1.035, too high?

[Neonsilver]

Brewed up a RIS with 12 lbs DME and about 5 lbs steeping grains, used 3 packages of US-05 and this seems to be where I bottomed out. Should I even try pitching champagne yeast or just go with it and bottle? Also, I'm amazed at how high this one is sitting because I brewed up an American barleywine with 14 lbs of DME, a lb of table sugar and about 2 lbs of grain and it's already down to 1.030 with some left in it I think. Of course I pitched a lot differently (an experiment of sorts) a package of US-05, of nottingham, 1056 and 001.

 

[whatsleftofyou]

5lb of steeping grains seems like A LOT. What was your recipe and OG??

 

[Neonsilver]

5lb of steeping grains seems like A LOT. What was your recipe and OG??

As a quick offhand I don't remember. As a guess I would say

1 lb roasted barley
1.5 lbs chocolate
.5 lb c 120
1 lb special b
.5 lb c 60
.5 lb ???

The rest was 12 lbs DME and I can't remember the hopping schedule. I can never figure out what my OG is going to be for one, because I don't have access to brewing software (work computer is the only online that I have) and two, because I'm a partial boil guy and no matter how much I mix it's probably still going to be wrong.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Here's an online recipe calculator (Beer Calculus): http://beercalculus.hopville.com/recipe

You can even save them to a profile to look at later. The major limitation I see is that there's no late-addition option for the extract. So, IBUs would need to be adjusted, though the OG and FG estimates would still work.

I just put your recipe into Beer Calculus (I just used 1lb C-60 and omitted the unknown). For a 5-gal. batch: Estimated OG = 1.129; Estimated FG (with American Ale yeast): 1.032 (range of 1.028-1.035).

5 lbs of steeping grains is way high. They contribute to the gravity but don't add any fermentable sugars. You end up with a higher OG and higher FG. It might just be done at 1.035. Champagne yeast might help bring it down some, but you've got a lot of unfermentable sugars in there that the champagne yeast won't be able to consume.

Edit: I changed yeast to American Ale (WLP 001), though FG remained the same.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Another limitation: Beer calculus estimates ABV at 12.9%. Not all yeasts can continue to do their job in that much alcohol. I'd pitch the champagne yeast and see if you can get a few more points out of it.

Alcohol tolerance notwithstanding, your barley wine may finish lower because even though there is more DME (the majority of which is fermentable), there are fewer unfermentable steeping grains.

 

[Pappers_]

Another limitation: Beer calculus estimates ABV at 12.9%. Not all yeasts can continue to do their job in that much alcohol. I'd pitch the champagne yeast and see if you can get a few more points out of it.

+1 Doesn't matter how many US-05's you pitch, they'll all die in that environment. You need to pitch yeast that can thrive in that much alcohol. Champagne yeast is one, White Labs makes another high alcohol tolerant yeast, I can't remember the name, but if you look at their website you'll find it.

 

[wyzazz]

I'd say you're pretty well bottomed out no matter what, all those grains contributed a buttload of unfermentable sugars to your brew. If it's too sweet, you can add some simple sugars to it and that will help to dry it out, but other than that you're pretty much done. Bottle and call it a day.

 

[Neonsilver]

I probably should have done this sooner but I tasted a sample last night and even though there was a hint of sweetness to it it was one incredible brew. I didn't even think of all of the unfermentables from the steeping grains though. I think I'll pitch the champagne yeast and leave it for another week, then bottle that sucker up. Thanks for all of your help guys, it really set my mind at ease.

Also, the barleywine is tasting damn good too and that will be going on oak cubes for a few months once the RIS is out of secondary.

 

[boostsr20]

I'd add a pound of sugar with the new yeast as well. It will make sure to get them moving and will help drop you a couple more points. At this point the yeast alone probably won't do much.

 

[goose1873]

try a tsp of amylase if adding yeast. It may help dry a little.