Hi chaps
Just sampled my latest Belgian pale ale which I fermented with harvested Chimay Red yeast. The starter took a while to get going and there was a bit of a lag after pitching (about 18 hours) before a full krausen formed. After that it was a normal fermentation at 23'C - typical temp for a Belgian yeast.
The finished beer, after a week in bottles definitely has a phenolic slighty medicinal taste (akin to Laphroig malt whiskey), more so than any other Belgian I have made. It's not unpleasant to my tastebuds and I'll definitely drink it but I'm not sure if there was a flaw in my brewing processes or whether this is typical of the yeast strain - I have used Trappe and T58 previously and these were more fruity and less phenolic.
Any thoughts from anyone who has also used this yeast? Did I under pitch or ferment too warm?
Rick
Chimay Yeast Flavours
Re: Chimay Yeast Flavours
Chimay pitch and 20 and let it rise to 27/28 over 4 days
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Rick_UK
Re: Chimay Yeast Flavours
So unlikely I fermented too warm? Maybe it is just the flavour profile of the yeast.
Re: Chimay Yeast Flavours
I have used it lots of times with excellent results. This sounds more like chlorine contamination. Not only because of the taste but the time it took to actively start fermenting.Rick_UK wrote: phenolic slighty medicinal taste
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1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Be who you are
Because those that mind don't matter
And those that matter don't mind
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Jocky
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Re: Chimay Yeast Flavours
Belgian yeasts are a bit all over the place flavour wise, but it's fairly common that they floculate poorly, attenuate very well, and need quite a lot of conditioning time.
Leave it a good while and I'm sure it'll sort itself out.
Leave it a good while and I'm sure it'll sort itself out.
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