High Gravity Alcohol Taste Belgian Speciality

[Dylan42]

Im relaxed but need some help/advice. I brewed a belgian speciality with 13.5 lbs of pale malt and 2.5 lbs of wheat malt mashed w/ distilled water @ 154 degrees for 60 min. I over shot my volume, batch sparging yielding 7.5 gal of wort with pre boil gravity @ 1.050. I had to boil for 90 min to get my desired volume. Added 1 oz of centennial @ 60 min and 1 oz cascade @ 15 min. I also added 2 lbs clear candy sugar @ flame out. Then whirlpooled 2 oz citra, 1 oz warrior, and 1 oz columbus for 15 min.
OG 1.086-Pitched 1214 abbey ale wyeast @ 68 degrees.
Dry hopped in the primary with 2 oz citra, 1 oz cascade, 2 oz chinook.
Left in the primary for two weeks. Transferred to secondary, then cold crashed for 1 week.
It appears so far to have a very strong alcohol taste with a very fruity floral aroma.

Right now it is sitting in my kegorator on Co2.

Will this mellow out and have a less alcohol taste? The beer seems to be very tasty minus the strong alcohol taste.

Should I take the keg out of the fridge and let it age in the keg at room temp?

Or is aging it in the kegorator on Co2 okay?

 

[bransona]

That will absolutely mellow out. Higher alcohols are broken down into more palatable ones over time. RDWHAHB

I have a ~14% Belgian imperial porter going into bottles this weekend after more than three weeks in primary. I'm sure it'll be hot, but I don't intend to drink anytime soon. Good things come to those who wait.

 

[RM-MN]

Im relaxed but need some help/advice. I brewed a belgian speciality with 13.5 lbs of pale malt and 2.5 lbs of wheat malt mashed w/ distilled water @ 154 degrees for 60 min. I over shot my volume, batch sparging yielding 7.5 gal of wort with pre boil gravity @ 1.050. I had to boil for 90 min to get my desired volume. Added 1 oz of centennial @ 60 min and 1 oz cascade @ 15 min. I also added 2 lbs clear candy sugar @ flame out. Then whirlpooled 2 oz citra, 1 oz warrior, and 1 oz columbus for 15 min.
OG 1.086-Pitched 1214 abbey ale wyeast @ 68 degrees.
Dry hopped in the primary with 2 oz citra, 1 oz cascade, 2 oz chinook.
Left in the primary for two weeks. Transferred to secondary, then cold crashed for 1 week.
It appears so far to have a very strong alcohol taste with a very fruity floral aroma.

Right now it is sitting in my kegorator on Co2.

Will this mellow out and have a less alcohol taste? The beer seems to be very tasty minus the strong alcohol taste.

Should I take the keg out of the fridge and let it age in the keg at room temp?

Or is aging it in the kegorator on Co2 okay?

Yes it will mellow out a bit with time. I think it will mellow faster at room temp but I can't prove that. I'd probably make another beer to put in the kegerator while the Belgian matures.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

It should mellow some with time. However, your fermentation temp is at the top end for 1214. Depending on how you measured your temp, the beer may well have been 5 or more degrees warmer which puts you into the 70's. That could have generated some fusel alcohol, which does not fade. Only time will tell. Belgian yeasts can be more tolerant of high temps. It's worth waiting to see if it mellows.

 

[Dylan42]

Thanks for the advice, and as for the fermentation temps I started at 68 then moved to 70 degrees for the first week. I lost power the second week and it got down to 64 degrees. I was trying to maintain 70-72 degrees after the first couple of days. I'll just let this thing chill out in the fridge.

 

[bransona]

That sounds reasonable. Most Belgian yeast do fine at that temp range. That's my preferred range for wy3787 for a big fruity, Belgian kick in the teeth. Made a 14% that wasn't boozy at that temp range, even with just three weeks in primary.

 

[daksin]

What's your FG? A dry beer will taste boozier than a sweet one- looks like a large portion of your fermentables were sugar which means this could be a very dry beer indeed.

 

[Dylan42]

What's your FG? A dry beer will taste boozier than a sweet one- looks like a large portion of your fermentables were sugar which means this could be a very dry beer indeed.

I think you may be hitting it on the noggin! It fermented out to 1.010. Maybe I should cut the sugar down next time? Is that a contributing factor? Should I just transfer sooner next time?

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

in brew likea monk most belgian breweries are aging a triple at like 50F for 2+ months. My first triple a year ago was as you described, boozy post keging right after FG was reached. I then pulled it and let it ride in my workshop at ~50F for 2 months and it tasted great. I would get it out of the keezer for a bit and then try it again.

 

[daksin]

I think you may be hitting it on the noggin! It fermented out to 1.010. Maybe I should cut the sugar down next time? Is that a contributing factor? Should I just transfer sooner next time?

I would just cut back the sugar, and if you like, up the mash temperature. Racking early isn't going to affect the finishing gravity .