OK, I need some advice. I'm venturing into territory that I've not been before. Sorry it's so long.
I've designed a Barleywine recipe, roughly based on Double Bastard, but using Centennial and Chinook (I think DB uses just Chinook).
My current recipe (partial mash/extract) has an OG of 1.100 (with 99 IBUs). I'm going to ferment with PacMan, and feed it starting around 1.090, to get to the estimated OG. This also means, that as well as helping the yeast out a little, I can start with a lower volume in the fermenter. The yeast is from several generations of re-use (this will be it's last), and is very attenuative; I'm expecting this to end around 1.013 (which is what I want - I have a number of sweet malts, and don't want the added sugar sweetness that comes from a high FG).
Question #1: This should leave me with a beer of around 11 to 11.5% abv. I am planning on only bottling half the batch, and I was not planning on adding any yeast at bottling, thinking the PacMan should still be good.
Question #2: I am planning to oak the other half. I will be soaking the oak in rum first and adding both the rum and oak to the beer. The added alcohol from the rum will probably push it up to about 12.5 to 13% abv. My experience (with a Cyser) tells me PacMan is only good to about 11.5-12%, so this will not carb with it's original yeast. Should I add a wine yeast at priming, or adjust the original recipe down to about .090 so that it's under 12% going in the bottle and has a good chance the original yeast will do the job?
Question #3: Assuming using a wine yeast is OK (will not add flavors, and will not eat complex sugars), are there any yeasts that are recommended, and are there any that I should stay away from. Some while ago I bought a couple of packs (to try Cyser again), so have some on hand; Red Star Champagne, and Lavin D47, both are supposedly good to at least 14%.
I would be interested in comments from anyone who may have used wine yeast to finish or prime a beer.
I've designed a Barleywine recipe, roughly based on Double Bastard, but using Centennial and Chinook (I think DB uses just Chinook).
My current recipe (partial mash/extract) has an OG of 1.100 (with 99 IBUs). I'm going to ferment with PacMan, and feed it starting around 1.090, to get to the estimated OG. This also means, that as well as helping the yeast out a little, I can start with a lower volume in the fermenter. The yeast is from several generations of re-use (this will be it's last), and is very attenuative; I'm expecting this to end around 1.013 (which is what I want - I have a number of sweet malts, and don't want the added sugar sweetness that comes from a high FG).
Question #1: This should leave me with a beer of around 11 to 11.5% abv. I am planning on only bottling half the batch, and I was not planning on adding any yeast at bottling, thinking the PacMan should still be good.
Question #2: I am planning to oak the other half. I will be soaking the oak in rum first and adding both the rum and oak to the beer. The added alcohol from the rum will probably push it up to about 12.5 to 13% abv. My experience (with a Cyser) tells me PacMan is only good to about 11.5-12%, so this will not carb with it's original yeast. Should I add a wine yeast at priming, or adjust the original recipe down to about .090 so that it's under 12% going in the bottle and has a good chance the original yeast will do the job?
Question #3: Assuming using a wine yeast is OK (will not add flavors, and will not eat complex sugars), are there any yeasts that are recommended, and are there any that I should stay away from. Some while ago I bought a couple of packs (to try Cyser again), so have some on hand; Red Star Champagne, and Lavin D47, both are supposedly good to at least 14%.
I would be interested in comments from anyone who may have used wine yeast to finish or prime a beer.
