Very Cloudy Fermentation with WLP500 - WTF???

[Holt]

I recently brewed a tripel using WLP500. Fermented at 66F for 2 days, then added 2 lbs of sugar boiled in a 1L solution. Then began ramping up the fermentation temp 1 degree per day until I hit 70F where it has been ever since. It is now day 11, and my beer has attenuated fully, but it is very cloudy and milky. It looks like a yeast starter after it's been on the stir plate for 24 hours.

Does anyone know what is going on here? The Trappist yeast strain is listed as a medium to low flocculator, but this is ridiculous. There wasn't much solid yeast in the cone when I tried to dump so I suspect most of the yeast is still in solution, but after 11 days--isn't that a bit strange?

Any explanation or advice is appreciated.

-Holt

[DBear]

From your description It sounds like you still have yeast in suspension and still working. Gravity readings 3 days apart wil let you know if it is finised.

I just brewed a triple using 530 and experienced something similar (first time using a stirplate). It hung cloudy at two weeks and there was very little yeast settled out. A`week later the yeast had dropped out as it usually does and I was at 1.010 YMMV.

Let it sit for another week and check the gravity. My big belgians are in primary for 3-4 weeks.

Cheers

[Holt]

WLP530 was my first choice because it says its flocculation is medium to high, and it's supposed to be less fruity, but my LHBS was out so I went with WLP500.

I decided that since I already hit my FG that I would just crash cool the fermentation and try to get that yeast to settle out. I really want to transfer bright beer to the kegs, but I want to brew again too--I guess I need a second conical. This hobby is getting expensive.

[NHBrewer]

Gelatin?

[Brandon]

I recently brewed a tripel using WLP500. Fermented at 66F for 2 days, then added 2 lbs of sugar boiled in a 1L solution. Then began ramping up the fermentation temp 1 degree per day until I hit 70F where it has been ever since. It is now day 11, and my beer has attenuated fully, but it is very cloudy and milky. It looks like a yeast starter after it's been on the stir plate for 24 hours.

Does anyone know what is going on here? The Trappist yeast strain is listed as a medium to low flocculator, but this is ridiculous. There wasn't much solid yeast in the cone when I tried to dump so I suspect most of the yeast is still in solution, but after 11 days--isn't that a bit strange?

Any explanation or advice is appreciated.

-Holt

Well if you are at FG then you need to crash the beer out. When I have used that strain it has been pretty cloudy but a week at 34 degrees and it drops out nice. That strain usually holds a Krausen for a long time too. Personally I love the Chimay strain, you just have to work with it a bit

[Holt]

...Been sitting at 34F for over a week now, and it's still opaque. I'm starting to think it's just a recipe issue now.

I used a pound of oats in the mash--could this be the reason for all the cloudiness?

I also added the table sugar to the fermenter which I have not done in the past (usually add sugar to the boil kettle.

What do you guys think?

[BarefootLion]

Oats will do that, what about any wheat in there?

[Holt]

No wheat. Just 2-row, aromatic malt, 3% flaked oats, and sugar.

It looks cloudy like a hefe though--I'm kinda bummed. The upside is it has 8.5% alcohol and it tastes pretty good.