Wyeast 3787

[kace069]

So I brewed a blonde last Saturday with this yeast. 1.050 O.G.
Fermentation started in a little less then 24 hours. Nice big krausen fermenting at about 66.
I came home Wednesday after not being home for a day to find that the beer temp had lowered to 62 but still fermenting nicely. I got it warmed back up to 66 and it is still chugging along. I had really expected this beer to be finished already, yet it still ferments. This is my first time with this yeast and although I would like to be able to ferment this a little higher then 66, I am currently at the mercy of mother nature for my ferment temps.

So is this just a marathon yeast? Is it just a slowly but surely will win the race? It seems to be fermenting fine and I have no worries about its fermentation health. Just wondering if anyone has seen similar activity with this yeast?

BTW my mash temp was 153.
8# Pils
2.5# wheat
.5# Munich

Maybe it just doesn't like its lower temp range to much huh?

[MashGordon]

i do a lot of belgian ales and i've never had them finish in under a week, ever. just let it go at 66.

i believe belgian strains are different. they are powdery and less flocculent than, say, cal ale. i'm guessing this is what causes them to go longer and attenuate more. just my observations, i'd like know what others are seeing.

i'd let it go two weeks or more. my guage has always been one bubble per minute in a three piece airlock and it's done.

[Pils]

I've had similar experience with 3787. Just keeps chuggin away.

[kace069]

Figured I would update this.
I kegged this blonde today and it finished at 1.009 much lower then I had hoped for. Guess I will bump up the mash temp a little more next time. I think in all it took about 9 days to ferment. I just got NB's Patersbeir kit that has a fresh pitch of this same yeast so I will see how it acts with this next brew.
I plan on washing this yeast and keeping it for a while. I have always wanted to make a mead with a trappist yeast so I guess I will make a small experimental batch with it.

All in all I like the character of this yeast even at the low ferment temps. This beer (I'm drinking the hydro sample now) is a little more spicer then I wanted and I am not sure if it is from the yeast or the Spalt Select. Guess it will be hard to determine right now. Have to wait until it is carbed and conditioned a bit.

thanks for the input guys.