lyacovett

Recipes 

I brewed a stout a few weeks back, and am getting ready to bottle. The FG ended up a few points higher than expected, (1.026 instead of 1.020) ... not a big deal, but I was wondering about boosting the ABV on part of the batch.

I was thinking about bottling half normally, then on the second half adding some whiskey to it. How will this affect the ABV? Would I take a normal SG reading, and will that tell mw, or there something more to calculating the ABV in this case?

TipsyDragon

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there is for sure a way to calculate the new ABV. but i don't know it. taking an SG reading as normal will do the trick.

Orfy

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Are you sure it's finished fermenting?
I'm not sure why you'd want to add whiskey to boost the ABV.
Are you adding it purely for the alcohol or for some other reason.

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Revvy

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If you are still at 1.026 why the heck are you even contemplating bottling it? It is more than likely not done...and could possibly lead to bottle bombs.

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lyacovett

Recipes 

I am fairly certain it's done fermenting, its been fermenting for 3 weeks, 2 of which has been at 1.026 .... I don't think it dropping any more. I have also repitched yeast, which really didn't do anything.

This had an expected FG 1.020, and I mashed it too high at 158 ... so i am chalking up the higher fg to my mash temps.

I was thinking about adding some whiskey to this anyway ... but wasn't 100% sure, but I think it would turn out pretty good.

remilard

Recipes 

Lets say you have X ml of beer at A% ABV and Y ml of whiskey at B% ABV

If you add them together, you have (X*A% + Y*B%) ml of alcohol and X + Y ml of total liquid.

The rest is left as an exercise to the reader.

lyacovett

Recipes 

Huh ... well that makes sense, not sure why I didn't see it that way before.

malkore

Recipes 

Let me tell you a story about a stout I made and bottled at 1.026.

It ended with WAH-BANG! and two cases of busted stout bottles, and a huge mess of glass shards after a few weeks in the bottle.

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lyacovett

Recipes 

It's been in primary for 3+ weeks, and been at 1.026 for 2 weeks ... I don't think it will drop any more

lyacovett

Recipes 

OK, I was getting ready to bottle tonight ... but I started to think ....

Do you really think it's too soon? I know the SG is high, but it has been for 2 weeks. How much longer should I wait to see if it drops any more? The OG was 1.064 .. it hit 1.030 in 2-4 days, then 2 or 3 days later, 1.026 .... and it's still there.

Should I go ahead and bottle, or hold off?