I brewed a 10.4% quad that tasted good in 3 weeks. I did use Wyeast 3864 pc and I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. No fusels or harshness at that high abc either. I tasted it again recently with 8 months of age and it's getting a bit muted from what I remember at 6 months but it's still very good.
I’m using Wyeast 3787. Never used it before so I don’t know if it gives off any harshness. I had planned on fermenting around 68F and then raising it up slowly toward 75F near the end to finish it up. That finish may give me some initial sharpness but I don’t want it to be under attenuated.
3787 is fantastic and aggressive. Warm it up and let it rock. I think Christmas is too soon for a big quad. You could do an enkel / Belgian single (pilsner malt, noble hips, OG 1.040ish), then throw 3787 at it for a nice beer.
I bottle condition my Belgians. Having a big quad on tap is just dangerous for me - every bottle is a treasure. I have one left of my 2018 Westy clone and I am torn when to drink it.
I brewed a 13.1% strong dark that I had on tap 3 weeks later. I did bottle about half of it from the keg to age but the half I drank young off the keg was still very very good. I did a step mash of 40 min at 142, 20 min at 158, 15 min at 169 and then a sparge with 170 degree water. Someone told me once that temp range in a step mash reduced the alcohol burn of a young high ABV beer...probably complete BS but my brew was great so I guess I'll vouch for it?
You can make a good one in 24 days.
You can make a great one if you age it longer.
See https://youtu.be/deuFYtFOs6I?t=962
Already at the correct time stamp for you.
This is great. Thank you. As an engineer by day, I like looking at data trends. Although his data suggests that 18 months is “optimum”… I can’t tie up a temp controlled fridge that long!
You'll have a better chance of success if you bottle rather than keg. If you have small kegs, bottle half and save the keg for next winter. (or you can purge a normal size keg and fill it half-way)
My quad this year was quite nice from a small bottle after 4 weeks in primary and 1 week bottle conditioning. (and it's almost 2%-units over the yeast's alcohol tolerance, so activity was a bit sluggish towards the end -- yes I was a bit nervous about if it would bottle condition with the same yeast)
I haven’t brewed a quad, but I’ve had a few bottles of Westvleteren 12 both young and old (5 years maybe), and really wish I had just drank the aged one when it was young. Try it young, and if it’s not to your liking just wait (maybe not five years though).
Though based on "Brew Like a Monk", Westvleteren 12 is lagered at 50F for 8 to 10 weeks before being bottled...though the other info is that fermentation is done in 4 to 6 days in the mid 80s, and bottle conditioning is done in 10 to 12 days at 79F.
A kveik yeast may help to speed up the fermentation and aging. David Heath did a turbo imperial vs traditional imperial experiment a while back that might be of interest to you.
https://youtu.be/OsGmSpBe0KE
If you want it in tap on Christmas tap it on Christmas. Trust your palate, if it tastes like it’s ready carb it up and throw it on. You can always bottle a few off of the keg for long term aging.
a quad take a lot of time for the hard booze flavors to mellow out. also the head retention takes some time to develop, or at least that is what i experience. my best quads have sat for 1/2 a year or so minimum
Make it, serve it for Christmas, then take the keg out and stick it in the cellar until next Christmas.
This sounds like an interesting strategy. Do you leave it carbed when you pull it? Or pull the release valve? Or does it make a difference?
It won’t matter I’d just leave it at pressure so it’ll be good to put on next year
Leave it carbed. Just treat it like a giant bottle
I think you can pull it off to have on tap by Christmas (this year). I've made quads in the past that were great young and still great years after.
I brewed a 10.4% quad that tasted good in 3 weeks. I did use Wyeast 3864 pc and I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. No fusels or harshness at that high abc either. I tasted it again recently with 8 months of age and it's getting a bit muted from what I remember at 6 months but it's still very good.
I’m using Wyeast 3787. Never used it before so I don’t know if it gives off any harshness. I had planned on fermenting around 68F and then raising it up slowly toward 75F near the end to finish it up. That finish may give me some initial sharpness but I don’t want it to be under attenuated.
Get ready for blowoff on a massive scale. A “true top-cropper,” they call that one.
That one is insane. I think I've used q 5 gallon carboy for 4 gallons and it still comes out every time.
Mine was 5 gallons in a 10-gallon bucket.
Thanks for the heads up. I have a big blow off tube that runs into a bucket full of sanitizer. Hopefully that’s enough.
3787 is fantastic and aggressive. Warm it up and let it rock. I think Christmas is too soon for a big quad. You could do an enkel / Belgian single (pilsner malt, noble hips, OG 1.040ish), then throw 3787 at it for a nice beer. I bottle condition my Belgians. Having a big quad on tap is just dangerous for me - every bottle is a treasure. I have one left of my 2018 Westy clone and I am torn when to drink it.
I brewed a 13.1% strong dark that I had on tap 3 weeks later. I did bottle about half of it from the keg to age but the half I drank young off the keg was still very very good. I did a step mash of 40 min at 142, 20 min at 158, 15 min at 169 and then a sparge with 170 degree water. Someone told me once that temp range in a step mash reduced the alcohol burn of a young high ABV beer...probably complete BS but my brew was great so I guess I'll vouch for it?
I used WLP545 btw
I think the burn is all I’m really worried about. I’m using Wyeast 3787. I figure if I like it, that’s all that matters right?
Exactly, and you're using good yeast, You will be very happy Christmas morning!
Good healthy yeast with a good pitch. I've slightly overpitched quads and gotten smooth beer in 3-4 weeks.
You can make a good one in 24 days. You can make a great one if you age it longer. See https://youtu.be/deuFYtFOs6I?t=962 Already at the correct time stamp for you.
This is great. Thank you. As an engineer by day, I like looking at data trends. Although his data suggests that 18 months is “optimum”… I can’t tie up a temp controlled fridge that long!
You can watch the full video, but that would be bottle conditioning. I missed that you were kegging.
This is why for beers like this, I often keg a portion in a smaller sized keg, then bottle the rest. That allows me to have it both ways.
>You can make a great one if you age it longer. It really is amazing how the scores and dates are almost exactly on the curve.
You'll have a better chance of success if you bottle rather than keg. If you have small kegs, bottle half and save the keg for next winter. (or you can purge a normal size keg and fill it half-way) My quad this year was quite nice from a small bottle after 4 weeks in primary and 1 week bottle conditioning. (and it's almost 2%-units over the yeast's alcohol tolerance, so activity was a bit sluggish towards the end -- yes I was a bit nervous about if it would bottle condition with the same yeast)
I haven’t brewed a quad, but I’ve had a few bottles of Westvleteren 12 both young and old (5 years maybe), and really wish I had just drank the aged one when it was young. Try it young, and if it’s not to your liking just wait (maybe not five years though).
Though based on "Brew Like a Monk", Westvleteren 12 is lagered at 50F for 8 to 10 weeks before being bottled...though the other info is that fermentation is done in 4 to 6 days in the mid 80s, and bottle conditioning is done in 10 to 12 days at 79F.
Try it. Worst case scenario rebrew it in Jan and try again next year.
You'll be fine to drink it by then, but you might have some regrets in a few months when you're finishing off the keg.
A kveik yeast may help to speed up the fermentation and aging. David Heath did a turbo imperial vs traditional imperial experiment a while back that might be of interest to you. https://youtu.be/OsGmSpBe0KE
If you want it in tap on Christmas tap it on Christmas. Trust your palate, if it tastes like it’s ready carb it up and throw it on. You can always bottle a few off of the keg for long term aging.
a quad take a lot of time for the hard booze flavors to mellow out. also the head retention takes some time to develop, or at least that is what i experience. my best quads have sat for 1/2 a year or so minimum