Brewferm, Abdij review

[Graz]

Thanks Graz. Would you say 6 months is the optimal age? If so, I can't see it being anywhere near ready just two months after pitching!

Seems to be the general consensus on here, I've not actually made it myself before so can't speak from my own experience. The stronger and/or darker a beer is the more it will benefit from extended maturing.

 

[Sandimas]

I would say 6-9 months is optimal age.

I did manage to keep a few bottles for 2 years but they didn't get any better to my taste.

 

[joel]

I've done this kit recently too. My 3 month old Abdij (with some tweaks) is quite drinkable now but is still slowly improving, I too expect 6 months onwards will be the sweet spot so am trying to leave it alone at least until Christmas. I brewed it with 330g bottle of date syrup and 250g Chinese yellow sugar (looked the same as light candy crystals). I cultured up the yeast from dregs of 2 bottles of Westmalle Dubbel (yum) to ferment it with. It's turned out really well, the Westy yeast really comes through with a lovely Belgian character (phenolics, spicy). Rich, malty, strong with fruitcake flavours.

 

[Thumper]

Got this on today with 500g of dark candi sugar. I underestimated the volume of the extract and prepped too much water, so was over the volume and thus under the OG, but I made it back up to 1067 with some brown sugar.

I then forgot to check the water temp before pitching, but it felt about right. Just a touch above room temp. I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[Thumper]

About 26 hours after pitching, and this has gone off like a rocket! It's not an even layer of foam, more like a sort of off-white cloud, but in some places it's about 6 inches thick!

 

[dad_of_jon]

About 26 hours after pitching, and this has gone off like a rocket! It's not an even layer of foam, more like a sort of off-white cloud, but in some places it's about 6 inches thick!

thats got to be the extra sugar, It does not usually give a big krausen, tents to be a bit lazy but good job Thumper

 

[Thumper]

@dad_of_jon I was actually concerned about infection because the yeast also had a funky sour, sulphurous smell to it, but I drew a sample and it tasted fine, so I've assumed it is!

 

[craigie_ale]

Had this in brew fridge at 19ish for around 10 days, will be bottling in 3 or 4 days and putting them out the way in the attic for a year, I also noticed a off smell from the yeast when I opened the fridge door not unlike rotten eggs I have read before the year gives off this strange smell.

 

[Thumper]

It definitely does. Is it Belgian yeasts in general that smell like that, or just Brewferm's Belgian yeast?

 

[craigie_ale]

I'm not sure to be honest Belgian beer is my favorite but in all the brewing I've done I've not done many Belgian beers would be worth getting a sachet of Abby yeast for my next brewferm kit I have the triple ready to go next

 

[dad_of_jon]

It definitely does. Is it Belgian yeasts in general that smell like that, or just Brewferm's Belgian yeast?

None of the yeasts I've used have been sulphury and that includes brewffrew and 4 different belgian dried yeasts. Maybe because my water is different?

 

[craigie_ale]

How strange must be something maybe because I didn't make the yeast starter I will admit just put the yeast in like I normally do

 

[Thumper]

It was sulphury, but the strongest smell I got was a sort of sour smell.

 

[Richard_H]

Decided to brew a slightly tweaked version of this by adding 500g of extra dark spray malt and replacing the kit yeast with safbrew BE 256 abbeye yeast, a 908g tin of golden syrup was used and it ended up at 9.5%. After 3 weeks in primary and 9 weeks in the bottle i thought i best 'test' one. Already this tastes absolutely fantastic and better than some commercial Belgian beers i have drank, OK so its no westvleteren 12 or rochefort 10 but in 3-6 months time if this develops a more complex malty taste it will be incredible for a kit beer

 

[sdt7618]

Have a double brew of this in the fv, , can of golden syrup and 300gr of sugar.

eBay sale got both with 20% off :clap:

 

[craigie_ale]

Great glass, beer looks spot on mine has been bottled since early Jan with no prime at all but plan on leaving a year or so

 

[ClarenceBoddicker]

OG only 1066 with dark candi sugar crystals. Got to 1014 after really quick fermentation. 2 weeks in fv at 22 degrees, racked for a week and cold crashed for a couple of days then bottled. 2 weeks in warm and checked carbonation yesterday (had batch primed). Tastes decent and nicely carbed. Now into the cold garage for a few months to mature.