Drummerboy (got a little carried away long post
)
If you used the Wyeast 1007 German Ale yeast, it is stated by Wyeast to tolerate an 11% ABV environment, has a fairly broad fermenting range (wort temp, not room temp) of 55-68 degrees F.
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=150
Let's say the OG was 1.060 and got all the way down to a FG of 1.010. That would make a 6.6% ABV brew, well within the yeast alcohol tolerance.
To get near 11%, a wort starting at 1.060 OG would need to ferment to 0.977 FG. Beer does not normally get that low on FG, at least none of the beers I know.
The one thing I didn't find on the Wyeast website is whether or not they were referring to using this yeast on what is pretty common, a 5 gallon batch or something smaller. Less volume less yeast, more volume more yeast. The rule of thumb is for 5 gallon or larger batches of wort at 1.060 make a yeast starter. This will increase the yeast cell count that is pitched into the wort and reduce lag time and off flavors produced by yeast.
As we all progress through this beer making addiction there are many things that brewers want to improve on. Yeast, the correct amount of yeast is one of them.
As far as yeast starters here is a link for making starters
by a guy here on HBT. Long thread, the first few pages are extremely informative.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/
Once you read through that check out this Yeast calculator link. It will help you determine and design the correct starter size based on specific gravity and volume of wort.
http://www.yeastcalc.com/index.html
Hope I helped. If I am explaining things you already know I apologize. Was a long day at work and this helps me unwind. haha Don't worry, your beer will be fine though. Try to keep your fermentation temp near the low side of the range. Let it sit in the fermenter for a few weeks and then take a gravity reading, if the same for a couple of days bottle/keg. And never stop learning!
Yeast OG limit?
Linear Mode
