Wyeast 3538 - PC Leuven

[Judochop]

Anybody have experience with this one? I just found one dead-end thread on the subject.

I’ve got a tripel working on its second day in the primary. After pitching at 70 on Sunday evening, it creeped up to 80 and beyond sometime over the next 24 hours. (How far beyond, I don’t exactly know… my carboy tape thermometer only goes to 78.) It might have had something to do with the vigorous nature of the strain, but maybe also the towel I had around the carboy and the Fermwrap I had taped to the towel and left plugged in overnight.

My house thermostat is set to 68, so I thought the beer might need a little snuggling warmth to keep it in the mid 70’s like I wanted. I guess it didn’t need my help at all!

Anyway, last night (about 30 hrs into fermentation) when I figured she was running too warm, I removed the towel and turned the house thermostat down to 66 overnight. This morning, Day 2, it was bubbling away @ 74. Whew! (Wyeast gives the 3538 a range of 65-80 degrees.)

Just wondering what people’s experience is with this particular strain and what advice would those people would have for my fermentation approach from this point onward. Will 24 hours of extreme temps make banana soup of my beer?

I tell ya, fermentation temps is a sensitive area. I’ve got a few options in my house; upstairs is 68, downstairs is 64, and I’ve got this fermwrap thing, so I feel like I should be able to make just about any ale strain feel at home, but one they get kicking, they cruise out of control! What’s a host supposed to do with such unruly company?! (Aside from building a temperature-regulated guest room.)

 

[smizak]

Never used the yeast, can't help you there.

Your temperature control however, Son of a Fermentation Chiller
http://www.bayareamashers.org/gadgets/son_of_chiller.pdf

 

[Judochop]

My tripel, on day #4 in the primary, is slowly coming to a halt. The airlock bubbles are now 4-5 seconds apart. I took a whiff of some of the output (I just like to do that, especially for belgians or high-hopped beers) and caught a slight sulfuric note.

I'm well aware that CO2 burns the sinuses, so it could just be that I'm smelling, but I thought there was something else going on.

What would a sulfuric smell mean? Could that just be typical of a healthily, freshly fermented belgian yeast such as this one? I added 1lb of candy sugar to the fermenter on Day #3 of fermentation. Don't know if that has something to do with it.

I'll take a gravity reading, and save the sample for drinking tonight probably. Please don't let it be nasty.

EDIT: I just checked up on 'sulfur' and what that could mean. Yeast autolysis is the first diagnosis, but I'm only on day #4, so I doubt it. Possibly infection. Curses! Hopefully my nose is just lying to me.

 

[mtngoat]

My limited experience has taught me that fermentation smells are all sorts of whacky and you can never really know what the final beer is going to taste like. I had an Irish Red spike in temp like that and had super stinky fermenting smells and ended up really tasty.

I say RDWDAHB.......

 

[Judochop]

Yes, advice no less wise today than when it was first given. Although I'm at work so the "DAHB" portion will have to wait just a little longer.

Cheers!

 

[smizak]

FWIW, I have a tripel in primary right now that went through a sulfury phase. Different yeast, but similar strain.

 

[Judochop]

REPORT: No sulfur. Very green, perhaps a little hot, but nothin' wrong.

Cloudy like Seattle though. The website calls this strain a high flocculator. Looks like a wit. And I didn't use any wheat.

9 lbs belgian pils
4 lbs belgian pale
smidge of aromatic and carapils

When should I expect a high flocculating yeast, to, um... actually flocculate?

 

[Judochop]

Just reporting back on this one.

Kept my tripel in secondary for 8 weeks, and kegged it last week. Took a sample today, and it's a bit hot in the aftertaste. Hint of pepper. I believe it's alcohol and not unsavory phenolics I'm tasting.

However, the saison-lite I brewed with the same yeast turned out just great, and that was AFTER it had gone through the ringer making this 9% ABV tripel and then sat in a mason jar in the fridge for 2 weeks exposed to the tripel as well. For now I'm concluding my tripel flaws are probably more to do with design error than yeast error. Or maybe the Leuven just ain't cut out for tripels?

 

[GuldTuborg]

Keep us posted on your 2 brews here. There's still 3 weeks or so left in this seasonal strain, and I'm thinking of using it as well.

I wouldn't worry about the hot taste in the triple. Triples are big beers, and need some age to them to mellow out, even when they've sat in a secondary for a while. Definitely needs more time in the keg. Anyway, that's been my experience with anything that ends up over 6-7%.

 

[KMOX]

I've got the PC Leuven working on a dubbel right now.

It's a funny story - I was set to brew two weeks ago, but some (4) ants snuck into my starter and died. I assumed that it was a lost cause, but I left it sit for about a week, gave it a taste, and decided that it didn't taste infected.

So...I went ahead and brewed the dubbel. It came out to 1.069 and included 2 lbs. of piloncillo sugar.

I had decanted the starter and gave it another 2 L of very weak wort. I decanted the second starter, cooled to below 80 F, and pitched. Within 12 hours (i.e. 7 am the next morning), I had a massive rocky head and the snowglobe swirling - very, very vigorous.

The head fell within 12 hours, and it's been quietly bubbling since. So the bulk of fermentation ran through in less than 48 hours! I've still got some activity and might measure FG on day 3. More than likely, I'll just let it sit and work out it's own issues for 10 days or so.

Overall, it was the fastest start and the most vigorous fermentation that I've ever had! I will update on tasting notes later in the month.

 

[kingmatt]

I used the Leuven on my Grand Cru last month. Cracked one open yesterday after about 2 1/2 weeks in the bottle and it is already awesome:rockin: Can't wait to see how it is after some extended conditioning...

 

[godofcheese]

I have a belgian pale ale going with this yeast right now. When I checked it on Sunday it was quite cloudy. Seemed quite tasty though.

 

[GuldTuborg]

I have a triple still fermenting away after maybe 10 days with the Leuven yeast. So far it's smelled distinctly of cider, with just a hint of sulfur. Definitely one of the odder smelling fermentations I've had.

How are the rest of your brews coming along? Has a bit of aging helped the flavors? What levels of attenuation are you guys seeing?

 

[godofcheese]

You know, mine put out a TON of sulfer as well while it was fermenting. I fermented a bit warm (78 or so). It almost doesn't even taste like a Belgian though. Might be the amount of hops I used, but I get more British pale ale then I get belgain. Also, it settled out nicely after a cold crash.

Weird yeast. I would use it again for fun.

 

[GuldTuborg]

I also have a dubbel fermenting with the Westmalle yeast, brewed 1 week later than the triple. Now I have an odd urge to wash them together and see what my Frankenyeast creation will do. Hmmm.

 

[kidsmoke]

I am currently using this in a patersbier and was wondering how this yeast worked out for everyone. I got hints of banana from the airlock at one point...

 

[Judochop]

I am currently using this in a patersbier and was wondering how this yeast worked out for everyone. I got hints of banana from the airlock at one point...

I used it in both a 9.5% tripel and a light, lawnmower/Patersbier-type thing, and I have to say, I preferred it in the lighter beer. Of course, other factors may have been at play, but I thought the yeast was a little too peppery for the tripel.

 

[kidsmoke]

I used it in both a 9.5% tripel and a light, lawnmower/Patersbier-type thing, and I have to say, I preferred it in the lighter beer. Of course, other factors may have been at play, but I thought the yeast was a little too peppery for the tripel.

Other than the pepperiness how was the flavor profile? I did get a hint of banana as it was fermenting, as you mentioned in your original post, so I was wondering if any of that showed up in the final product.

 

[kidsmoke]

Just bottled up my patersbier on the 5th. The hydrometer sample was pretty tame overall. Slight clovey note, maybe a hint of pepper, but not much else. I think next time I use this yeast I'll let it get beyond the 68-70 range I had it in.