Big beer gravity reading and champagne yeast

[jourelemode]

just took a gravity reading on my belgian quad. Its been 3.5 weeks and this is the first gravity reading I've done since I got it in the fermenter. its at 1.022 and the est. abv is 10.87%

is it a good idea to use lalvin ec1118 champagne yeast when I go to bottle this?

 

[sudbuster]

just took a gravity reading on my belgian quad. Its been 3.5 weeks and this is the first gravity reading I've done since I got it in the fermenter. its at 1.022 and the est. abv is 10.87%

is it a good idea to use lalvin ec1118 champagne yeast when I go to bottle this?

Won't be a problem and a good choice. The ABV is too high for many common beer yeasts and the tiny bit of bottling sugar is not enough to change the character of your beer while it carbonates.

 

[northernlad]

As purely an FYI for me, assuming you are not bulk conditioning for months, what is the need for additional yeast?

 

[slicksmix]

is 1118 a champagne yeast

 

[jourelemode]

As purely an FYI for me, assuming you are not bulk conditioning for months, what is the need for additional yeast?

i was told it helps the beer carbonate...

and 1118 is a champagne yeast

 

[bknifefight]

I would not add it at bottling. Add it then give it a week before bottling. The new yeast may find some extra sugars to munch on and give you bottle bombs.

 

[northernlad]

i was told it helps the beer carbonate...

and 1118 is a champagne yeast

Everything I have read indicates this is only necessary if it was conditioned in the fermentor long enough (several months) for most of the yeast to settle out. If you are bottling within a couple months it should not be necessary.

 

[jourelemode]

Everything I have read indicates this is only necessary if it was conditioned in the fermentor long enough (several months) for most of the yeast to settle out. If you are bottling within a couple months it should not be necessary.

its better to be safe then sorry though right? One guy who did this exact recipe, had it in primary for 1 month and secondary for 2 weeks. his didnt carb up at all...even after 6 months...

 

[jourelemode]

I would not add it at bottling. Add it then give it a week before bottling. The new yeast may find some extra sugars to munch on and give you bottle bombs.

you think so??? mine seems to be done...it started at 1105 and when I checked it it was at 1022...

 

[fineexampl]

its better to be safe then sorry though right? One guy who did this exact recipe, had it in primary for 1 month and secondary for 2 weeks. his didnt carb up at all...even after 6 months...

probably somthing else was the problem there. there should still be enough yeast in suspension to carb just fine. What was your SG and how many days did you get that 1.022? You may be fine, but if you only took one reading, you probably shouldn't bottle.

If it were me, sanitize a mixing utensil and rouse the yeast gently and muddy up the fermenter. Give it one more week and take a reading. If no change, you're probably good to bottle. I don't think the champagne yeast is really necessary though. When the Belgians add yeast at bottling time, i'm relatively sure (due to just recently taking notes during a Jamil Show podcast on this very subject) it's just for Wits and Hefes where yeast is intended as part of the overall flavor.

I'd just rouse, wait a week, prime & bottle. I've never had a problem with beer not carbonating where the recipe was straight forward.

(only stuff i had that never carbed was a crappy juniper ale and a cider failure)

Good luck!

 

[smokinghole]

I've used champagne yeast in the past but only when I did bulk aging on a barleywine. The yeast added delightfully small bubbles that are different that brewing yeast. I will be adding it again to my RIS that I will bottle in about six months.

I think that your quad should be fine at 10%ish abv with the yeast used for fermentation. What yeast did you use for fermentation by the way? I bet it's one of the strong belgian strains that won't have a problem with 10%abv.

 

[jourelemode]

I've used champagne yeast in the past but only when I did bulk aging on a barleywine. The yeast added delightfully small bubbles that are different that brewing yeast. I will be adding it again to my RIS that I will bottle in about six months.

I think that your quad should be fine at 10%ish abv with the yeast used for fermentation. What yeast did you use for fermentation by the way? I bet it's one of the strong belgian strains that won't have a problem with 10%abv.

i used wyeast 3787

 

[smokinghole]

You should be fine to carb up with that yeast no problem.

 

[bknifefight]

you think so??? mine seems to be done...it started at 1105 and when I checked it it was at 1022...

Yes. It's a different strain of yeast and will behave differently. It may or may not drop your gravity but an extra week and no bottle bombs sounds better than a maybe to me.

 

[jourelemode]

alright, i guess ill just leave it alone then...no need to add champagne yeast I guess...

 

[hophead71]

I recently brewed Midwest's Big Bens Barleywine, and used Wyeast ale yeast they recommended, have let it sit 2.5 weeks, its still perking. wondered what sg should before i add champagne yeast be if it started at 1.083? im new to this strong of beer.