how do i mask high alcohol tasting beer

[dipole]

I brewed an imperial stout with OG of 1.109. I thought I got stuck around 1.045ish but it turned out I just didn't know how to use my brand new refractometer. So I added some high gravity yeast in an effort to get it to 1.035ish but....well the second yeast addition worked too well and got me down to 1.009. I know it tastes alcoholy because there is a lot of alcohol in there but it's there anything I can do to mute the after taste? Was thinking oak chips and a couple months of aging, any other suggestions?

 

[alane1]

with an alcohol % that high and a low F.G. like that even time probably wont mellow out too much, maybe blending with another beer might help.

 

[Cider123]

I think the best way to mask such flavors is to drink 3 or 4 while pinching your nose closed. I will then promise you that every beer after that will taste better.

 

[thisisbeer]

shot of Crown to chase it with?

 

[jhoyda]

Wow, what yeast got it to 1.009?

 

[sikkingj]

with an alcohol % that high and a low F.G. like that even time probably wont mellow out too much, maybe blending with another beer might help.

+1 to blending with a more we'll behaved stout. I use a Belgium stout yeast in I half of a 10 gallon brew and I needed every once of the 1056 stout to balance it out - separately they both were C- beers, together they mustered a solid B.

 

[dipole]

Wow, what yeast got it to 1.009?

White labs high gravity yeast

 

[helibrewer]

I brewed an imperial stout with OG of 1.109. I thought I got stuck around 1.045ish but it turned out I just didn't know how to use my brand new refractometer. So I added some high gravity yeast in an effort to get it to 1.035ish but....well the second yeast addition worked too well and got me down to 1.009. I know it tastes alcoholy because there is a lot of alcohol in there but it's there anything I can do to mute the after taste? Was thinking oak chips and a couple months of aging, any other suggestions?

You could try a bench trial with lactose. Sweetness tends to hide alcohol. This would make your Imperial an Imperial Milk Stout. Otherwise blending is the way to go.

 

[chri5]

I'd give it 6 months to age.

If its still too hot I'd blend as others said.

 

[Calichusetts]

Think about your grain bill before hand (not that this helps in retrospect)

I have found that with my stronger beers, having a solid and tasty recipe has recovered some monsters. AKA- having a deep caramel profile on barleywines has helped when I age them. Throwing in some oak/barrel aging can add complexity and of course, time heals most.

 

[biertourist]

I agree with the idea of aging it out on oak; a bit of O2 will convert some of the fusols into fruity esters, and you'll get vanillin from the oak (assuming American oak) which is a masking chemical that can help to hide off flavors.

099 just shouldn't be used for making beer; my best guess is that it's just distiller's "turbo yeast"; it makes terrible tasting beer.


Adam

 

[indianaroller]

I agree with the idea of aging it out on oak; a bit of O2 will convert some of the fusols into fruity esters, and you'll get vanillin from the oak (assuming American oak) which is a masking chemical that can help to hide off flavors. 099 just shouldn't be used for making beer; my best guess is that it's just distiller's "turbo yeast"; it makes terrible tasting beer. Adam

Oxygen isn't going to create esters from alcohols. I think you might be referring to aldehydes?