Yeast Bay Northeastern Abbey

[falkaveli]

What's up folks...

I just picked up a vial of Northeastern Abbey from Yeast Bay to try on some of my pale Belgians. I have a Wit planned for next week and a Golden Strong planned for the week after. You guys have any experience with this strain?

Specifically, here are a couple questions particular to this strain...

1) Would you recommend an intentional underpitch on either style (say 20%) to encourage ester development with this yeast?

2) Can you recommend some fermentation schedules for this yeast (for both styles)?

Thanks!

 

[falkaveli]

Bueller?

 

[Weezy]

This is Ommegang's yeast. I think there's something in Oldsocks book about ferm profile. I'll look when I get a chance.

 

[falkaveli]

Thanks Weezy. I've read in a few places that they ferment in the high 70s. That scares me in a pale Belgian with The potential for fusel alcohols and high phenolics.

 

[the_adj]

Hey did you ever figure out a fermentation schedule?

Today I brewed a Witbier and pitched a full vial of TYB Northeastern Abbey and am kind of just winging it on temps/times. I haven't found a lot of useful information out there. If you ended up brewing that Wit, what was your experience?

Right now I'm taking the approach - cooled to 64, pitched, set to 67 for the first 36-48 hours, then free rise to 72 for ??? how many days? I'm really wondering if this yeast needs extra time to clean up etc.

Cheers

 

[tagz]

I'd love any info/experiences as well. I have some en route. BTW, hey have a sale on right now; you can pick up a vial for $4.50.

 

[daksin]

For an unfamiliar strain I would start with a "standard" pitching rate, and then play with the cell count on subsequent batches, to establish a baseline.

 

[falkaveli]

Ok gents, the wit is pouring and it is very good. Here's what I did....

I pitched at normal pitch rate (.75m/ml/degP). Started at 70 for 3 days and didn't notice much ester development on my palate...so bumped up to 73 and kept it there for another week and a half (on vacation). The esters showed up, but they are light. Nice for a witbier, but I'd want more for a tripel/golden strong. They are about at Dogfish Head Namaste levels right now. I'm brewing a golden strong in a few weeks and I think i'll pitch a healthy dose (1m/ml/degP) and ferment at 75 from the start. Aggressive, I know...but I like to live dangerously!

Side note, it's a slow working yeast, so if I was a betting man, I'd say that Ommegang ferments as high as possible to finish their beer as quick as possible to support higher commercial turnover. According to Brew Your Own interviews, Ommegang pitches 1mil/ml/degP (2006 article) and ferments at 79 deg F (2009 article).

 

[the_adj]

So I brewed 5 gal of 1.046 Wit and pitched a single vial at 64 F (Sunday eve). Set ferm chamber to 66. Few bubbles, on surface, not much of anything tho, so I set to 68 @ 36 hours. Bit more krausen but what the hell, lets keep ramping, raised to 70 @ 72 hours. Went to kick it up to 72 @ 108 hours (Friday morning) and holy hell was there a thick, brown, gooey, monstrous krausen! Had to bring it inside the house Saturday afternoon to make space in the ferm chamber - house is 68 - 72. I'd take a gravity reading for ****s and giggles but I'm pretty sure that goo is a dimension to another realm. I'll let y'all know how this guy develops!

 

[ericbw]

If this is Ommegang, I have used bottle harvested yeast from them. I fermented a saison at 80+ degrees and got esters. I wasn't crazy about it but it worked.

I'm currently carbonating a patersbier/enkel with that yeast. It fermented at about 72-73, and seems much more mellow. It finished higher (1.011) but had some crystal in it.