AG#27 - Strong Dark Belgian Ale - With Pics (Chimay Yeast)

[floydmeddler]

OK. Still refusing to buy new yeast as of yet as it is still bubbling away happily. 12 days later, the gravity is now 1036. I've roused the yeast today for the second time since starting the ferment and the air lock has lots of healthy activity. Have also risen the temp to 25c. Took a taste and it is superb.

I'll let it go until it stops fermenting. If I feel that the gravity is still to high, then I can add fresh WLP500. Still haven't added the Candi Sugar... Decisions decisions...

[Tony01]

Nice one! Looks as though you may need to add the sugar and the new yeast at the same time .. or if the taste is good now, just leave well alone and ferment out.

[floydmeddler]

Yep. Might leave the candi sugar out actually. Was planning on making a 10% beer but I suppose 8% is great too.

[Barley Water]

Oh, I think if I were you and the stuff keeps fermenting, I would get the sugar in there. Besides adding a little flavor (depending on exactly what type of sugar you are adding) it will also tend to "thin" out the beer a little and make it more drinkable. The thing you want to watch out for with some of these Belgian strong ales is that they can be so sweet as to be cloying, especially if they do not attenuate they way they should. Since sugars are highly fermentable, they tend to drop the terminal gravity, in this case a good thing. The other thing you want to watch out for is getting too much in the way of fermentation by-products which can add a medicinal taste as well as hot fussel alcholols. 10% beer is some pretty serious stuff though, I have never made anything that strong myself. I think you did well to hold off on the sugar until the yeast took care of the rest of the fermentables, at the end of the day I suspect that decision will end up saving your butt on this one.

Once the temperature rises a little in the spring here, I think I will try a Triple. I believe I will follow your lead and add the sugar after the primary fermentation has almost finished. I need to poke around the ethnic markets around here and see if I can find some really wierd sugar to throw into the formulation.

[floydmeddler]

Cheers for the reply BW. From what I've read online, thie Chimay yeast usually has a FG of 1012-1015. If it falls to that, I'll have an 8ish% beer which shouldn't be cloying or too thin... I hope!

The sugar I was planning on adding is homemade Belgian candi sugar. I've made it before with success using this method:

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Metho ... andy.shtml

Who knows where this brew story will end! I just look forward to drinking it in the summer months!

[floydmeddler]

Down to 1020 today and still fermenting!

[floydmeddler]

Good old perseverance has paid off! Gravity down to 1016 now and still bubbling away. Won't be adding candi sugar as this is already 8%! Really happy.

Been in the fermenter for more or less 3 weeks now. Plan on leaving it for another week then racking into a secondary vessel for a few weeks to settle and drop more if need be. I'm not bottling this stuff until I'm certain the job is done!

[crookedeyeboy]

Great stuff Floyd Might need your expertise when it comes to converting my 60lt blue barrel!

[floydmeddler]

Right... Now this is getting scary. Still dropping. Down to 1014 now. That's an attenuation of 82% as it stands!

Should I allow it to keep going? Still healthy-ish airlock activity and temp is still at 25c. Tasted it and can defs get an 'alcohol sting' from it. The alcohol seems to be more prominent than any other flavour. Is this normal at this early primary fermentation stage?

ADVICE PLEASE!!

[floydmeddler]

Great stuff Floyd Might need your expertise when it comes to converting my 60lt blue barrel!

No probs man. Give me a shout when you need help!

[coatesg]

ADVICE PLEASE!!

Yup - exactly my experience with it. I think you're gonna have to let it finish up - it'll be done when it's done! I found last week that my Belgian pale (OG1072->FG1007!!) is quite strongly alcoholic, but then that's why it gets lagered (currently been 1 month in the near freezing garage ) and then extended aging to hopefully smooth it out.

[floydmeddler]

ADVICE PLEASE!!

Yup - exactly my experience with it. I think you're gonna have to let it finish up - it'll be done when it's done! I found last week that my Belgian pale (OG1072->FG1007!!) is quite strongly alcoholic, but then that's why it gets lagered (currently been 1 month in the near freezing garage ) and then extended aging to hopefully smooth it out.

1007?!? Do you think I should rack it off this 3 week old yeast cake or let it sit until fermentation has stopped? Don't like the idea of leaving it in primary for this long. Also, should I keep it at 25c?

Thanks for the reply!

[coatesg]

1007?!? Do you think I should rack it off this 3 week old yeast cake or let it sit until fermentation has stopped? Don't like the idea of leaving it in primary for this long. Also, should I keep it at 25c?

Yeah - but I had a fair amount of sugar in there too which will all ferment out completely. It will be fine in the primary for another week especially if it is still fermenting - it may only become an issue after the yeast becomes dormant.

[floydmeddler]

Cheers. Have a hydrometer in there constantly so can take readings every day. Hope it stops soon! Don't want it any stronger!

[floydmeddler]

OK. This little monster has stopped at 1011. That's an attenuation of 85%. Alcohol is at 8.58%. Am, as you can imagine, very happy!!!

Plan: Switch off immersion heater and rack into my glass secondary vessel in 2 days time. Leave for 6 weeks to settle and condition. Bottle.

So, after 6 weeks ageing in the glass vessel, how long should I leave it in bottles before drinking? I've heard of people leaving this stuff for months i.e. treating it like a fine wine.

Cheers