ABV question

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

remilard said:

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.

Click to expand...

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

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.

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

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?

malkore said:

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.

Click to expand...

Doesn't it depend on the SG to some extent? I have an RIS bottled that started at 1.086 and finished at 1.023. That's right on target, according to beercalculus. OP's stout was a lower OG, but just wondering.

Have you tried gently stirring/shaking the carboy to rouse the yeast? (Not so much that you oxygenate the wort, but enough to re-suspend the yeast.)

Have you tried warming the carboy to raise the temperature a bit to give the yeast a wake-up call?

What is lost by giving it another week?

I warmed up to 72 for a week and gently stirred the to suspend the yeast ... nothing. I repitched some nottingham .. nothing. I pitched some yeast nutrient, and it dropped a little, but has stopped again. I originally pitched WLP002.

Pint of Stout on table - next to it place a shot glass and pour a wee bit of whiskey. Drink in any order you choose or dump the whiskey into the stout if you must. Why mess with it otherwise.

As to bottling, I defer to the other bottlers above me! No like bottle bombs.

Why don't you try bottling just one beer and let it sit for a few days. If no bomby then bottle the rest.