Attempting 40%+ ABV beer... "Barley Brandy"

[the_bird]

.... you could always take dramatic action.

DME.

I've had so many issues with my efficiency, I've added extract (at the end of the boil) just to make up some of the difference. You COULD just boil up some DME, cool it, and add it to the fermenter along with the maple syrup.

As you said, this beer is all about the fermentation (and in this case, the freeze concentration). Actually producing the wort is a distant third in whether this beer is "successful" or not. So, just fix it the easiest way.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Just did some quick math and the only thing I have to do on the next batch is basically pull one extra gallon out through the boil and the average will get me back to the 1200 target I was shooting for.

That wort will be like syrup but I don't think it is a big deal since I'll be diluting it significantly with the first batch that is fermenting now.

(hard core chugging away still by the way)

I am putting together an DME starter now for another shot of building up the 099 cake I have going.

One minor side note: I am also using some of that DME starter for a wild yeast sample I was able to get. Maybe two weeks ago, I took a gravity reading and then left the tube sitting in my garage near my rig on purpose. Surer than ****, three days later the tube was fermenting. I have fed it once and now have a small cake of wild yeast. I'm going to build it up one more time, wash it and freeze it. I'm actually kind of interested to make a wild beer from it now.

 

[Cape Brewing]

BAH!!! I openly mock your DME suggestion!!! How dare you!?!?!

It wasn't an efficiency problem. I got the sugar out of the grain no problem. I just didn't concentrate it enough through the boil. I basically put together 11 gallons of 1060... not rocket science, nor is it that tough. Like I was saying, I just didn't boil long enough.

 

[the_bird]

I'm not saying it was an efficiency problem, I'm saying that *I* have had efficiency issues.

I'm just sayin'... you've got too much water and relatively too little sugar because you prematurely stopped boiling. Since you can't take any more water out, why not just add more sugar?

 

[Cape Brewing]

I will... when I do the next batch.

I was doing the second batch anyway.

 

[ComcastWineRookie]

Interesting how PTN took so long to get in on the thread but didnt have much to say at all...

 

[Kegcowboy]

Interesting how PTN took so long to get in on the thread but didnt have much to say at all...

Yes

 

[Cape Brewing]

I think he's just being mildly respectful and not nuking a thread that has some resemblance of actual information.

Let's not poke the sleeping bear.

He'll have three wine coolers and the next thing you know the mods will be shutting the thread down.

 

[ComcastWineRookie]

Yes cape, your right, maybe I should take down the post as to not wake the sleeping nurse

 

[iaefebs]

I hope this thread stay's on topic. I have to admit I thought originally this was a talking out the A** thread. I now think it is one of the more interesting and look forward to the conclusion.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Uhh.... thanks??? I guess.

 

[ComcastWineRookie]

That was kinda like shaking your hand, turning to walk away and you feel the crack of the bat on the back of your head

 

[motobrewer]

moto's prophecy is revealing itself

altho i can't talk, i can't even ferment a 1.058 oktoberfest....I wanted to pitch at 53F but my chiller wouldn't get there so i racked and placed in in my keezer. well, i then got pretty wasted and by the next morning the wort was 39F. however, i had confused which temp probe was which and thought it was at 47F so I pitched. it's up to 53F now but not doing anything.

 

[bottlebomber]

I hope this thread stay's on topic. I have to admit I thought originally this was a talking out the A** thread. I now think it is one of the more interesting and look forward to the conclusion.

A little of both going on id say. God forbid anyone talks out their a$$ on a forum

 

[ComcastWineRookie]

a little off topic, ok, far off topic, but for all the Massholes out there, Tonight at Cambridge Common, there will be a Massachusetts Breweries Tap Takeover, with over 25 different brews, all from Massachusetts brewers. Come on down and have some great beer....

 

[paulthenurse]

A little of both going on id say. God forbid anyone talks out their a$$ on a forum

If there is ANYONE capable of talking out his a$$ on a forum, it's my boy Cape.

I taught him everything he knows.





Can I get a minute here? I'm gettin' all choked up.

PTN

 

[Cape Brewing]

Really? Whats the gravity on the the Utopias you brewed two months ago?

Do tell.

 

[paulthenurse]

The average between the two fermenters is about 1075 and dropping slowly. Those 'non stressed' yeasts of ours are enjoying a nice leisurely meal. Hurrying though your dinner can give you an upset tummy.

 

[bill42]

better add some ec118 champagne yeast if its still that high after 2months

 

[bottlebomber]

better add some ec118 champagne yeast if its still that high after 2months

EC118 is only good for about 18% im pretty sure, and if it went from 1.2 to 1.075 its already flirting with its top end- about 16.25. I think its time to break out the good stuff (099) and lots of it, maybe rack off so the lazy stoner yeast doesn't have a bad influence on the new stuff

 

[paulthenurse]

It's like Prego. It's in there.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Wow... I'm surprised.... Current OG is all the way down to 1.019 from an 1128 and that was JUST US-05.

I just racked it off of the US-05 cake, added a lb of maple syrup, pitched the large 099 cake and hit it with a ton of oxygen.

In the mean time, I'm not totally sure what I wnat to do next. I am thinking about washing the massive yeast cake of US-05 a couple of times and brewing the second big 1200+ batch on Weds and tossing in on the clean US-05 cake... letting that tear it up and then slowly feeding it to the first batch once it stalls out.

I'm psyched I didn't listen and added the peat. It is very very subtle (shockingly) and I think it was a nice addition after all.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Yup... Washing the yeast cake now and am going to do the second batch on Weds.

Yeast cake is currently almost filling a one gallon growler. Attsa lotta yeast

 

[DakotaRules]

Saaaaawwwweeeetttttt!

 

[ComcastWineRookie]

How does one "wash" a yeast cake?

 

[Cape Brewing]

The search tool is your friend.

Plenty of threads on it. Its not a complex process.

 

[DakotaRules]

How does one "wash" a yeast cake?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

 

[paulthenurse]

How does one "wash" a yeast cake?

Use unaccented soap like Ivory or your beer will taste funny.

 

[DakotaRules]

I like the citrus flavor with a hefe recipe. I use ivory dish soap when I'm washing yeast in the summer.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Bernie's way is certainly a good way but I don't go through that much work.

I racked the beer off the huge US-05 cake last night, added two bottled waters (since I assume they are sanitized) and swirl the carboy around to get all of the sludge to a point where I can actually pour it out.

I then poured the entire cake into a sanitized one gallon growler... added another bottled water and shook the hell out of. I then tossed it in the walk-in.

I left it there overnight (you don't have to... it'll actually settle out really quickly... like an hour or two) and then when I get home tonight, I should have a layer of water on top, a layer of "spent casings" (dead yeasties and other trub), and then a cleaner layer of pure yeast on the bottom.

I'll decant off the water and spent casings and repeat the entire process until I have a nice clean, big massive slug of US-05.

 

[paulthenurse]

The good yeast is the middle layer. Trub, protiens and plant material (hops) are heavier and settle out first.

Tall, narrow containers work better than wide ones, you will get better separation.

PTN

 

[DakotaRules]

Or cape could install a yeast harvester on his 3 conicals. Jesszzzz cape come on!!!!! You've got everything else.

 

[paulthenurse]

More Beer sells their new nuclear powered yeast washer with the integrated flux capacitor for a mere $17,500.00. I bet my boy will have two by the 4th.

PTN

 

[DakotaRules]

He's probably ordered 6 but there waiting to ship them until they get the plutonium for the last 2.

 

[Scruffy1207]

He's probably ordered 6 but there waiting to ship them until they get the plutonium for the last 2.

The newer models run on trash.

 

[paulthenurse]

He DEFINATALY doesn't want that option. Feeding the machine his beer won't leave any for him.

Hey, is that a sort of a perpetual motion machine? It would eat the beer(trash) while producing more of the same? Eureka! He's gonna be rich!!!!

PTN

 

[Cape Brewing]

you almost done??

 

[paulthenurse]

Almost.

Hey, I'll be here all week, folks, come back and bring your friends. Try the veal, it's great. And don't forget your waitresses, Tipping isn't a city in China.

PTN

 

[DakotaRules]

That there's funny I don't care who ya are! (Larry the cable guy voice)

 

[paulthenurse]

In my best Cape Brewing voice...

"Please don't encourage him."