I've a westy 12 clone on about 4 weeks now. Fermentation died down after 2 weeks or so so I racked to 2nd. Not a massive amount of yeast. I forgot to take gravity reading but a week later it was down to 1.040 from 1.084.
I had some WLP500 so i built up a starter of that and added it about a week ago. Its down to 1.026 now and is a malt bomb. Im thinking of kegging and forgetting about till Christmas but I'd rather get it right now.
I have a vial of WLP099 High gravity yeast Im thinkink about pitching just to take it down the last expected 10 or so points.
Ideas before I pitch?
I'be had stuck fermentaions before but this one had get me scratching my head.
I'm just worried the WLP099 will drop it down a lot lower then the 1.010 I had planned for it.
A two litre pitch of WLP500 will chomp that up .. no ?
Although I appreciate you dont want to taint the taste.
I suppose, if you have the patience .. you could grow up a 2 litre starter, put it in the fridge for 3 days, pour out 1.5 litres, then leave out the 500ml pure yeast for a few hours (while at work), then add it to the batch stirring gently.
Sounds like major surgery ... but it just might work ..
I dont know about the turbo yeast .. it will surely leave the beer without body and a base ..
I supose you were thinking this should finish around 1015 ? were ya ?
Recipe supposed to finish around 1.010.
I gave it a 750ml starter at high krausen of WLP500 and it only droppped to 1.026.
Getting worried now.
The big Belgian flavor is there its just far too sweet.
I have had good results with Nottingham for high gravity beers so I may try that before going down the high grav rout.
Just took another sample. Pitched the notty and it dropped down to 1.100 .
Taste is a bit warm. Bit of solvent in the background. May be because its still very young for a Belgian but I'm not holding my breath on this one. I think ill just stick it in a keg and forget about it till Christmas and see how it is then.
Dumped. :'(
What changed in the space of a couple of hours?
First sample I pulled I just cracked the bucket to take a sample. I took another and notices an oily layer on the far side of the bucket.
Decided it wasn't worth tying up a keg with a beer that is possible infected.
Gutted but need to move on and get my new Christmas done.
Brave move!
What yeast were you using? I used WLP540 for the first time and had some trouble with it stalling high also. Apparently 540 has form in that regard.
It was WLP500
I've had great result with WLP500. Even flew through a few beers during Winter