Belgian Yeast

[jtp137]

How long in the bottle does it usually take to get that classic Belgian yeast flavor to develop and what yeast did you use. I have used WLP500 (chimay) and it takes around 4 months to get the esters. Before that it is really clean. Do any other stains develop quicker?

 

[iversenbeer]

I really like WLP545, I just made one with a blend of that and wyeast 3522 and that has some great belgian flavor and is only 3 weeks old (2 primary, 1 in the keg just tapped 2 days ago). I think that temperature might be your problem, what temp are you fermenting at? I pitch the belgians around the low end of their tolerance and then use a brew belt to kick the temp up to the high range after about a week in. A lot of belgian breweries have "hot rooms" where they bottle condition at warm temps (75+ I think). I would read Brew Like a Monk as I'm pretty much just paraphrasing the info it contains.

 

[jtp137]

I really like WLP545, I just made one with a blend of that and wyeast 3522 and that has some great belgian flavor and is only 3 weeks old (2 primary, 1 in the keg just tapped 2 days ago). I think that temperature might be your problem, what temp are you fermenting at? I pitch the belgians around the low end of their tolerance and then use a brew belt to kick the temp up to the high range after about a week in. A lot of belgian breweries have "hot rooms" where they bottle condition at warm temps (75+ I think). I would read Brew Like a Monk as I'm pretty much just paraphrasing the info it contains.

I usually ferment three week primary and cold crash. Would the cold crash do it?

 

[GinSlinger]

When bumping up the temperature for Belgians, what's the protocol for how long? If you remove the heat after fermentation is complete, won't he yeast go dormant and not finish cleaning up/conditioning? Do you keep the higher temperature for a couple of weeks after FG is achieved?

I have a golden strong in primary on 3944 (reused wit cake). Fermentation started almost immediately after pitching (maybe 2 hours). Needed a blow-off, of course. Kept it at 64 at this time. After the krausen stopped trying to escape, I slowly ramped up the temp (about a degree a day) until I hit 78. Have held it there now for almost two weeks. Still getting a little airlock activity, but am thinking I'll check the gravity soon to see how close it is to done. Assuming the thing is at a decent FG, do I need to keep it warmed or can I let it come back to room temperature? I'm using an older electric blanket with no auto-shut-off and am always a little worried leaving it running non-stop.

OG: 1.082
22% cane sugar
WY 3944 quart of thin slurry harvested the day before
Hoping to get to about 1.008 or so FG
Brewed 2/1/13

 

[julioardz]

You shouldn't be getting the yeast flavor during bottle conditioning or secondary, it develops during primary fermentation, and it is based on your pitch rate and fermentation temperature. If you did not use a starter for a 5+ gallon batch, you likely under pitched and produced off flavors which may clean up after a month or two in the bottle. If you fermented way too warm, same thing may have happened and it may clean up in time. But if you over pitched and/or did primary fermentation way too cold, then you missed the opportunity for the production of those Belgian flavors you were shooting for, and your beer may come out tasting too clean, which to me, sounds to be the case.

 

[jtp137]

You shouldn't be getting the yeast flavor during bottle conditioning or secondary, it develops during primary fermentation, and it is based on your pitch rate and fermentation temperature. If you did not use a starter for a 5+ gallon batch, you likely under pitched and produced off flavors which may clean up after a month or two in the bottle. If you fermented way too warm, same thing may have happened and it may clean up in time. But if you over pitched and/or did primary fermentation way too cold, then you missed the opportunity for the production of those Belgian flavors you were shooting for, and your beer may come out tasting too clean, which to me, sounds to be the case.

I have the probe on the outside of the carboy. What is the difference in temperature of outside verses inside.

 

[julioardz]

When bumping up the temperature for Belgians, what's the protocol for how long? If you remove the heat after fermentation is complete, won't he yeast go dormant and not finish cleaning up/conditioning? Do you keep the higher temperature for a couple of weeks after FG is achieved?

I strictly control the fermentation temperature until it reaches FG, then I let it condition at room temperature, 65ish or above.

 

[julioardz]

I have the probe on the outside of the carboy. What is the difference in temperature of outside verses inside.

People will say it varies by a wide range, so it's best to measure it yourself for your setup. I've measured my wort/beer temperature to be 4 degrees warmer than whatever my Johnson temperature controller is set to. The temperature strip taped to the side of my bucket is usually off by around 2 degrees. But you'll read on here people saying there are differences of 10 degrees or more.

 

[julioardz]

Do any other stains develop quicker?

Oh yes, and I get really good results with WLP568. It's a Saison yeast blend. Other Saison strains may stall and take a while to finish fermenting, but this one finished up quick and I have always been happy with the flavor after a month of carbonating and conditioning in the bottle.

 

[GinSlinger]

I strictly control the fermentation temperature until it reaches FG, then I let it condition at room temperature, 65ish or above.

Thanks!

 

[Cyclman]

Made a Belgian 8, with Wyeast 1762, drinking some as I write this. Belgians are IMO the pinnacle of yeast magnificence. Mine was a simple extract boil, with lots of sugar- only pitched one pack, let ferment naturally in my 70 degree basement. Put into secondary after 2 weeks, bottled after 4. Let bottle condition at 70 for three more weeks- minimum carbonation at that point, still rather rough.

Let sit in my 40 degree beer cave ever since. At two months, it was good, but not fully integrated. Three months, it was smooth, a little sweet (still raw sugar tasting), but very good. Now, at four months, it is fantastic. It has medicinal phenolics, huge dried fruit, it is as smooth as silk. As good as many commercial dubbles I have had, and I have tried very many. Unfortunately, only 10 bombers left.

I would be very against "cold crashing" a belgian, you're likely to put the yeast right to sleep, and you're not going to get the full benefit of bottle conditioning. I would keep it above 40, and not change temps more than 5 degrees in a day, to keep yeast optimally active in the bottle.

I'm brewing lagers right now, as I want to have some nice bocks this summer, but in a month, I'll be doing my next few batches of belgians- a trippel, a double, maybe an oak aged cherry quad. Should be ready by winter.

 

[julioardz]

...with lots of sugar- only pitched one pack...

I'm not criticizing and I don't know your recipe numbers, but this may be why you're waiting 4 months for it to be fantastic. If you have no problem waiting, then it's no big deal. However, under pitching can create off flavors and increase ester production, making your beer "rough" for those first few months. Again, no big deal if that works for you, but it's something to consider if you don't want to be waiting so long.

In Belgians, Saisons, and Hefes, I have noticed longer conditioning times and off flavors when I under pitch (just add the vial or pouch) as compared to making an appropriate sized starter.

I agree about not cold crashing Belgians. I like mine to be a little hazy. There's something strange to me about a crystal clear Belgian. I do cold crash most of my other ales though.