McKnuckle
Well-Known Member
So here is my new theory on how SS gets from 1.059 to 5% ABV and a good amount of residual sweetness without lactose.
They ferment with their yeast from 1.059 until natural FG is achieved, which is probably a good deal lower than 1.021 (calculated 5% ABV). They crash and filter. Then they blend back a sweetened chocolate syrup, such that the final volume is diluted to 5% ABV and a higher gravity is achieved.
I'm going to reserve a hydrometer sample when I have my next bottle of SS Chocolate, and dig into the dilution calculation. I can't filter the beer, but I can crash and fine it, and keg it - keeping it cold and inhibiting fermentation. This wouldn't work for bottling, obviously.
The final beverage would be, then, a blended product rather than something that is achieved entirely during brewing/fermentation.
They ferment with their yeast from 1.059 until natural FG is achieved, which is probably a good deal lower than 1.021 (calculated 5% ABV). They crash and filter. Then they blend back a sweetened chocolate syrup, such that the final volume is diluted to 5% ABV and a higher gravity is achieved.
I'm going to reserve a hydrometer sample when I have my next bottle of SS Chocolate, and dig into the dilution calculation. I can't filter the beer, but I can crash and fine it, and keg it - keeping it cold and inhibiting fermentation. This wouldn't work for bottling, obviously.
The final beverage would be, then, a blended product rather than something that is achieved entirely during brewing/fermentation.