Westvleteren 8 recipe

[Arbe0]

2/12/25 I brewed a Westvleteren 8 recipe from Candi syrup web site. I tried to do everything the recipe says. The OG started at 1.067 and now on 2/14/25 (two days later) the Gravity is down to 1.017. I have never had the gravity drop that low so fast before, has anyone had the gravity drop so fast and could there be a problem with that.

 

[SaisonMan]

I recently brewed their Westvleteren 6 recipe, using Omega Belgian Ale yeast. It went from 1.058 to 1.021 in two days. Not the same recipe or results as yours, but I don't think that kind of drop you saw is out of the question -- or perhaps even unusual. Just my two cents.

 

[Franktalk]

Some yeast strains ferment very fast! There is no problem except with some yeasts you must do a diacetyl rest at the end of the fermentation. If it is one that produces diacetyl, it could be a problem. I guess the question is what yeast did you use?

 

[Arbe0]

in reading the recipe once again I think I should have started at 65 F and ramped it up to 78 F for 6-7 days per the instructions (maybe at a few degrees a day intill I got to 78 F). I missread and just fermented it at 78 F. Maybe this should have brought it up to a diacetal rest. Note to me read instructions better.

 

[VTMongoose]

You fermented too warm. I would expect that the final beer will be very esterey and have also a very "hot" high fusel alcohol character.

You won't need to worry about diacetyl with Westmalle's yeast strain.

 

[mac_1103]

I never worry about temperature control with my Belgians. Just let them free rise. They're supposed to be estery after all. Then again, I don't start them at 78F either.

 

[Civilian]

I brewed a dubbel the other day and pitched BE-256 at 69' it rose to 78" in 3 hours and by 24 hour gravity was down to 1,010 from 1.066 and temp was down to 71' and 48 hours later it finished at 1.007. Sample tasted great before bottling.