Brewing a belgian in colder temps

[Danzar]

Hi folks

I've been out of the game for some time; tonight I just bottled my first batch since 2008!

Can I ask for some advice on whether it would be a good idea or a bad idea to put down a brew using T-58 Belgian ale yeast when average temperatures over the next two weeks are looking like 17-18c? I'm not familiar with the science of brewing ales in the colder months and there's a reason why I want to do so if I can. My brother bought some extract for me last year (some of which I used for tonight's batch) and what I have leftover has just passed its expiry date (March 13). I'm worried that if I wait until the end of the year or early next year, it would have turned.

So, I'm keen to use up as much as what I have before I switch to pilsners and lagers over the winter. What's left in my cupboard is:

• two cans of Morgans Golden Sheaf Wheat beer extract;
• plenty of cracked crystal malt;
• about 500g dry wheat malt;
• fuggles and goldings (just those 14g packet finishing hops); and
• stacks of cascade and perle hop pellets (too bitter for a Belgian yeast I reckon).

So, to clear out my cupboard, I was planning on using that T-58 with the extracts, crystal, what spray malt (for an alcohol boost) and finishing hops. I can hold onto the cascade and perle.

Thoughts?

Now that I'm back, I'm really looking forward to participating in this forum!

Cheers

Dan

 

[givemeamash]

must be the longest serving first time poster I have seen yet!!

 

[Charst]

I wouldn't be in a hurry to use things that are out of date as I think you've missed the boat already.

That being said.

Using what you have i'd go a can of the Morgans, all the Wheat extract and 300g sugar to bump the alc.
should give you something of a sessionable belgian pale ale.

how old are the hops? stored them cold? assuming the hops are freshish id use goldings.

Boil the malt and sugar together in a few litres of water and add the hops for 5 minutes max before tipping malt minus hops into your fermenter.
If you have your water and extract mix ready and hopefully a couple degrees below 18, you can pour you two litres of boiling malt mix in and stop the hops isomerization, preserving some aromatics without adding much to the bitterness. leaving your wort around 18, stir to aireate and chuck the yeast in.

Dont use the crystals not in a light belgian.

Never used t-58 but in any yeast ideally you let the temp rise up a couple degrees towards the end of fermentation.
and in the case of belgians rise up into the 20's. if you cant control your temps your at the mercy of the gods a bit.
natural fermentation will raise the temp anyway but you want to hold this off for the first few days while the yeast population rises.

best of luck but out of date ingredients even treated perfectly will likely to impart a shitty flavour somewhere

 

[Mardoo]

FWIW I've fermented dark ales with T-58 at those temps. It kicked off very strong, slowed way down and I had to raise to 20 degrees to get it to finish. Zero Belgian ester-y goodness though,which I was told was due to low temp. They were good beers though. Still consider myself a beginner though, and there are plenty of people on the forum who use that yeast regularly who can tell you more and more authoritatively than I.