Scotch Ale, very strong

This did not go as planned. Working with new equipment and I'm not fully adjusted to it yet. As a result, things went wrong. I attempted to make corrections to safe the batch. Perhaps I made the wrong choices, perhaps not. We'll see how it turns out.

14lbs 2-row malt
3lbs Munich malt
1lb Peated malt
1lb Carared
1lb crystal 60L
1lb Homemade crystal (100L?)
1lb corn sugar

Mashed at 155F, then the temp got out of control on me. I check it after assuming it is stable and it jumped to 170F. Disgusted and discouraged that I destroyed my enzymes I milled another 6lbs of 2-Row and added it to the mash for the sake of adding some enzymes for conversion. (It didn't even taste sweet before I did this)

I manage to hold a steady 150F for 90 minutes after this extra malt addition.

I go with it and sparge and continue as normal.

90 minute boil
1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings 60min
1/2 oz Kent Goldings 30min
1 oz Kent Goldings 10min
1 oz Kent Goldings 0min

Cool wort to 68F and added 2 packs of rehydrated Nottingham. Achieved a gravity of 1.105

24hrs later, fermentation does not seem to be taking off like I would prefer. Add a packet of S-04.

36 hrs later, fermentation seems to be just beginning. Thinking about the huge amount of yeast in this, I attach the blowoff.

What a mess of a brew this is turning out to be. Room temp is currently 67F. I may need to add some cooling to this. I hate Nottingham when it ferments above 70F.

Updates as this progresses.

Update:
Despite the large amount of yeast pitched, the fermentation hasn't been aggressive. I'm not sure why this is. Every high gravity batch I've ever done has had very aggressive fermentations with Nottingham. S-04 has been the same way for me as well. To think I have 6 gallons of this wort in a 6.5 gallon bucket and I didn't need the blow-off just blows my mind.

This morning fermentation has clearly slowed down a lot. So much so that I might be taking a gravity reading in a couple of days. I'm wanting a FG around 1.022 or somewhere in that area. I don't expect I'll get that at this point.

So here we go with the off the wall question. In the event that I end up with a gravity of around 1.030+, would this be a good time to experiement with some Brett?

Update:
I couldn't stand it any longer. I needed to know how high the gravity is stuck at on this batch. I opened it up and took a reading. I was shocked to discover it is at 1.020 and it appears to still be fermenting, although slowly. Forget the brett ideas. This one is going to be just fine! I plan to leave it be for at least another week or two and move on from there. Life is good.

Have you used 2 types of yeast in one batch before? Never heard of doing that.

Also, you can't get a cooler room in January in KY? I'm sure it's below freezing this morning.

This is a very supportive argument for Relax, Sit Back, and Have a Homebrew

Ill trade you when you get to bottling your scotch ale, sounds like something I wouldn't brew, but would love to try. Also cheers!

chuckstout said:

Ill trade you when you get to bottling your scotch ale, sounds like something I wouldn't brew, but would love to try. Also cheers!

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I don't have any aversions to using peated malt. I did a wee heavy last year where I used 3lbs of peated malt in a single 6 gallon batch. Folks told me it would taste like an ashtray. It was delicious. I had to hide it from my friends to keep any for myself. I expect this one to have a good peated flavor while not being as forward as it was in my wee heavy. The malts should definitely stand out more in this as well.

Update: Just finished bottling this. 1.011 FG which figures out to about 89% attenuation. Wow. I expect it to stop around 1.018

Jayhem said:

Have you used 2 types of yeast in one batch before? Never heard of doing that.

Also, you can't get a cooler room in January in KY? I'm sure it's below freezing this morning.

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Its done all the time, but on a Homebrew scale it can be difficult to work with in successive generations due to the fact that you can't control which yeast dominates and/or how many cells of each variety you actually have.

Chadwick said:

Update: Just finished bottling this. 1.011 FG which figures out to about 89% attenuation. Wow. I expect it to stop around 1.018

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Def trying a 2.5g batch...

Should be pretty warming. How's the balance of the malt handling the high/dry alcohol level?

aiptasia said:

Should be pretty warming. How's the balance of the malt handling the high/dry alcohol level?

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Judging from the sample I tasted before I bottled, the malt character is still pretty strong. This isn't too surprising considering how the mash went. There is a very nice and delicate sweetness that seems to be accenting the peated malt nicely. Of course I won't know the end result until its carbonated and conditioned.

Cracking open one of these beers this evening. It's not at all like I expected it would be. It's amazing how much the character of a beer changes after conditioning.

The best way I know to describe it is that it tastes like a very strong cream ale. It's has a hint of fruity taste but that "cream ale" flavor dominates. Interestingly, the peated malt flavor seems to have disappeared. The presentation is nice and the lacing is thick and heavy with what I would describe as a medium/moderate amount of carbonation.

It isn't really the beer I was shooting for, but it will do just fine. I'm pleased with it.

Edit: If I could have done it over again. I would have exchanged the Kent Golding hops with Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops. This is the second time I've used Kent Golding hops and I think I prefer the Hallertau Mittelfrueh.

I need some help. Six days ago, I brewed a Strong Scotch Ale and pitched a large starter, apparently not large enough..In seven days it has dropped from 1.080 to 1.052. It is being held at 64* F. I was hoping for a huge, fast, initial fermentation, and it didn't happen. Any ideas? Has anyone else had this happen?

You got me. Big beers mean using a blow-off every time for me. I've never had one stall like that. Even when I under-pitch the yeast.

What size starter did you pitch? Also, which yeast did you pitch? Without knowing this information I would suggest, and will likely suggest anyways, that you pitch more yeast now. Perhaps a dry yeast. Something you can simply sprinkle in and let it go. US-05 would be a good neutral yeast that won't add too much change to the character you may have started with the yeast you originally pitched.