Lowered high FG due to yeast and bottle conditioning or added Rye (KBS Clone)

Hello all,

I had a very high final gravity with a KBS Clone (1.040) when I bottled, and opened a bottle tonight to check on my carbonation and see if the beer is still too sweet. I added about a pint of Rye along with a packet of ec-1118 when bottling. Gravity is now 1.032 out of a bottle from OG of 1.124, which I got by adding way too much LME (live and learn). I have three main questions:

1) Is my lowered gravity a product of carbonation, and might it creep lower in any meaningful way, or is it a product of the rye's low gravity (1 cup in 5 gallons).

2) Even if the lower gravity is a product of the rye, does a current gravity of 1.032 take me out of sickeningly sweet territory?

3) Does anyone have enough experience with with ABV vs. high gravity vs. intense flavoring to offer any insights on this...complicated beer? Additions included a couple ounces of oak chips, a pint of Rye, and a pint of espresso. Right now the taste seems right on target, but I would only give it to a whiskey drinker and would probably serve in a snifter. More details can be found in the below thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/c...lone-1-124-1-02-range-already-1-044-a-230581/

1) No.

2) I don't know. I've never had a beer finish that high.

3) Not sure what the question is.

I suspect the S-05 had reached it's limit when you got to 1.040, and the addition of EC-118 re-started fermentation on the remaining fermentable sugars. Going from 1.040 to 1.032 (+ priming sugar), I'm surprised you have not had any bottle bombs. 1.032 is only 74% Attenuation; I would be concerned that it could still go further.

If the gravity dropped eight points as a result of carbonation, the bottles would be explosive gushers when opened.

It's easy to figure out the expected SG as a weighted average:

(0.062*0.916+4.938*1.040)/5 = 1.038, assuming the rye is 80 proof.

So assuming both those gravity readings are accurate, you should have extremely high carbonation at this point. Did you add priming sugar?

No priming sugar added with this one, bottled one month ago today. The bottle I opened really seemed undercarbed, and far from a bottle bomb. Honestly, I really hope it carbs up more in the next few weeks. Sounds like no amount of carbonation should lower the gravity significantly, but I will open a bottle periodically to make sure there isn't serious fermentation going on in the bottle.

Question 3 was a bit unclear. I guess what I should really ask is "would you drink it?" Would a high abv stout at 1.032 be worth a taste, or would it be insulting to offer to people who know their beer?

bkpsych said:

The bottle I opened really seemed undercarbed, and far from a bottle bomb.

Click to expand...

OK then, at least one of your gravity readings is incorrect. No big deal.

bkpsych said:

I guess what I should really ask is "would you drink it?"

Click to expand...

Does it taste good? If so, I'd drink it.

It tastes good if you've ever wished that Jim Beam also made stout.

By the way, thanks Calder and a10t2 for help on this and other threads.

Why didn't you add priming sugar when bottling?

Are you taking into account temperature when taking your gravity readings?

Other random points from reading these two threads:

- As for the high FG, that's probably 'bout right for this particular beer.

- This is a huge beer, and you added a hefty dose of bourbon and oak chips. It's going to be at least 6 months to a year for all of these flavors to meld. You're cloning KBS, which is aged over a year before it's released. There's no substitute for time!

RG -

I didn't add priming sugar at the suggestion of my local shop, who suggested I bottle with EC-1118. I also didn't want to run the risk of raising gravity. I added one packet of EC-1118 about four days before bottling to prevent too much fermentation from happening in the bottle, and in the four days before bottling gravity dropped from 1.044 to 1.040. I added a second packet to my bottling bucket.

All of my gravity readings were taken at room temp, which is roughly 75 degrees and undershoots gravity by .001-.002 points according to the pamphlet that came with my hydrometer.

Good to hear that my gravity is somewhere within specs. I left a few beers and a 2011 bottle of KBS with family, so I won't be tempted to drink anything too soon. That said, I don't think too much of this beer will make it past August.