Shred
Former Microbrewery Founder & Pro Brewer
I'm working on my monster 25% annual specialty ale but this year's brew is giving me problems.
I started with an Abbey Ale yeast slurry which brought me to about 10%. That was followed up with EC-118 which got me almost exactly to 18% and my SG was down to about 1.080
Finally I pitched the 099 but got no action. I let it ride for several weeks then pulled off a sample which I pitched into a 1.050 simple sugar solution to attempt to proof it. Nothing.
Okay - this tells me I haven't run out of fermentables but that I have no viable yeast. I assumed I pitched the 099 too early and the EC-118 killed it.
Several weeks later I repitched 099 thinking that if the 118 was responsible, sitting that long in the 18% ABV would have killed it (no further fermentation was taking place).
Waited several weeks and still nothing. I know there are still fermentables in there because I pitched the "proof" sample complete with additional simple sugars back into the fermenter.
Is it possible the 118 is inactive but still killing off the 099?
Should I sorbate, cold crash, rack and repitch the 099?
I started with an Abbey Ale yeast slurry which brought me to about 10%. That was followed up with EC-118 which got me almost exactly to 18% and my SG was down to about 1.080
Finally I pitched the 099 but got no action. I let it ride for several weeks then pulled off a sample which I pitched into a 1.050 simple sugar solution to attempt to proof it. Nothing.
Okay - this tells me I haven't run out of fermentables but that I have no viable yeast. I assumed I pitched the 099 too early and the EC-118 killed it.
Several weeks later I repitched 099 thinking that if the 118 was responsible, sitting that long in the 18% ABV would have killed it (no further fermentation was taking place).
Waited several weeks and still nothing. I know there are still fermentables in there because I pitched the "proof" sample complete with additional simple sugars back into the fermenter.
Is it possible the 118 is inactive but still killing off the 099?
Should I sorbate, cold crash, rack and repitch the 099?
