Big OG problem/Challenge

Hi There:

I brewed a recipe (trailing this post) collated from a number of sources. I was really keen to get this one right and was shooting for a 1.11 OG; reality was a 1.22OG!! Since the wort was already cooled, I went ahead and pitched a medium size starter on it, and within hours, it was fermenting like an aquarium.

No I'm afraid the yeast is going to quickly die of alcohol poisoning--leaving me with a massively sweet beer. So what can I do to make sure it ferments down quite a bit? Should I make another HUGE starter with, say, Scotch ale yeast or California ale yeast? An even if I do this, I'm worried that 1.) the yeast will quickly die or 2.) the fermentation will stop for a few days while the starter readies.

This batch is supposed to be Christmas presents, and I have a good amount of money invested in this thus far. So any guidance is well appreciated!

-Cheers, Chris

Profile:
1.111 OG (reality was 1.22OG)
1.028 FG
84.2 IBU
11.1% ABV

Grain:
12 lbs 2-Row (58.5%)
4 lbs apple wood smoked 2-row (19.5%)
1.5 lbs roasted barley (7.3%)
1 lbs Special B (5%)
1 lbs flaked barley (5%)
.5 lbs chocolate (2.4%)
.5 oz crystal 60*l (2%)
20.5 lbs Total Weight

Mash:
Mash in: 1 qts per lbs strike water (5.125 gal)
150* for 90 minutes
Mash out: 1.325 qts per lbs at 212* (1.813 gal)
Total mash volume: 7 gallons
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Hops:
60 min: 1.5 oz Chinook
15 min: 1.5 oz Chinook
5 min: 1 oz Chinook

Adjuncts:
3 OZ Coffee @ 5 min boil

Secondary:
3 oz med toasted American oak cubes
.75 cup bourbon at aging

Yeast:
American Ale (1056). Made a starter 2 days prior

Notes: Soak oak and vanilla and bourbon in jar during primary duration. Taste in secondary weekly to get oak profile correct. Age until Christmas time and bottle.

That is a massive beer to have ready by Christmas. I have a 1.107 Belgian Dark Strong that has been fermenting for almost 6 weeks, not close to being ready yet.

You would want this on the oak for at least a few weeks, a month or 2 is better. Then a loonnggg aging, there is going to be a heavy dose of alcohol up front until that ages probably 6 months.

You'll need an alcohol tolerant yeast, maybe Trappist High Gravity. I would have a nice alcohol tolerant dry yeast waiting in the wings in case this thing stalls out in the 30's or 40's.

If you use liquid, make a large starter, probably 4L or step up a couple 2L starters and have plenty of head room in the fermentor, this thing will start off with a bang. You might consider some FermCap to prevent excessive blow off early (I had almost a gallon of blow off).

1.22?!? You doubled your expected OG?!?

You sure it wasn't 1.12?

I really really really think you misread the hydrometer (Do they even go that high?)

chrisfiac said:

This batch is supposed to be Christmas presents, and I have a good amount of money invested in this thus far.

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It will make great Christmas gifts... in 2013

you could pitch a starter of WLP099 Super High Gravity, its good up to 25% abv.

rossi46 said:

you could pitch a starter of WLP099 Super High Gravity, its good up to 25% abv.

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^^^ Nice, I forgot all about the San Diego Super yeast.

Yes!!! You're correct; I misread! Obviously I'm a bit new at this. The OG was 1.122, which is much more in line with my expectations. What a huge relief. So maybe I should try a smack pack pack of (Belgian Abby?) if fermentation stalls in a week?

Yeah, I'm now realizing this won't be ideal when it's bottled and given away at Christmas. I'll have to instruct the recipient to cellar the beer to drinken at next Christmas dinner. I'll market it a a start to a long tradition.

--Thanks, Chris

helibrewer said:

^^^ Nice, I forgot all about the San Diego Super yeast.

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WLP090 is San Diego, WLP099 is Super High Gravity. I had WLP090 crap out on a 1.091 beer.

BrewThruYou said:

WLP090 is San Diego, WLP099 is Super High Gravity. I had WLP090 crap out on a 1.091 beer.

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Thanks for the correction...I'll have to find a recipe to try the 099 with.

chrisfiac said:

Yes!!! You're correct; I misread! Obviously I'm a bit new at this. The OG was 1.122, which is much more in line with my expectations. What a huge relief. So maybe I should try a smack pack pack of (Belgian Abby?) if fermentation stalls in a week?

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shouldn't be necessary, 1056 shouldn't have a problem finishing that if you pitched enough. make sure to keep your temps down

WL 099 is supposed to be similar in character to their 002 English. I've heard from multiple sources that it's a good yeast for almost every beer style.

Don't dream of having this beer served to anyone you even remotely like by Christmas. Maybe Christmas 2013. It'll taste like rubbing alcohol for the first couple months of conditioning. With an ABV in the 10+ ballpark, it needs to mellow.

Am I reading that correctly... you sparged with boiling water, 212?
That's going to denature any enzymes.... isnt it?

WhiskeySam said:

WL 099 is supposed to be similar in character to their 002 English. I've heard from multiple sources that it's a good yeast for almost every beer style.

Don't dream of having this beer served to anyone you even remotely like by Christmas. Maybe Christmas 2013. It'll taste like rubbing alcohol for the first couple months of conditioning. With an ABV in the 10+ ballpark, it needs to mellow.

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Yeah, if you read back a bit, I figured out this will be a 2013 beer. Fermentation was crazy for the first couple days, but has slowed dramatically--I almost thought it stalled. I'll take a gravity reading in a week so see where it's at. Will the American ale yeast continue to work slowly?

I'm thinking of throwing some brett B on in next week to see what it does with the remaining sugars.

--Thanks, Chris

OK, this is threw a me a curveball. I took a gravity reading today and it was down to 1.012 for an ABV of 14.7%. This seems incredibly high for a 9 day fermentation with American Ale yeast--which should have died out a while back.

Taste-wise, it's amazing. The alcohol is definitely there and the coffee is a bit overwhelming; it outshines the smoked 2-row. My wife tasted it and commented that it was really hot.

Maybe it will mellow with time. I'm going to clean up a corny keg tomorrow and rack over to secondary with the bourbon oak chips. I'm thinking it will sit on oak for a couple months.

(I have no idea why the pic is upside down, but you get the idea)

Sorry, one more thing. Can it bulk age in secondary in my garage or will the temp swings be too varied? I can age it in my house if needed but would prefer not to see a corny keg all the time.

--Thanks, Chris

chrisfiac said:

This seems incredibly high for a 9 day fermentation with American Ale yeast--which should have died out a while back.

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what makes you think this? chico is good to at least 15%

I'm going to clean up a corny keg tomorrow and rack over to secondary with the bourbon oak chips. I'm thinking it will sit on oak for a couple months.

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i wouldnt rack that soon, give it at least another week to settle out more. 9 days might not even be enough time for the yeast to be done in a beer this size.

heats gunna be there in a beer this size, but what temp have you been fermenting at?

chrisfiac said:

(I have no idea why the pic is upside down, but you get the idea)

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Holy crap, the gravity is lower than air! Amazing!

(you didn't think you'd get off that easy did you?)

I think I read that American Ale yeast craps out around 10%. Evidently, it will go a bit higher! I've just been fermenting at room temp, which in my house is around 75 degrees or so, though my wife left a window open last night and it got down to a balmy 55 degrees.

I was surprised with the amount of yeast in the bottom of the carboy. I made a starter, yeah, but that yeast propagated like crazy.

No, I honestly didn't think I would get off that easy. I'm shocked that everything went as smoothly as it did. I had some time on my hands, so I racked to secondary prior to reading these responses (otherwise, I would have waited a while longer). I did manage to suck up some yeast, though. It's already got the bourbon oak in there, so I think it stays for a few weeks.

I already want to take the learnings from this batch and apply it to the same recipe. Thanks to everyone for all their helpful advice. Everyone has been great.

--Cheers

chrisfiac said:

I've just been fermenting at room temp, which in my house is around 75 degrees or so

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it'd be hot at this strength this young anyway, but this really isn't helping. you really need to keep temps down in big beers or you can be riddled with fusels. i'd do a search for swamp coolers for future beers, 75F is too hot for most beer to ferment at

Be sure to bottle a little of that from the keg once it's carb'ed so you can store it away for a year or so and see how it changes.

I didn't think your OG measurement was accurate when I started reading your post, and I really don't once you have such a low FG.. 1056 wont make it past 12%, and that is just too far to go in such a short time. I hope it is the case, but again, just wondering if your original measurement was correct. If it is, rock the hell on though dude, that is pretty epic!

I agree this doesn't seem possible--any of it. But based on what I tasted, it seems spot on. From now on, I'm taking OG/FG photos for later reference.

I'm just bulk aging the beer on oak cubes. Once the oaking is right, it's getting carbed and bottled up for next year. That brings up a good point, though. My intention was to beer gun it into bottles. But it seems like a better idea is to carb it in bottle. I've only forced carbed. Should I try a bit of sugar or something?

--Thanks, Chris

I would do a little if both maybe, but if I had to choose, it would be carb -> beer gun