging?

This beer is only 3 weeks old but I'm really happy with where it's at. It finished on the drier side but it has a wonderful sweetness to it, and tons of Belgian yeast character. It's still harsh, but there's alot of potential here.

 

[DVCNick]

Tomorrow is brew day for me.
New recipe and relatively new equipment, but I'm expecting it to finish somewhere in the 7-8% abv range.
Based on this thread I think I'm going to just take a middle of the road approach; about a month in primary, then keg it, maybe let it hang out there on gas for another couple weeks, then chilling it for a month or so.

If it's good (or even if it's not I guess) and I'm getting toward the end of the keg, I might bottle some off then to age longer. Once it's tapped in my kegerator, it's gonna get drank sooner than later since I only have two taps anyway.

 

[sibelman]

I recently faced similar questions with a Belgian strong ale. I decided to bottle condition - it's taken quite a while to fully carb up.

Both in the secondary (a keg - I needed my primary for other beers!) and in the bottles, it's been stored in a bedroom closet for want of any better alternative. So, in the 60s, and not nearly as temp stable as I'd like.

This all seemed to work well, apart from an unexpected chill haze that I can't blame on storage/conditioning temperatures. The yeast character (Abbaye) is very evident. Moreso than in Duvel.

Best of luck, all who venture this path.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I’ve brewed quite a few Belgians. IMO bottle conditioning is the only way to go. I’ve split my batches several times. I always prefer the conditioned portion. The keg just doesn’t develop the same way. I’ve saved many 750ml bottles and that’s what I use. I carb to 3+ volumes.

 

[DVCNick]

I wonder what the difference would be.

Even if I wanted to bottle condition all or a large portion of the batch, all the bottles I have on hand right now come from New Belgium, they are pretty thin, and I'm not sure 3.5 volumes would be a good idea. I guess I could start buying some Duvel off the shelf and save those.

 

[ninkwood]

I’ve brewed quite a few Belgians. IMO bottle conditioning is the only way to go. I’ve split my batches several times. I always prefer the conditioned portion. The keg just doesn’t develop the same way. I’ve saved many 750ml bottles and that’s what I use. I carb to 3+ volumes.

Interesting. Frankly not what I want to hear since kegging is so darn simple and bottling such a pain. If I remember, I'll come back to update this thread in a few months once I have an opinion on this current batch. I highly doubt I'll actually make it six months, I have the patience of an 8 year old on Christmas Eve when it comes to beer.

 

[Jeroen79]

I would also go for botteling and re-fermentation in the bottle, its the Belgian way and that way your beer will also last a lot longer then on a key.

 

[HM-2]

Why not prime the keg and let it naturally carbonate up to 3.0 volumes via secondary fermentation? You'll be waiting a bit but you'll get a similar outcome to bottling.

 

[Bobo1898]

Why not prime the keg and let it naturally carbonate up to 3.0 volumes via secondary fermentation? You'll be waiting a bit but you'll get a similar outcome to bottling.

This is a nice alternative, especially if you do x amount of time aging to your liking and then start drinking it. I would say if you know your sweet spot in aging, kegging with sugar way more convenient.

Personally I like the experience of trying Belgians bottles over time without taking up a tap line. I'll always hang on a to a few for a LONG time to see how they hold up. Another benefit is you can lay some of them on their side and see the difference in profile.

I recently kegged (force carbed and not primed) a Belgian saison for the first time (only always bottled before), because I didn't have anymore bottles at that the time. It was good. Turned out really good after a month or so in the keg. I think I still prefer re-fermentation in the bottles.

 

[HM-2]

IME circa 3 months of secondary fermentation time is a good target for big pale Belgian beers.

 

[Snuffy]

I’ve brewed quite a few Belgians. IMO bottle conditioning is the only way to go. I’ve split my batches several times. I always prefer the conditioned portion. The keg just doesn’t develop the same way. I’ve saved many 750ml bottles and that’s what I use. I carb to 3+ volumes.

I agree. That little sugar bump and extra fermentation makes bottle conditioned seem to peak quicker. Kegged ages well too but takes longer to notice.

 

[DVCNick]

I could do the keg conditioning/carb with sugar in the keg.
Does it actually make a better beer, or is it just a help to make you warm-condition it longer? I can have patience if that is all it is.

If you go this route, I assume you don't want to cold crash in the fermenter first, because you want yeast in suspension?

I haven't done anything but force carbing in a long time.
I do appreciate everyone's thoughts.

 

[ninkwood]

If you go this route, I assume you don't want to cold crash in the fermenter first, because you want yeast in suspension?

I don't think you have to worry about having enough yeast in suspension. I've effectively bottle conditioned beers after cold crashing without pitching conditioning yeast. I think it comes down to your preference for clarity.

 

[DVCNick]

My understanding is that this is supposed to be a clear beer, so I assume that means no yeast in it is desirable by the time you drink it.

One benefit to sugar carbing it is that I wouldn't have to sort-of-guess how much pressure and how long it would need to force carb to 3.5vol... whatever it is, it would be way out of whack from my other keg, and I only have on regulator... if the keg started off carbed correctly, I can see how it would be easier to manage.
The calculator says I need 19psi just to hold a steady state 3.5vol.

 

[ninkwood]

Yeah I have the same issue as you do with pressurizing a beer to higher than average/serving pressure. I also have my CO2 rigged up inside my keezer so it wouldn't be convenient to pressurize at room temperature. All of this combined with the general theme of this thread has me leaning pretty hard towards keg conditioning this quad at room temp for a few months after I cold crash and transfer to a keg/bottle. I think I'll leave mine as long as I can stand it before adding it to the keezer and taking a sample. If it still needs more age, I'll let it sit in the keezer for as long as it takes before the quality of the beer exceeds my patience. At that point I'll compare it to the bottled beer to see which I prefer, and save another bottle or two for a much longer amount of time to see if it continues to improve with age.

This should be a fun experiment, but I'm keeping my expectation low as I still don't have much conviction with any of this.

 

[HM-2]

I could do the keg conditioning/carb with sugar in the keg.
Does it actually make a better beer, or is it just a help to make you warm-condition it longer? I can have patience if that is all it is.

Honestly most beers are better naturally carbonated. I just don't do it as often as I should because I'm lazy.

But it's a combination of factors here.

 

[DuncB]

I follow the Duvel method approximately.
Ferment in PET conical, spund at end to around 2 vols, at terminal slow cold crash to near 0C, drop yeast and then add finings, cold condition 3 weeks dropping the finings.
Then counter pressure bottle fill and add priming dextrose and a small amount of freshly spun up yeast to target 3.5 vols.
Wait 3 weeks in warm and then cool in fridge.
I use champagne bottles 750 and 375, whole process takes about 80 days.
It's a bit fiddly but results are good.

 

[ninkwood]

I follow the Duvel method approximately.
Ferment in PET conical, spund at end to around 2 vols, at terminal slow cold crash to near 0C, drop yeast and then add finings, cold condition 3 weeks dropping the finings.
Then counter pressure bottle fill and add priming dextrose and a small amount of freshly spun up yeast to target 3.5 vols.
Wait 3 weeks in warm and then cool in fridge.
I use champagne bottles 750 and 375, whole process takes about 80 days.
It's a bit fiddly but results are good.

When would you say this beer hits its peak? I like the method but I can't counter pressure bottle fill at the moment.

 

[DuncB]

When would you say this beer hits its peak? I like the method but I can't counter pressure bottle fill at the moment.

I reckon every bottle has been great and I've been drinking them over the last 2 years.
The Duvel people say that it's best drunk fresh, but others like old Duvel.
Good discussion on Gourmet brewers youtube channel.

The choice is yours!

 

[DVCNick]

Update:
Pitched the morning of 9/7. Kegged 10/18. OG 1.067, FG 1.008 ABV 7.7%
Warm conditioned until today, put in the kegerator 11/27. Took a sample; nothing offensive about it to me; seems to be tracking nicely.
Going to force carb/wing it and maybe start taking more samples around Christmas.