CRAP! I need some yeast wisdom?

[Dawas]

I decided to make a really big beer. 5 gallon part mash recipe I put together, OG was 1.122 and final is suppose to finish somewhere from 1.018 to 1.020 for a 10%ABV + beer.
Question is I never even thought about the amount of yeast to pitch, I used my favorite Safale-05,,,,,,,1 packet.
Fermentation took off in a matter of hours that day(this past Sunday) and has been scary since then, I have never seen so much activity ever! but what I am afraid of is I now realize I should have double pitched shouldn't I have?
Any words of wisdom? should I just let it ride it's course, should I add some more?
Help?!

Thanks in advance,

Doug W.

 

[Dynachrome]

No. You have that much activity, you're doing fine.

Is that a measured specific gravity? Do you have a hygrometer to check when it finishes?

 

[Dawas]

Yup, measured OG and I have check both my hydrometers and there are both spot on.
I guess I was just afraid I would take a peak and all of a sudden poof! no more activity cuz I exhausted the yeast?

 

[DrawTap88]

It may not get all the way down to where you want it (1.018-1.020), just because it's such a big beer. All that alcohol might make the yeast flocculate before getting that low.

Next time, pitch two packets to increase the cell count, and after 12-18 hours after fermentation starts give it another shot of air or oxygen to help the yeast keep their vitality through the end of fermentation.

 

[Dawas]

should I try to repitch another part or whole packet?

 

[DrawTap88]

should I try to repitch another part or whole packet?

Not unless you can make a starter and pitch the new yeast when it's at the peak of fermentation in the starter (usually within 18-24 hours after making pitching into the starter.

 

[Bensiff]

You're in the land of diminishing returns when it comes to adding yeast this late in the game. I'm with DrawTap, pushing that big a beer below 1.020 is asking a lot of yeast and you really need to pull out all the tricks in the book. Pitch rate, oxygen, slowly upping the temp, rousing the yeast as it begins to floc, (assuming you used sugar) adding sugar after fermentation is underway...you get the idea. Obviously you can't do all these now, but you can start to run the temp up while rousing the yeast every time you walk by.

 

[DrawTap88]

+1 to rousing the yeast. I completely forgot about that. (man this coffee needs to start kicking in.)

 

[Dawas]

Well I guess I will just let it run it's course for now. I am dry hopping it right now for a week or two and will check the gravity this weekend. I think it took off so much and still pretty heavy right now (6 days of heavy ferm. action) might be the 8 oz. of light brown sugar in there too?
I will let ya know when I do.

thanks all again!

Doug W.

 

[Calder]

It's not going below 1.030, and if it gets there, think yourself lucky.

At 1.030 it will be at 75% attenuation and 12% abv. Even if you used a lot of simple sugars, the abv is going to stop the yeast. Probably will not carb either.

 

[Dawas]

Calder, why wouldn't it carb?

 

[mithion]

S-05 is solid strain. It can withstand alcohols levels well above the advertised 10%. I don't know what your grain bill is like or what your procedure is, but don't count the yeast out yet. You may not reach your target final gravity, but it's not impossible either. Just wait a while. This beer may take over a month to finish up.

 

[I_B_Mongo]

Calder, why wouldn't it carb?

I think he was saying that you may not have enough yeast to bottle condition. They may be too spent from fermentation. Not a big deal, anytime I barrel age my beers I just add a half pack of the same yeast at bottling time.

Out of curiosity, what style did you make?

Good luck, and Happy Brewing!

 

[Dawas]

Hey mongo, it is a Stones anniversary ale clone with a few changes. I have never made one this big so I have been "experimenting" with this one. I normally keg all my regular beers and bottle some but this was gonna be strictly a bottle beer for long term aging. any thoughts on what I might do you help out the carbing process?

 

[Bensiff]

I would expect Calder to be correct, that if it carbs how you want you will be lucky. I would force carb it in the keg and bottle it from the keg.

 

[Dawas]

yea, probably right, I have a few extra kegs so I will just keg/carb it and do some bottles later. I will let you know how I make out as it has only been dry hopping for just 2 weeks now. activity has started to slow down quite a bit now and will take a hydro reading tomorrow to see where I am at.

thanks for everyone's help.