Barley Wine, adding yeast at the end

[ChrisNH]

Hi,

I have a partial mash of a Bigfoot clone bubbling happily away in my bucket. Its been there about 9 days. After a month I plan to rack it onto dry hops for a few weeks.. right in time for my next brew day when I will need my bucket again.

The recipe is out of "Beer Captured". My partial mash adaptation is here: Next Year Barley Wine.

The recipe recommends pitching some yeast three days prior to bottling to ensure it is "fully fermented and improve carbonation". Some questions:

1. Should I do this at all?

2. If I do, will there be an issue pitching into a dry hop or should I rack into another carboy for bottling and pitch the yeast into that? I had read that fermentation can negatively impact the dry hop.. and is one reason to wait until fermentation is done.

3. If I do, will it matter if I pitch the same yeast? Do I pitch less? More? I used Wyeast 1056. I was thinking to use a packet of SAF-US05 maybe.

Thanks for the help.. and I would welcome any insight to dealing with a high-G beer through dry hop and bottling.

Regards,

Chris

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

I may be wrong but I see no reason to pitch addirional yeast UNLESS your fermentation is not completing. Once you think it is done fermenting wait another week and then take a gravity reading... wait 3-4 days and take another one.if they are the same and withing the range to be considered done then I would do nothing except maybe bottle it. If they are still dropping do nothing....if hey are the same but way high, THEN you have to consier what your next step is.

 

[cklages]

I am looking at making my first barleywine in a few weeks. My understanding is that you want to pitch an alcohol tolerant yeast (ie champagne yeast) into secondary to make sure that all of the fermentables have been consumed, and to ensure that bottles carbonate. Since wyeast 1056 will be operating near its limit (10% according to them) pitching into secondary rather than the bottling bucket will ensure that you don't get bottle bombs because your yeast crapped out just short of the mark.

Bear in mind that this is not first hand knowledge on my part as I have not actually made a barleywine yet, just what I have read.

 

[pwndabear]

if you are going to rack into a secondary, i assume that you will have to rack back into a bottling bucket when you plan on bottling. If this is the case, you are not going to be bringing the hops over to your bottling bucket anyways so no worries there. You could essentially rack the beer onto the new yeast that it is recommending you to pitch.

The only reason I could think that it is suggesting you repitch is because the ABV is going to be pretty high and you may need a boost in yeasty energy. If this is the case, I personally don't see an issue with repitching some, though im sure there will be enough in suspension when you bottle to probably not have to worry about it. I dont think they really have any grounds to say "fully fermented" but i can see "improved carbonation"

At any rate, it's up to you. If you pitch, rack into your bottling bucket onto some yeast, maybe let it sit a few days for it to even out and settle a bit, and then proceed with bottling.

If not, you dont have to worry about the hops regardless as you are going to rack to a bottling bucket anyways.

Thing is, how long are you bottle conditioning for? If it is indeed a NEXT YEAR barley wine, i would think that leaving it in the bottles for a whole year would not need additional yeast for carbonation.

im sure an expert will chime in on this, but thats my $0.02

 

[bknifefight]

From my experience with high ABV beers, people recommend pitching more yeast because of a long term secondary. If you plan on bottling shortly after it finishes fermenting or a short secondary, there is no need. This is a big beer and will take time to carbonate regardless but as long as you don't let it sit for 6 months before bottling, don't bother.

 

[ChrisNH]

I am not planning to touch this (except the uncontrollable tasting urges) until next year. My plan is to debut a new High-G beer every holiday season, taking advantage of near perfect fermenting conditions in my basement in early fall. I can let them condition over the year for the subsequent season... once i get this going i will always have one beer conditioned.

I can't have a long secondary because I will have it on hops.. so I either have to rack to a tertiary and let it sit or bottle it.

Putting it in another glass carboy until later in the year has some benefits as far as storage but I think the overall product will be better with long bottle conditioning.

Chris