WLP540 Abbey IV Ale Yeast

[lhd7osc]

Hello everyone!

So I created what I thought to be a nice easy Abbey Ale (my first) using the WLP540 Abbey IV Ale Yeast. The numbers:

OG: 1.030 (short story, split a batch we had only 7 gals between the two of us)

I pitched the yeast and it did great Saturday and Sunday for a bit. Looks like it has fizzled out. Can I assume since most of the reviews from White Labs, that this yeast only took me down to perhaps 1.020ish? I'll take a reading today. As I understand it; take three readings and if they're the same...then rack over to secondary.

And what can I do to get this bad boy going again? I have some Cherry extract I could throw in there?

 

[lhd7osc]

Took a reading last night. It was 1.020 which makes me think the fermentation stopped (HammerTime!)

So I added a can of Vintners Harvest Sweet Cherry Puree which is bubbling nicely. I'll take a reading later today.

So my question: will this increase my Alcohol content?

 

[ChessRockwell]

Took a reading last night. It was 1.020 which makes me think the fermentation stopped (HammerTime!)

So I added a can of Vintners Harvest Sweet Cherry Puree which is bubbling nicely. I'll take a reading later today.

So my question: will this increase my Alcohol content?

Does it have sugar in it? Then yes.

What about the reading being 1.020 makes you think the fermentation stopped? From what I can tell in your post, it's been what, 4 days? Patience man!

 

[lhd7osc]

Does it have sugar in it? Then yes.

What about the reading being 1.020 makes you think the fermentation stopped? From what I can tell in your post, it's been what, 4 days? Patience man!

It did fire up again. And you're right....I need to just let it do its thing.

 

[ChessRockwell]

Let us know how it turns out! I'm interested to see what you think of that yeast, I haven't tried it yet.

 

[djbradle]

A couple issues with this yeast being that number one, it is very sensitive. From a couple of online boards like brewingnetwork, BBBoard, and morebeer, it appears that this yeast cannot be abused by temp changes, underpitching, low oxygen, and also seems to have trouble with higher mash temps (this being my issue).

1. Pitch a veeery large active starter (I did about 1 cup full). Oxygenate high and do it the next 2-3 days.
2. Pitch this starter around 60 degrees and primary ferment at 65 degrees for the first couple days.
3. Let it ramp up to 70 or just above after this let it ride for more than 4 weeks, maybe longer. It's a slow burner.
4. Mash temps are questionable depending on how many adjuncts and crystal/caramel malts. I'd now do 150 degrees for 90 minutes. As you can see I used many fermentable sugars (including the pilsner malts,dme and grain) and a low ratio of caramel/adjuncts.

My experience thus far with a batch I brewed 1.5 weeks ago.

A little complicated since I overshot my sparge water and did an 8 gallon batch instead split with 2 gallons going with wyeast 1214.

13lb 15oz Belgian Pilsner Malt
3 lb ~ Briess Pilsen Light DME
2lb 8oz X-Light Dry Malt Extract
1lb 12oz Briess Caramunich
1 lb ~ Belgian Candi Syrup, Clear
1lb ~ Candi Syrup D-180
1lb ~ Flaked Corn (Maize)
1lb ~ Belgian Candy Sugar Dark
~ 9oz Belgian Special B
~ 8oz Flaked Oats
~ 3oz Weyermann Carafa I

26lb 7oz

Mashed for 60 minutes at 153. Boil for 90 min. I fermented at a controlled 60-62 ambient degrees. Blow-off strong. The krausen dropped after three whole days. I ramped it up to low 70's after 5 full days and now have it in the upper 70's low 80's. The reason is that the gravity was only 1.044 after 1 whole week, 4 days after the krausen fell. After 1.5 weeks it's 1.042. A whopping 58% attenuation thus far . .
I'm still gonna let it ride for 4 weeks plus and then if my FG is still too high I'm pitching it onto a 3711 cake of about 1 gallon+ of yeast slurry.