Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

BELGIAN STRONG ALE

Gerard, you've been a great help as I continue to slide down this slope...I hadn't realized it but the instrux tell me to do a cold fermentation.

I thought that that was reserved just for lagers....any thoughts there?

And...in order to do that, I guess I have to make some room in my kegerator...and raise the temp...

Not sure why this is--most strong ales are actually helped by warmer fermentation, to produce a higher ester/phenol profile. Perhaps it's talking about "cold conditioning" which is a way to get all that Belgian yeast to drop out of suspension and clarify the beer once fermentation is done.

Right before you bottle, put the fermenter in your kegerator for a few days. Temps can be in the 40s, although I've heard some people go as low as the mid-30's. The yeast and anything else you have floating around (hop particles, etc.) will drop, then you can bottle as normal.