Multiple Yeasts

[TheBaconator]

Hey,
I'm currently rolling around some ideas for a belgian style beer. I've heard of brewers adding extra fermentable sugars and more yeast after primary fermentation is done and refermenting. Does anyone have any experience with this and if so any pointers?

Would you use the same yeast as in your primary fermentation or a different strain?

Would you pitch the same amount of yeast in a second addition?

 

[Saccharomyces]

Belgian breweries typically add more yeast at bottling because the primary yeast are tired. This is always a good practice but is particularly important when trying to bottle condition a high gravity beer such as a tripel or barleywine. Maybe this is what you read about.

Adding sugar during fermentation the primary yeast ferment it. This works great, and is better than adding it all to the boil since you have a lower gravity for fermentation to start.

 

[Denny]

Adding sugar during fermentation the primary yeast ferment it. This works great, and is better than adding it all to the boil since you have a lower gravity for fermentation to start.

I hear this over and over, yet I have no problems with fermentation when I add it to the kettle. Also, AFAIK, most Belgian brewers add sugar to the kettle, not the fermenter.

 

[user 22118]

I think that you are both right. I have no trouble adding to the kettle, but I think that you really need a healthy yeast and controlled ferment, otherwise it can overstress the yeast. I didn't supply enough quality yeast to my first belgian and it quit around 1.025. You really need healthy and happy yeast in order to really pull off a high gravity beer out of the kettle. Which is why I think so many people are advocating making a lesser gravity beer and adding sugar to it in the fermenter.

 

[TheBaconator]

Cool, thanks for the replies. So it I read about this in "How to Brew Like a Monk". Great book by the way, but I assumed it was a Belgian thing since it was in there. It turns out this is something that Allagash does on their "Allagash Four". They will add four separate strains of yeast at different points during fermentation and enough sugar to make them happy. It's a not quite real style that was dubbed a "Quadruppel".

http://www.allagash.com/four.htm

If you were going to try something like this(probably just start with 2 strains) how would you gauge how much yeast and sugar to add in the second addition? Or is this something that will more than likely turn out bad unless you're culturing your own yeast and are very familiar with it?