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Author Topic: Belgian Tripel Fermentation  (Read 2509 times)

Offline waltsmalt

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Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« on: April 24, 2020, 03:40:29 pm »
I have a Belgian Tripel fermenting that I brewed on Sunday.  I’m tracking it’s progress with a TILT, and I’m wondering if it’s starting to stall out.  It’s been at 1.041 for about a 1/2 day now.  Started it out at 64 and have moved it to 70 over the past few days.  It’s been a while since I brewed a beer like this.  Pitched a decanted 3L starter with two packs of White Labs yeast (Abbey Yeast). 

Should I have any reason to worry?  Still hearing some bubbles out of the fermenter. 

Offline denny

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2020, 04:11:42 pm »
In BLAM, Stan said that the last 10% of a  elgian yeast fermentation can take as long as the first 90%.  It hasn't even been a week yet.  Relax.
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Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2020, 10:57:50 am »
I would not worry. It's only been a few days and it sounds like fermentation is off to a good start. If it has been a week and you're still at 1.041 then I would be concerned. Fermentation is an organic process it is not a perfect straight line from OG to FG.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2020, 11:00:10 am »
I don't have a Tilt but from what I understand of the mechanism, if there's krausen stuck on it you could get a false reading. I'd at least double-check with a hydrometer before taking any action.
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Offline BrewBama

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2020, 11:04:23 am »
I don't have a Tilt but from what I understand of the mechanism, if there's krausen stuck on it you could get a false reading. I'd at least double-check with a hydrometer before taking any action.
  I can validate that statement.


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Offline waltsmalt

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2020, 06:39:00 pm »
I don't have a Tilt but from what I understand of the mechanism, if there's krausen stuck on it you could get a false reading. I'd at least double-check with a hydrometer before taking any action.
  I can validate that statement.


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I thought this same thing.  Gave it a good shake this morning hoping that helps, but so far it hasn’t moved in the last 24 hours.  I’ll take a reading Monday or Tuesday and then figure out what’s next.

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2020, 09:53:20 am »
I don't have a Tilt but from what I understand of the mechanism, if there's krausen stuck on it you could get a false reading. I'd at least double-check with a hydrometer before taking any action.
  I can validate that statement.


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I thought this same thing.  Gave it a good shake this morning hoping that helps, but so far it hasn’t moved in the last 24 hours.  I’ll take a reading Monday or Tuesday and then figure out what’s next.

How was the activity in your starter? Did it look healthy? Which yeast was it exactly?

Offline waltsmalt

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2020, 05:49:39 pm »
So, it’s been three weeks since brew day.  Checked the gravity today and it was 1.016.  A couple of questions:
1) Seems to still be a little bit of activity, but do you think this beer will make it to 1.009 (targeted FG)?
2) At what point should I consider repitching more yeast?  In the past when a beer stalled out, I had very little luck in getting it to ferment out with Champaign yeast

If this gets stuck here, I’d probably dump instead of keeping this around as there is nothing worse than an under attenuated Belgian beer. 

Thoughts?

Offline spurviance

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2020, 09:23:59 pm »
I didn't ever see your OG or your recipe, but if you had this yeast seem to stall out early in fermentation it's not terribly surprising to see the whole process take longer than planned.  Have you thought about adding a bit of light belgian candi syrup?  The yeast that are still active will gobble it up and might help accelerate the process of fermenting more of the wort sugars, driving your FG down closer to your target.  In addition I'd have the temp at the very top of the range for your yeast strain
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Offline waltsmalt

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2020, 06:29:37 am »
OG was 1.081
WLP530, which lists a range of 66-72.  I started off at 64 for the first 6 days, then ramped it up to 70.  I was considering going slightly above the range at this point to see if that would help. 

Early question was about the starter.  The starter was very healthy.  I cold crashed the starter, decanted, and pitched. 

I’m willing to wait if that’s the answer, but also want to brew another beer for a fishing trip next month.  May have to pull this one from my fermentation chamber at just let it finish (if it will) at ambient temps in my basement (mid to upper 60’s now).

Offline denny

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2020, 09:19:15 am »
It may be done.  What was your recipe?
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Offline waltsmalt

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2020, 09:52:19 am »
Recipe:
10 gallon batch

85% Belgian Pils
14% Cane Sugar (added at end of Boil)
1 % Aromatic Malt

3L starter with 2 packs of WLP 530
Beersmith OG: 1.084 (hit 1.081)
Beersmith FG: 1.008

Step Mash:
10 min @ 131
90 min @ 149
30 min @ 155
Mash Out @ 168
(Yeah, I know what more complicated than needed, but I wanted to try it to see if it made any difference)

On another note, it's still bubbling so maybe I'm just impatient.


Offline denny

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2020, 10:01:50 am »
No red flags in the recipe.  And while I might expect it to finish lower, I never take software FG estimates at face value
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2020, 10:34:33 am »
Agreed. If you haven't brewed this recipe before, all that happened is you just learned the actual FG.
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Offline spurviance

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Re: Belgian Tripel Fermentation
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2020, 02:04:15 pm »
OG was 1.081
WLP530, which lists a range of 66-72.  I started off at 64 for the first 6 days, then ramped it up to 70.  I was considering going slightly above the range at this point to see if that would help. 

Early question was about the starter.  The starter was very healthy.  I cold crashed the starter, decanted, and pitched. 

I’m willing to wait if that’s the answer, but also want to brew another beer for a fishing trip next month.  May have to pull this one from my fermentation chamber at just let it finish (if it will) at ambient temps in my basement (mid to upper 60’s now).

1.081 to 1.016 is 79% attenuation...can't complain about that.  Sounds like it's probably done, but no harm letting it condition a bit longer in your basement while you use your chamber for your next batch.
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