Bottling a Wee Heavy - Add yeast or is priming sugar enough?

Hey guys,

Haven't bottled any big beers yet, going to bottle this one after 6-8 months in primary/secondary later this summer. Planning to let it bottle age for another couple months, so not expecting a quick carb. Should I be adding dry yeast and priming sugar at bottling, or is priming sugar going to be enough?

Thanks for the help!

How close it to the listed tolerance of the yeast you used? If it's at the listed tolerance then you could be well off adding some high tolerance yeast before racking to the bottling bucket. I've used a packet of EC-1118 in this case before with good results.

If you have even. 5-1% left for tolerance then you probably dont need more yeast.

Will the yeast settle after being in the carboy for so long?

verbhertz said:

Will the yeast settle after being in the carboy for so long?

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Even in beer that appears clear, there will be yeast in suspension. I would only add more yeast if the yeast you fermented with lists a tolerance of say 12% and the brew is AT (or a hair over) 12% ABV. Otherwise, just bottle it up and wait. With high ABV brews, you'll need to be more patient since they typically take longer to carbonate. That is, unless you add high ABV tolerant (like EC-1118 which goes to 18%) yeast before you bottle it up.

I would also add the new yeast a day or three before you rack to the bottling bucket. Rehydrate the yeast too, so that it mixes up well. There will be enough in suspension (of the new yeast) to do the job in a more normal amount of time.

I will be bottling my Wee Heavy this December - part of the 12-12-12 brew. I used Wyeast 1728, which is claimed to be good up to 12% ABV. Mine came up to 11.2%, so I have a little room.

I just bought another pack of 1728 for an Imperial Stout, and I'm planning on making the 2nd starter (doing it in 2 steps) a little bigger than required, and keeping some of it in the fridge. I'll add it into the bucket before I bottle. Any ideas on how much slurry should be added per gallon?

At 11.2%, I would bottle it up 2+ months ahead of time. That should give it plenty of time to both bottle carbonate, and condition further.

I also have a wee heavy in process that might be part of the 12-12-12... I have had it on oak cubes for the past few months (coming up on four I think) and don't plan to move it off of the wood for at least another month, maybe more. Even then, I haven't decided if I'll move it to corny keg, or another vessel yet. I will be carbonating on gas, so I only need 2-3 (maybe 4) weeks to get it fully carbonated before putting some into bottles. I actually picked up some of the 375ML Belgian bottles for this brew (and a couple of others) so that I can cork (and cage) them for presentation. There's going to be something very pleasing about pulling the cork out of one of the 12% ABV wee heavy bottles to share with someone else. Or maybe a 750ML bottle to share with a few more people.