Brewferm Abby brew advice

aaronm13

Hi all. Going to start my second brew tonight, the Brewferm Abby ale. Reading around I decided to make a few tweaks. I ordered dark candy sugar and the Westmalle yeast Wyeast Trappist 3787,to try and get that more authentic taste.

I was reading the instructions from r the Wyeast and it says its for 5 gallon mixes where the Brewferm is only 9 liters. So my main question is do I only use around half the Wyeast or will it be ok to use the full amount? If I only use half can I keep the rest for another brew or is it for the bin, if I can keep it what is the best way to store it and how long would it keep. Thanks in advance.

Carawaystick

Use it all. Commercial brewers use a huge amount of yeast compared to homebrew.

If I have a better than plain yeast brew, I have a second brew ready to pitch on top of the trub of the first brew on bottling day.

aaronm13

Carawaystick wrote: »

Use it all. Commercial brewers use a huge amount of yeast compared to homebrew.

If I have a better than plain yeast brew, I have a second brew ready to pitch on top of the trub of the first brew on bottling day.

Thanks for that and the excellent tip for re using the yeast. Can you recommend a beer kit I could use this yeast on. The Belgian dubel and quad are my favorite styles. If push comes to shove I'll just get another Brewferm one but would like to try something different.

aaronm13

Got this brew going last night, hit the recommended OG of 1.070 so it's started off well and fermentation looks to be kicking off this morning. Really hope the Westmalle yeast adds something to it.

One question and it probably seems stupid but hey I'm new to this. I'm brewing this in a 15l FV and I didn't put a tap on it so I'm wondering about taking further gravity readings. I have a siphon, but I'd have to take the lid off to connect the hose and would air not ruin the brew. It's probably obvious and I'm over thinking it but how best would I take this reading.

Carawaystick

I don't take readings, I just leave the brew for 3 weeks.
Other's would be appalled with this cavalier attitude though...

BeardySi

Carawaystick wrote: »

I don't take readings, I just leave the brew for 3 weeks.
Other's would be appalled with this cavalier attitude though...

Well I've yet to have one that's still going after three weeks...

aaronm13

Treadhead wrote: »

Well I've yet to have one that's still going after three weeks...

In the FV for a week now and fermentation seems to have stopped. I never got any activity in the airlock for some reason but a massive amount of foam on top which seems to settling down. Going to leave it till next weekend before I take a reading but have to say it's smells fantastic already. Really think the addition of the Wyeast 3787 might have been a great addition.

aaronm13

Bit for an update and also looking for some advice here. Anyway took a gravity reading yesterday and it was 1.012 so pretty good I think. Don't have much time over the next few days so will leaving it in the bucket until next weekend be ok? Don't want to ruin it. This will also allow me time to buy another kit. Now this is where I need the advice.

I am ordering the Brewferm Triple kit to do next and I want to reuse the Westmalle Wyeast 3787 yeast. I've been reading up a bit on using the yeast cake and am a bit confused as to the best practice. As the Triple is lighter in color I don't want to put it in on top of the darker Dubbel and the FV has a lot of foam and crap on it. After I bottle the Dubbel can I transfer all the yeast cake into a small container or Ive read a zip lock bag is good while I clean and sanitize my bucket. I can mix up the kit then add all the yeast cake or do I just add some of it. Looking for a bit of clarification as I don't want to waste a good kit for the sake of a 8 euro yeast. I want to order this kit along with light candy sugar but the homebrew company only have the kit and not the sugar and geterbrewed only have the sugar so this might delay things as I don't want to pay double postage. How long could I store the yeast cake for in the fridge too.

Sorry for all the questions just want to get this right.

Carawaystick

Leaving the beer in the fermenter for a week will be grand

You will get most of the old beer out bottling,
You can heel the fermenter over and siphon some of the last bit with some yeast

The 20l of water will dilute almost all colour anyway

Padraig Mor

aaronm13 wrote: »

Bit for an update and also looking for some advice here. Anyway took a gravity reading yesterday and it was 1.012 so pretty good I think. Don't have much time over the next few days so will leaving it in the bucket until next weekend be ok? Don't want to ruin it. This will also allow me time to buy another kit. Now this is where I need the advice.

I am ordering the Brewferm Triple kit to do next and I want to reuse the Westmalle Wyeast 3787 yeast. I've been reading up a bit on using the yeast cake and am a bit confused as to the best practice. As the Triple is lighter in color I don't want to put it in on top of the darker Dubbel and the FV has a lot of foam and crap on it. After I bottle the Dubbel can I transfer all the yeast cake into a small container or Ive read a zip lock bag is good while I clean and sanitize my bucket. I can mix up the kit then add all the yeast cake or do I just add some of it. Looking for a bit of clarification as I don't want to waste a good kit for the sake of a 8 euro yeast. I want to order this kit along with light candy sugar but the homebrew company only have the kit and not the sugar and geterbrewed only have the sugar so this might delay things as I don't want to pay double postage. How long could I store the yeast cake for in the fridge too.

Sorry for all the questions just want to get this right.

Extra week will be no problem at all - will be a good thing if anything. I've been reusing yeast cakes recently. After I've racked to my bottling bucket I shake up what's left (yeast, trub, small amount of beer) and transfer it to a sterile bottle (usually get about 400ml). I leave this in the fridge for up to 3 weeks before using it directly again - I add about half to the next brew. Haven't had any issues yet. I can't imagine you'll have any colour issues from using the Dubbel yeast - the Brewferm tripel is quite dark anyway. I wouldn't be bothered with the candi sugar if it's hassle getting it - use golden syrup instead; I did when I did the tripel kit.

UnknownSpecies

Instead of reusing the yeast cake, you should take a look at this tutorial for harvesting yeast from a starter. If you plan to brew this style often, a stirplate would be a good investment or you could even DIY. Harvesting before fermentation seems much easier and the yeast will always be clean of hop debris etc.

http://brulosophy.com/methods/yeast-harvesting/

aaronm13

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Extra week will be no problem at all - will be a good thing if anything. I've been reusing yeast cakes recently. After I've racked to my bottling bucket I shake up what's left (yeast, trub, small amount of beer) and transfer it to a sterile bottle (usually get about 400ml). I leave this in the fridge for up to 3 weeks before using it directly again - I add about half to the next brew. Haven't had any issues yet. I can't imagine you'll have any colour issues from using the Dubbel yeast - the Brewferm tripel is quite dark anyway. I wouldn't be bothered with the candi sugar if it's hassle getting it - use golden syrup instead; I did when I did the tripel kit.

Thanks from the tips there. Was reading about using golden syrup and might give it a shot, cheaper than candy sugar too. I could also make it myself but looks a lot of work going by the guides I've read. How did you find the Triple yourself, love the likes of the Westmalle Triple, how does it compare?

I've decided to wash and store the yeast like you recommend, just have to get some jars now to store it in. Going to be a busy weekend by the looks of it.

EDIT: Actually forgot I've a 500g bag of dark candy sugar left, would this be OK to use with a Triple or would it be too dark. When I dissolved it in water it was really dark. Thanks also to everyone else for the advice, very helpful.

Padraig Mor

aaronm13 wrote: »

Thanks from the tips there. Was reading about using golden syrup and might give it a shot, cheaper than candy sugar too. I could also make it myself but looks a lot of work going by the guides I've read. How did you find the Triple yourself, love the likes of the Westmalle Triple, how does it compare?

I've decided to wash and store the yeast like you recommend, just have to get some jars now to store it in. Going to be a busy weekend by the looks of it.

EDIT: Actually forgot I've a 500g bag of dark candy sugar left, would this be OK to use with a Triple or would it be too dark. When I dissolved it in water it was really dark. Thanks also to everyone else for the advice, very helpful.

I find it quite sweet / malty - more towards the Westmalle style than say the sharper taste of Chimay Tripel. It's still quite 'young' though, at only 5 months in the bottle. I don't even wash the yeast BTW - just fling the lot into a bottle! I've never used candi sugar, but I'd hazard a guess dark might be a bit too.....dark!

aaronm13

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I find it quite sweet / malty - more towards the Westmalle style than say the sharper taste of Chimay Tripel. It's still quite 'young' though, at only 5 months in the bottle. I don't even wash the yeast BTW - just fling the lot into a bottle! I've never used candi sugar, but I'd hazard a guess dark might be a bit too.....dark!

Good stuff. I'll have to order this up, love the Westmalle Triple. Can't get the candy sugar from the same place as the kit so I'm going to give golden syrup a bash, how much did you use in a 9 litre mix? I'll bottle up my yeast and stick it in the fridge until ready after I bottle at the weekend. Thanks for all the help.

Padraig Mor

aaronm13 wrote: »

Good stuff. I'll have to order this up, love the Westmalle Triple. Can't get the candy sugar from the same place as the kit so I'm going to give golden syrup a bash, how much did you use in a 9 litre mix? I'll bottle up my yeast and stick it in the fridge until ready after I bottle at the weekend. Thanks for all the help.

615g golden syrup (bones of two tins IIRC) - hurrah for keeping records! OG 1.072.

aaronm13

Bottled my Dubbel last week and got an ABV of 7.6% which I was delighted with. Now to wait a few months to try it. Just brewed the Triple there and went well using the golden syrup and re using the Wyeast. Stored it in a zip lock bag in the fridge but took it out first thing this morning to get to room temperature, hopefully it works. Got an OG of 1.073 so really close to the recommended 1.075. My stick on LCD thermometer seems broken so I hope my temps wasn't to high pitching the yeast. I'll have to drop into the Motley Brew tomorrow to get another one and I might get a hand held one too, probably more accurate for brewing.