RIS with Old Ale blend...

**smokinghole** · 10-05-2011, 03:35 PM

I have plans to brew a 1.110ish stout and use the wyeast old ale blend. I accidentally ordered two packets last year and I still want to use it. I know I'll have to grow up a starter but I'm okay with that. My plan is actually to brew this using a double decoction like an Adambier in order to give the brett plenty to consume through the year or so that I age the beer. There would a protein rest and then a 158 degree conversion rest. I have left over oak cubes from my 11-11-11 old ale that I will additionally toss into the carboy for the long secondary. I'm thinking it will be like 14 months or maybe a little more of aging time.

Does anyone have experience using brett in a beer of this gravity? I know that brett is a serious problem in the wine industry and there are many wines are at or higher alcohol than I am planning. However the main difference will be that I'm working with a cultured strain of brett and not a strain that lives at a winery that has adapted itself to 12-15% abv low pH and low nutrient wines. I figure I'll give it a shot regardless, and if it sticks with a high FG I can always dump in some WLP099 and see where that takes the beer as a final measure. Then if that doesn't work I will simply blend it with a lower alcohol batch.

I am thinking that after the long secondary fermentation I will dry hop the beer and potentially add some isohop if needed. I've done two higher alcohol stouts as a holiday beer for my family and this would be my third. I thought it'd be fun to make one like this!

Calder · 10-05-2011, 10:44 PM

If the Old Ale blend doesn't do it, I doubt WLP099 will do anything more. The Sacc in the blend will take care of the sugars that WLP099 likes, and the Brett will work on some of what is left.

You might want to mash at a lower temp to get more fermentables. There will still be plenty for the Brett to work on. With a 110 start, if you get down to 020, that will be about 12% abv. You might want to think about using a wine yeast when you bottle.

**smokinghole** · 10-06-2011, 10:39 AM

I'm hoping it doesn't get all the way down to 1.020. My hope is that if I mash higher using decoction to get there I will end closer to 1.030. Plus with the amount of specialty malts I should be good to be closer to 1.030. I usually bottle with wine or champagne yeast when I get to that level in most beers. However when cheap wine yeast doesn't work I have to pick up some wlp099 and uncap the bottles to give each a healthy pipette of yeast. I might have to buy a keg for beers like this eventually because bottle conditioning them is a pain in the butt that way I can just bottle off the keg.

Only reason I mentioned 099 for in case the old ale blend doesn't work is because I don't know the alcohol limits of the sacch of the blend. I figure it's good for 9-10% but there's a chance of it slowing down and dying out much past there because I don't know the strain. I do think the brett would be okay though to keep going rest of the way.

sudndeth · 10-28-2011, 01:51 AM

I'm interested in this. I'm doing a very similar beer this weekend. Just don't know if I should mash higher or lower. I thinking 151*. So, what do you want this to finish at? 1.030?

**smokinghole** · 10-28-2011, 11:24 AM

My goal would be to finish over 1.020. I figure with my previous experience with this yeast blend I hit 1.018 in the old ale. I mashed that at 157/158. It still made it down a little further than I wanted. So I'm going to do at least a single if not double decoction with this beer. If you're planning on throwing brett in I would suggest a higher mash temp and a 6-10 month aging time. My last RIS finished at 1.030 with a 1.142 starting gravity and a finish at 1.030 with out brett mashing at 152. Of course I wasn't using the same malt then as I am now and so forth. Many variables to take into consideration but I would mash higher if you're planning on using brett or I think you'll end up with a thin funky roasty stout.

sudndeth · 10-29-2011, 01:38 AM

This was the longest brew day I've ever had. It was my first time doing a decoction mash and it was pretty fun. My starter of 9097 didn't really take off so I just pitched what I had and a packet of 1028 london ale.

The wort smelled great and tasted fantastic. Had a pretty harsh bitter after taste, but very good. My SG was 1.1247. This should work out pretty good. I'll keep you updated.

**smokinghole** · 10-29-2011, 01:40 AM

Nice dude. Thanks for reminding me. I will pull my packet out of the fridge now that it's been a year and get some wort sterilized at school so I can get this thing going.

statseeker · 10-29-2011, 08:31 AM

Sounds awesome. Keep us posted on the progression.

sudndeth · 11-12-2011, 12:18 AM

Alright not to hijack your thread but just an update. This thing took off big time. Like I think I read on the 11-11-11 thread. I lost over .5g on blow off. Anyway, a few weeks, a black stained carpet and angry wife later I took a gravity reading at 1.032 at about 70*.

Color: Black as night and a red/orange tinge on the edges.
Smell: very roasty/malty/alcohol
Taste: Classic stout taste up front very roasty, followed by a little chocalate, malt flavor. The alcohol taste is upfront, but not very harsh and finishes warm. Not as sweet as I would have thought. There's a nice bitterness upfront too, but not offensive like other RIS's I've had.
Mouthfeel: Thick and almost silky.

So far very good. I wonder what the brett is going to do to this over time.

Have you brewed your yet?

**smokinghole** · 11-12-2011, 02:38 AM

Have not brewed yet. I think it will be next week.