Usually just in the 75F to 80F range for Saison and Trappist yeasts. I am curious to experiment more. I brewed a recent Tripel with M-31 Tripel split with fermentation control vs ambient. The batch at ambient pushed itself up to around 78F during active fermentation and has some off putting fusel characters. The batch fermented in the mid to upper 60F's is very good.
Yeah, it's those fusels that always have me worried. I read about how many people push into the 90's, but I feel like that's just inviting the fusels...
Think of the sugar addition as a bowl of ice cream for dessert. It’s super easy for the yeast to consume, and they likely won’t leave any if it unfinished. Think of your fermentable wort as the dinner. I add the sugar addition just after the main ferment seems to slow, so maybe 3 days or so. This lets the yeast concentrate on your wort, and then finish real strong after the addition. As far as changes in taste when added at the boil vs later, I don’t know but would guess it’s negligible. If anything, maybe sweeter added at the boil if everything wasn’t completely fermented.
If I follow, it has to do with what sugars the yeast is working on and in what order. Easier for the yeast to eat the simple sugars, so they will do those first if available.
Cool. If that is the main reason, then I'd probably never do it - at least with my current procedures (lots of yeast and sugar). My latest Saison is sitting at .997 SG, so I'd say fermentation is mostly complete!
I won't argue, because you are right about balance, and there seem to be a lot of others who have that same opinion. With that said, I am personally more interested in the flavors I can get from the yeast. Perhaps it's the former NEIPA brewer in me, but I love big bold flavors. That does not mean my beers are to style, but they do seem to stand out -- and people (and local judges) seem to like them.
Nice. I haven't had the opportunity to taste the real thing, but just brewed up a Westvleteren 8 clone on Sunday based on a recipe from the Candi Syrup site. I'm using WLP530, and it's good that I left a lot of headspace in my fermenter because the krausen is huge.
Generally the best Belgian beers are very simple recipes, go with all Pilsner malt and some noble hops to get to the desired IBU.
Agreed. My standard grain bill is 100% Pilsner. I do play around with what simple sugars/candi syrup I add. But while I'm happy with my dark strong and brett beers, my tripels tend to be on the clean side, even when fermented on the warm side (high 70s and above), using most of the popular Belgian yeasts.
Keep us updated on that Westie 8 clone! It was unfortunate that when I got my hands on my bottle I only opted for one 8 when I could have had two.
Well, we are generalizing here. Simple or complex recipes can work. And I would use Vienna malt in any recipe (not dissing Munich, but I don't use it much).
I think the yeast is the key to success! My theory is that a lot of homebrewers aren't pitching enough yeast. When I made my first Belgian, a tripel, I was so afraid of the high OG that I pitched two slurries and the Be-134 too! It turned out great - in fact, better than any tripel I'd ever had. Kinda rocked my world... While I could never seem to make a NEIPA better than the best, I realized I might be able to make really good Belgians. I soon made my first Saison (also using three yeasts), entered it into my very first contest - and it won! I got to brew it at a local brewery and they put it in crowlers!
When I brewed saisons with 3711 I would regularly take it up to 89-92F. At those temperatures it pumps out more lemon flavor and the phenols are a little more distinctly pepper. Often that yeast is brewed in the 60s-70s where it's kinda boring and amorphously phenolic.
It's interesting that the article mentions the GoT series because I feel like that's about the time Ommegang started losing their way. Before that they were falling out of favor and not putting out as many unique beers. Then they pushed those generally mediocre GoT beers and that started them down the train of pushing one lousy beer after another and their staple beers seemed to disappear from shelves. The last time I recall buying an Ommegang beer in a store was maybe a couple years ago I tried one of the barrel aged Three Philosophers which was fine. I recently came across Rare Vos on tap which I can't recall the last time I saw anywhere.
Funny. I downloaded that recipe and put it in Beersmith on Monday. Let us know how it goes for sure.
...I up the hops a good bit...
Scrolling through some pictures of a trip to Belgium in 2014 reminded me of this thread. I am not sure the Westvleteren beers are "the best beer in the world" but drinking them at the beer garden across the street was one of my most enjoyable beer drinking experiences ever. I brought home a few bottles of 12 and did a side by side with some Quads that I could get locally. The Westy 12 is quite close to St. Bernadus 12 and I like the St. Bernadus just a touch more.
My recently kegged Blond was very close to this recipe from Jamil (fermented with Lallemand Abbaye) and it is wonderful : Belgian Blond: Style Profile - Brew Your Own
My thoughts exactly, that the Westvlereran 12 and St. Bernardus ABT12 are similar AND that I actually think St. Bernardus is a bit better. I absolutely adore St. Bernardus ABT12. That must've been an awesome beer experience though. It sounds great.
Buuut.... Ommegang is American - they're in Cooperstown New York. I get not wanting the extra adjuncts, but their core beers like Abbey, Hennepin, etc, are straight. They sometimes have versions that are tweaked.
I guess we have different tastes:
Second on the Hennepin kudos. Though lately I have gravitated to Rare Vos.They do make IPA's now but they still have some of their classics, like my favorite, Hennepin.
Year-Round - Brewery Ommegang
Official site of Brewery Ommegang, makers of authentic Belgian-style ales in America. Discover our beers, our brewery, get event info, tasting notes and more.www.ommegang.com
Now you have me thinking. I've got a batch packaged that would do nicely as a Bière De Noël, since about half of my batches are Belgian dark strongs. I'll do my best to safe some for Christmas.
