Gravity

[voodoochild7]

Did an imperial stout with a gravity of 1.083 it's been vigorously fermenting for 4 days and today airlock activity is at about o bubble per minute or so the gravity is at 1.036. Gonna still be in the primary till sunday for a full week should I expect the gravity to fall much more it is this good for an imperial stout.

 

[MA_Brewer]

1.036 sounds high to me. Make sure the airlock is sealed, it could still be producing lots of CO2, but you don't see it bubbling through. That happens to me quite often with some of my newer universal stoppers. Old rubber ones were better.

 

[voodoochild7]

I was hoping for at the most a 1.030 but praying for a 1.020. I mean it's still going but slowly.

 

[Wi1s0nX]

My last Impy started at 1.106 and ended at 1.032. At the end of primary it was around 1.046 and it chewed through the last 12 points over 4 months in secondary. I'd wait at least a week and see if your gravity keeps dropping before you make any changes. I think mine may have finished faster if I had left it on the yeast a little longer.

 

[perry]

My last two (same batch actually, just ten gallons split, and different yeast in each.) batches of Imperial Stout started at 80 and ended up at 22 and 18. But it took three weeks... I'd leave it

What were your mash temps? Fermentation temps? Recipe?

-p

 

[voodoochild7]

I'm at work right now so I don't have my recipe handy but the jist of it is

1 pound 50L crystal
.5 pounds chocolate
.5 pounds roasted barley
9.4 pounds of amber extract
12 oz. molasses

I used fuggles but not sure how much just one addition and a quick one at flame out.

I mashed the grain at 158 degrees I pitched the yeast at 80 degrees(no starter white labs british ale yeast) fermenting at 68-70 degrees.

I usually do all grain but as my new 15 gallon mash tun isn't in yet I did a partial mash cuz I couldn't fit all that grain in my 5 gal.

 

[david_42]

You didn't have any 2-row in the bill, so you've got relatively unfermentable batch. That isn't a bad thing for an imperial stout. It should be smooth and thick. It will ferment down a few more points, but it will take time. I'd rouse the yeast and give it another week in the primary.

 

[voodoochild7]

I was thinkin' of adding some yeast to the secondary maybe champaign but that will make it too dry I wan't some sweetness from the the molasses to come through.

 

[Bugeaterbrewing]

You just need to be patient and give it more time. Remember, a beer like this is going to have to age a couple of months anyway. No need to rush it during fermentation. Even with all the unfermentables in this recipe, you should still be able to hit around 1.025-26. Just leave it alone for another 3 or 4 weeks.

A couple of years ago I had a barleywine that only dropped to 1.035 after 3 months in the fermenter. I thought I was going to have to dump it because it was pretty much undrinkable that sweet. Instead of dumping it, I transfered it to a keg and stuffed into the back of a closet. A year later it had dropped to 1.023. I bottled some and took a first place in a major competition with it. Patience does pay off.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

 

[Dr Malt]

I thought gravity was a constant?? Oh, no that's physics not brewing. Sorry.

Dr Malt