Attenuation

Bakey · Nov 17, 2020

I have just kegged my Belgium Tripel and the hydrometer, after temperature adjustment, gave a reading of 1.001, from 1.080. I checked the hydrometer in 20 degrees water to check it was not 'out' and it read OK.

I pitched 2 packets of MJ M31 commencing at 18 degrees and slowly ramping up over 17 days to 25.5 degrees where it has sat for 2 days. According to Brewfather this is an attenuation of 98.7%. This seems incredibly high to me and I wondered if anyone else has encountered such high attenuation?

chthon · Nov 17, 2020

Hm, yes you can expect that from the M31. You are not the first one to report that, I have also seen it on the Dutch and Belgian forums. I am awaiting feedback from my brother who has also brewed something with the M31.

This is a var. diastaticus yeas, one which keeps turning complex sugars and dextrins into simpler ones and then ferments them.

Bakey · Nov 17, 2020

Ah that makes sense, I had been reading about the diastaticus variant. I hope once conditioned its not too dry!

H0PM0NSTER · Nov 17, 2020

Wowsers! It's going to be super dry, but at 10% abv I guess it will be a sipper! Hope it comes out well.

chthon · Nov 18, 2020

Bakey said:
Ah that makes sense, I had been reading about the diastaticus variant. I hope once conditioned its not too dry!

Depends a bit upon your recipe. Additions of crystal malt will help the body/mouthfeel. The amount of proteins still in the beer will also help. Yeasts also produce glycols, some more, some less, which also help with body and mouthfeel. And lastly, the alcohol itself will also help there. Granted, these are factors that are difficult to control.

Two yeasts that I have brewed with, the MJ M27/M29 saison yeast, and the Rochefort yeast, also go very deep, but none of the beers I have brewed with them were actually bone dry.

If you want to taste a really dry beer, you should try to find/get/import/whatever of "Seefbier". That is the driest beer (top fermenting), I have ever drank.