18% ABV IPA

[sancupanza]

Hi all,

I think I fermented a batch to be around 18% ABV by mistake..

It was a mix of whole grain, liquid malt, candy sugar, and white sugar; no boil, cold hopped batch. Bottle carbonated with 10-12 gr/litre cane sugar.

Initial gravity was 1130 and final gravity is 998 (effect of extra alpha amylase I used I guess).

It took full three weeks to fully ferment at 17-20 degrees C.

My question is, how is it possible for the yeast strain (Belgian tripel) to handle this much alcohol? The specs said 6-9% ABV. I used 2 liters of liquid yeast from the previous batch, which I had started with 10gr dry yeast.

Is there anything wrong here? It tastes very bitter and too strong alcohol, but overall pretty good

Thanks!

 

[JohnSand]

If your numbers are all right, it may mellow in time.

 

[mac_1103]

Maybe you should give folks a few more specifics about the recipe and yeast strain.

 

[sancupanza]

Maybe you should give folks a few more specifics about the recipe and yeast strain.

Well,

1.8 kg LME (base malt)
1 kg caramel Munich
0.5 kg wheat malt
1.5 kg oats
0.5 kg dark candy sugar
5kg white sugar (the mistake )
3 grams alpha amylase
Some dry hops

Yeast: Generic NEIPA no33 from Belgium (2 litre liquid from the previous batch).

Result: 23 litres finished clear product + 4.5 litres of yeast sediment.

When I measured the starting gravity, I thought the fermentation would stall due to too much alcohol but it didn’t and I was very surprised that it went below 1.000 (amylase effect?).

Sugar primed and the plastic control bottle already well carbonated.

I guess the yeast worked pretty well. Let’s see how well it will age and mellow

 

[mac_1103]

The specs said 6-9% ABV.

Is that the alcohol tolerance of the yeast, or what?

5kg white sugar (the mistake )

I'll say.

Generic NEIPA no33 from Belgium

Do you mean S-33 from Fermentis?

 

[bwible]

If those numbers are right, 1.130 to .998 then the alcohol is more like 17.3% by online calculators.

10-12 grams per liter for carbonation seems like alot. I just bottled 2 batches, 3 gallons each and I only use about 1.5 oz for 3 gallons. 1.5 oz is about 42.5 grams. 3 gallons is about 11.3 liters. So I’m typically using about 3.75 grams per liter for an average beer.

 

[hotbeer]

Initial gravity was 1130 and final gravity is 998 (effect of extra alpha amylase I used I guess).

Or maybe it became infected with some other yeast. Only when I've had an infection have I ever gone that low.

You say you mistakenly brewed it to be so high an ABV. But assuming a planned FG about 1.010 the difference is only from a 15.75% to a 17.32%. So I can't say that the extra 1.57% is a mistake.

Unless the mistake is that you didn't dilute the wort to a lower gravity before you even began fermenting it.

 

[mac_1103]

10-12 grams per liter for carbonation seems like alot.

It is a lot, but it's not grenades. 3.35 - 3.85 volumes.

 

[sancupanza]

Or maybe it became infected with some other yeast. Only when I've had an infection have I ever gone that low.

There was no observable infection but who knows. I think it was due to the amylase I used during and after mashing.

You say you mistakenly brewed it to be so high an ABV. But assuming a planned FG about 1.010 the difference is only from a 15.75% to a 17.32%. So I can't say that the extra 1.57% is a mistake.

Unless the mistake is that you didn't dilute the wort to a lower gravity before you even began fermenting it.

Well, the mistake was putting too much sugar at the beginning.

I didn’t want to dilute it with water not wanting to lose the body and also thinking that if fermentation stalls due to high alcohol, I could still dilute it then with some additional wort..

My surprise was that the yeast was able to withstand 17+ ABV.

Anyway, I’m experimenting and learning new things

 

[sancupanza]

If those numbers are right, 1.130 to .998 then the alcohol is more like 17.3% by online calculators.

Exactly, just divide the difference by 7.5 plus 0,5-0,7% due to sugar priming.

10-12 grams per liter for carbonation seems like alot. I just bottled 2 batches, 3 gallons each and I only use about 1.5 oz for 3 gallons. 1.5 oz is about 42.5 grams. 3 gallons is about 11.3 liters. So I’m typically using about 3.75 grams per liter for an average beer.

Well, I read 10 grams per litre somewhere and followed it.

 

[sancupanza]

Is that the alcohol tolerance of the yeast, or what?

I'll say.

Do you mean S-33 from Fermentis?

Not sure, the vendor just said it’s Belgian tripel style yeast with up to 9% tolerance but considering they are all Saccharomyces derivatives, they can go beyond that and apparently 15%+.

In my case, it was a 2 litre starter from the previous batch.

I see that there are beers 60%+ on the market.

 

[sancupanza]

It is a lot, but it's not grenades. 3.35 - 3.85 volumes.

I usually enjoy dubbels, tripels, and quadrupels but this one will be something special I guess

 

[DBhomebrew]

I see that there are beers 60%+ on the market.

I drink those neat.

 

[jsphlynch]

Or maybe it became infected with some other yeast. Only when I've had an infection have I ever gone that low.

Infection is certainly a possibility, but keep in mind that in addition to the added amylase, OP used a LOT of simple sugars.

Initial gravity was 1130 and final gravity is 998

How did you measure OG? My estimation based on your provided recipe is that 1.130 would require 100% efficiency.

My question is, how is it possible for the yeast strain (Belgian tripel) to handle this much alcohol? The specs said 6-9% ABV. I used 2 liters of liquid yeast from the previous batch, which I had started with 10gr dry yeast.

Yeasts can definitely go above manufacturer specs if you treat them right. Using a hefty pitch (was that 2 liters of slurry?) of healthy yeast is part of that treating them right. With as much sugar as you used, I would have been more worried about nutrient deficiency than alcohol levels.

I see that there are beers 60%+ on the market.

Those take extra steps (probably some sort of distillation) to get up to those kind of ABVs. As far as I know, the highest ABV of a commercial beer achieved by straight fermentation is Sam Adams Utopias.

 

[mac_1103]

I drink those neat.

I find that a couple of drops of water really helps to open them up.

 

[mac_1103]

the vendor just said it’s Belgian tripel style yeast with up to 9% tolerance but considering they are all Saccharomyces derivatives, they can go beyond that and apparently 15%+

It's not easy to get most ale yeasts to ferment up to 15% ABV. Most ale yeasts also won't ferment a wort dry. Extra alpha amylase won't do that either. Glucoamylase will. Or a diastatic strain like BE-134. Diastatic strains produce their own glucoamylase.

 

[BAF]

Those take extra steps (probably some sort of distillation) to get up to those kind of ABVs. As far as I know, the highest ABV of a commercial beer achieved by straight fermentation is Sam Adams Utopias.

Do you count eisbocks as straight fermentation? I believe those are usually kicked up with fractional freezing (rather than distillation). Those are the real big beers I've heard of, at least.

 

[lumpher]

Holy hell...11 lbs of sugar???? That's more of a sugar wash with other flavorings.

 

[mac_1103]

Do you count eisbocks as straight fermentation? I believe those are usually kicked up with fractional freezing (rather than distillation).

They're not kicked up to 120 proof.

My estimation based on your provided recipe is that 1.130 would require 100% efficiency.

And 0.998 would require 102% attenuation. The LME and sugar is 1.089 by itself. 50% efficiency on the rest gets you to 1.110. If it really fermented dry, that's 14.5% which I guess is a bit more believable.

 

[sancupanza]

Infection is certainly a possibility, but keep in mind that in addition to the added amylase, OP used a LOT of simple sugars.

How did you measure OG? My estimation based on your provided recipe is that 1.130 would require 100% efficiency.

Just a simple hydrometer reading.

The wort was 1050 from the whole grains, plus LME, candy sugar, and the white sugar bomb for a total volume of 25 litres before pitching.

Yeasts can definitely go above manufacturer specs if you treat them right. Using a hefty pitch (was that 2 liters of slurry?) of healthy yeast is part of that treating them right. With as much sugar as you used, I would have been more worried about nutrient deficiency than alcohol levels.

The slurry more than doubled in volume giving me 4.5 litres of slurry at the end.

Those take extra steps (probably some sort of distillation) to get up to those kind of ABVs. As far as I know, the highest ABV of a commercial beer achieved by straight fermentation is Sam Adams Utopias.

 

[sancupanza]

They're not kicked up to 120 proof.


And 0.998 would require 102% attenuation. The LME and sugar is 1.089 by itself. 50% efficiency on the rest gets you to 1.110. If it really fermented dry, that's 14.5% which I guess is a bit more believable.

18% was just based on two hydrometer readings, maybe it’s lower than that, anything above 12% is pretty much already

I just repeated a slightly different recipe this time, keeping the sugar a bit lower

1.7 kg LME (spilled 100ml )
1 kg Melanoidin
0,5 kg wheat
1,25kg oats
0,5kg dark candy sugar
3kg white sugar
3gr amylase
Some dry hops and spices
This time boiled the wort 75 mins.

The wort was 1050 to start with plus the rest it read 1110 for a total of 25 litres before adding 2.5 litres slurry from the previous batch.

Let’s see how it will finish and whether it will go dry.

I’m keeping the temperature between 18-20 deg C, shall I let it increase to 22?

Thanks!

 

[jsphlynch]

Do you count eisbocks as straight fermentation? I believe those are usually kicked up with fractional freezing (rather than distillation). Those are the real big beers I've heard of, at least.

No, I don't count those as straight fermentation, because they require concentrating the ethanol post-fermentation. I was including fractional freezing (AKA freeze distillation) under the broad umbrella of "some sort of distillation" since that's how the feds treat it.

 

[sancupanza]

Holy hell...11 lbs of sugar???? That's more of a sugar wash with other flavorings.

Well, just tasted the uncarbonated beer accumulated on top of the 2 litre slurry in the fridge, it tastes like redbull vodka

Taste is not bad, actually pretty good but too strong..

 

[lumpher]

3kg white sugar is still a lot. Even the Belgians don't usually go over 20%, but if you like it, that's all that counts.