Questions about big stout

[Wyobrew22]

I brewed a really big stout to age 2 weeks ago and I’m not quite sure how to finish it. Estimated OG was supposed to be 1.113 and I hit that number exactly. Estimated FG is supposed to be 1.027 but it’s currently sitting at 1.035. I didn’t do my research on the yeast. I used 2 packs of s-04 and made a big starter. I like this yeast on my other brews and didn’t think about alcohol tolerance which I have found now is around 10%. Should I give the beer some more time? Should I add some other yeast? Estimated ABV on the recipe is 11.5% and I’m sitting at about 9.5% now. Suggestions?

 

[GoeHaarden]

1.035 isn't far off from your target. Maybe bring it to room temp and leave it for a few more weeks.

 

[archthered]

It kind of depends on what is important to you with this beer. There is no reason you couldn't just deal as is if you want. That said said with a beer that big you may want to let it sit a bit no matter what and as GoeHaarden said doing so at room temp is agood idea, and if you want you could even try to rouse the yeast a bit first and you might get a bit more out of your yeast and have it finish fine, big beers sometimes just take longer. If you really want to get your ABV up or get closer to your target fg you could take a little bit of sugar and boil it in a bit of water and add it to your beer, that may your yeast going again on the easy stuff and encourage it to work more on the rest, alternatively you could pitch a paket of safale 05 and see what that does. In either of those two cases you may end up with a higher ABV than planned. I think your best bet is to rouse it and leave it but if you really want it strong go for it.

 

[Pappers_]

FG depends on a lot of inter-related factors. Mash temp (if this was all-grain), fermentability of the extract if it was extract, the grain bill (more caramel malt means a less fermentable wort, for example).

All that being said, two weeks isn't very long for a beer that big. I'd just let it be for another couple of weeks.

 

[kevin58]

You can (and should) assist your yeast by using yeast nutrient... pitching enough yeast cells... and aerating/oxygenating far more than for average beers. I blast mine with O2 for about a minute before pitching the yeast and then again within the first 12 hours or so. None of which helps you right now but might next time. Like others have said just let it ride for another two weeks and accept it as it is.

 

[Wyobrew22]

I will check it again next week and see if it changes any. The grain bill was not a ton of caramel at all....had pale malt, marris otter, chocolate malt, roasted malt, flaked barley, some light dme to boost gravity and all the way down there 4oz. Of crystal. Mashed at 154. I aerated for a while but with an aquarium pump and stone. I didn’t have a full oxygen tank for the o2 setup, it was all the way out.

 

[bobeer]

2 weeks isn't long enough for a beer of this size. sa04 doesn't finish as dry as lets say sa05 but you should be able to get a few more points out of it. I'd rouse it a bit and let it sit for an other week.
Taste it after a week and if you dig it then it's on to the next step. If it's too sweet you could use a little honey to dry it out or pitch a little sa05 and see what it does.

 

[Wyobrew22]

I do have a pack of s-05 I could use. Next week will be week somewhere between 3-4 I will look the brew day up later. I’m mostly worried about it blowing up after I bottle it if it doesn’t get low enough initially.

 

[Pappers_]

I will check it again next week and see if it changes any. The grain bill was not a ton of caramel at all....had pale malt, marris otter, chocolate malt, roasted malt, flaked barley, some light dme to boost gravity and all the way down there 4oz. Of crystal. Mashed at 154. I aerated for a while but with an aquarium pump and stone. I didn’t have a full oxygen tank for the o2 setup, it was all the way out.

DME will tend to increase your final gravity (extract beers will often end higher than the equivalent all-grain), flaked barley will do the same. 154F mash temp is tending towards high and less fermentable. Generally you want a fairly high final gravity with an imperial stout, otherwise it will feel thin against all that flavor and alcohol. I wouldn't worry yet - let it sit and see what happens. If it goes down a few points but you're still worried that its too high, I would taste it and see what you think before doing anything else. Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout ends north of 1.030, I believe, to give you a reference point.

 

[Pappers_]

I do have a pack of s-05 I could use. Next week will be week somewhere between 3-4 I will look the brew day up later. I’m mostly worried about it blowing up after I bottle it if it doesn’t get low enough initially.

If you let it ferment out as much as it will ferment out, then you don't have to worry about bottle bombs. Fermentation is done.

 

[GnenieGone]

I brewed a really big stout to age 2 weeks ago and I’m not quite sure how to finish it. Estimated OG was supposed to be 1.113 and I hit that number exactly. Estimated FG is supposed to be 1.027 but it’s currently sitting at 1.035. I didn’t do my research on the yeast. I used 2 packs of s-04 and made a big starter. I like this yeast on my other brews and didn’t think about alcohol tolerance which I have found now is around 10%. Should I give the beer some more time? Should I add some other yeast? Estimated ABV on the recipe is 11.5% and I’m sitting at about 9.5% now. Suggestions?

I'd run into the same issue with big stouts at first. Problem is oxygen. After discussing with more experienced members, I now can brew 11-13% RISs. Here's the method that's been flawless.

Brew a 6-7% stout (or make a large starter) using your preferred yeast. You now have a working yeast cake in a few weeks.

Next, brew your Imperial Stout. After cooling divide into 2 fermenters (1 is obviously the yeast cake fermenter) and oxygenate the **** out of it by transferring back and fourth between fermenters.

After 12hrs, go back and reoxygenate, by going back and fourth again. After, keep them seperated still. This method has gotten me to those numbers and never had an infected batch. Obviously one must use proper sanitizing techniques. Hope this helps.

 

[jmcquesten]

I'd run into the same issue with big stouts at first. Problem is oxygen. After discussing with more experienced members, I now can brew 11-13% RISs. Here's the method that's been flawless.

Brew a 6-7% stout (or make a large starter) using your preferred yeast. You now have a working yeast cake in a few weeks.

Next, brew your Imperial Stout. After cooling divide into 2 fermenters (1 is obviously the yeast cake fermenter) and oxygenate the **** out of it by transferring back and fourth between fermenters.

After 12hrs, go back and reoxygenate, by going back and fourth again. After, keep them seperated still. This method has gotten me to those numbers and never had an infected batch. Obviously one must use proper sanitizing techniques. Hope this helps.

Please explain this in more detail. You said keep them separated? Do you mean split the yeast cake between 2 fermenters?

 

[GnenieGone]

Please explain this in more detail. You said keep them separated? Do you mean split the yeast cake between 2 fermenters?

When you oxygenate by mixing between the 2 fermeners the yeast cake gets mixed between the 2 also.

 

[Wyobrew22]

Ok, waited a bit longer and dropped from 1.035 to 1.032 going to transfer to secondary and age with some whiskey/oak cubes. Could someone explain a number discrepancy for me? I’m using the northern brewer refractometer calculator and something isn’t lining up. Per my notes and measuring with my refractometer my original measurement for the finished wort was 26.5 brix or 1.113OG. Current brix is 15.5 or 1.032FG. The error is when I do the bottom line for abv calculation. I enter current brix and current gravity (15.5 and 1.032) spitting out 9.303% abv but the last number it spits out is 1.104 as original gravity. Why the discrepancy between my measured og of 1.113? Can someone explain or help me understand?