Hello,
I am brewing a Belgian Dark Strong Ale according to the following recipe, which I modified from a recipe I found in a book:
My starting gravity was 1.100. I just racked it to the secondary. I measured the gravity and it was 1.042, corresponding to an ABV of about 7.5%. I was kind of hoping that it would get down to about 1.02 or there abouts to give it an ABV of about 9.5%. It has to spend 6 weeks in the secondary yet.
My question is this: I haven't seen any activity in the airlock in some time. At what point during the 6 week secondary should I pitch another batch of yeast if it looks like the beer is stalled at too high a spec gravity? Would adding yeast energizer and nutrient be OK or is that mainly a trick for wines and meads and such?
I am brewing a Belgian Dark Strong Ale according to the following recipe, which I modified from a recipe I found in a book:
Specialty Grains
11 oz of Cara-Munich Malt (Belgium)
8 oz of Munich Malt (Germany)
3.5 oz of Chocolate Malt (UK)
2 oz of Biscuit Malt (Belgium)
Heat 1 gallon of water to 160 and pour over grains. Let sit for 30 minutes to steep. Strain grain water into the brew pot. Add an additional 1 gallon of 150 degree water to the grains and strain again. Bring water to a boil and add:
Boil Ingredients
9 pounds of Munton and Fison Extra Light Dry Malt Extract
1.67 pounds of Belgian Amber Candi Sugar
Hops boiled for 60 minutes
1 oz Styrian Goldings 5%AA
1 oz Hallertau Hersbrocker (German) 3.3% AA
Additional ingredients
1 t Irish moss added at 15 minutes left in boil
Last 10 mintues of boil hops
1/4 ounce Hallertau Hersbrocker (German)
Yeast
Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale
The priming for carbonation will be different for this batch. 3 days before it is time to bottle I will add another dose of the yeast. Right before bottling I will add 1 1/4 cups M&F extra light DME which has been boiled for 10 minutes in 2 cups water.
My starting gravity was 1.100. I just racked it to the secondary. I measured the gravity and it was 1.042, corresponding to an ABV of about 7.5%. I was kind of hoping that it would get down to about 1.02 or there abouts to give it an ABV of about 9.5%. It has to spend 6 weeks in the secondary yet.
My question is this: I haven't seen any activity in the airlock in some time. At what point during the 6 week secondary should I pitch another batch of yeast if it looks like the beer is stalled at too high a spec gravity? Would adding yeast energizer and nutrient be OK or is that mainly a trick for wines and meads and such?