Holiday Ale - Alcohol Boost (?)

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FensterBos

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I currently have my version of a Holiday Ale in my primary right now; it is on its second full day of fermenting and the airlock is showing signs of activity. I generally like my beers in the 5.5%+ range and after using a ABV% calculator it estimates that my final product will be under 4.0% abv. Details:
OG: 1.06
FG (estimated): 1.03

I suppose this post is a two part question:
1) What is the recommended/average FG for a holiday ale? The research I've found thus far puts an ale at 1.03; but that seems high. FG of 1.025 puts me at 4.73% and FG of 1.02 is 5.3%
2) Is it safe to add additional sugar during the primary fermentation (i.e. dried malt, honey, etc.) to boost abv?

Thank you for the help!
 
Well You always Risk Infection opening the Fermenter during Primary Fermentation, This Is also a Good reason to take a hydrometer reading prior to Pitching the Yeast. You could add some fermentable Sugar and spices to the secondary, Cinnamon, clove, etc. hope this has been helpful.
 
Quick update: I've looked at other "holiday ale" recipes and the FG is starting to look like 1.015 to 1.02, which is more suitable for my tastes.
 
The FG will be determined by the strain of yeast you used ability to consume the sugars (basically). So, what yeast strain did you use?
 
What was your recipe? A FG of 1.030 is really high and I don't understand why you would estimate that. Many of my beers in the 1.060 range ferment out to 1.012 or so depending on recipe.
 
22 grams of Notty should put you ~1015 and at that pitching rate I'd try to keep it on the cool end of the recommended fermen temps.
 
What was your recipe? A FG of 1.030 is really high and I don't understand why you would estimate that. Many of my beers in the 1.060 range ferment out to 1.012 or so depending on recipe.

I was looking for some FG averages online and saw 1.03 for one or two; but as my research expanded I found some other FGs in the 1.012 to 1.02 range.

I'm not going to touch the beer until I see inactivity from the airlock; then I'll pull two sets of hydrometer readings to ensure I've reached the lowest FG.

Thanks for the advice!
 
22 grams of Notty should put you ~1015 and at that pitching rate I'd try to keep it on the cool end of the recommended fermen temps.

I have the fermenter in my basement, in the shower stall. I would say that the temp averages between 62 F to 66 F. Unfortunately, my basement temperature is regulated by my first floor thermostat so I can't keep the basement considerably cooler for the fermenting. BTW, the first floor thermostat is controlled by my wife.
 
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