12-12-12 Wee Heavy Recipe Formulation

[smokinghole]

You put in 099? That definitely it. I made a low gravity DFH120 clone and it came from 1.120 to 1.010 over 10 days. It stayed at 1.010 for at least a week as far as I know, then when I checked it before doing the dry hopping I got this.

Yeah I had to get my gravity down from 1.045. This was MONTHS ago though and I thought it would have stopped by now. So since the last time I checked it it was about a month. I'll let it go another month and see where it is. If it's the same then I'll bottle.

 

[BenS]

Mine ended up in the 1.026 range and it seems perfect to me. Also, for what its worth, I used a different hydrometer than originally to measure FG when I kegged a few days ago and it read 1.030.

 

[smokinghole]

Well I did a gravity check yesterday. Its still at 1.026 so its going in bottles today. I can't wait to have this 10gal fermentor back.

 

[bottlebomber]

I've decided to oak mine, so I put 2 ounces of medium toast in that will sit there for the summer. I'll probably bottle in late August. It tastes REALLY good. Alcohol notes are very subdued.

 

[Stephonovich]

I think I'm going to wait until November or December to do anything with mine. It sat in the primary for (I think) 3-4 months, and then I racked it over. I usually do primary only, but I didn't feel like tempting the yeast gods for a year.

I have a 1728 culture that I plan on growing and using for bottle conditioning. I really want to keep it single yeast strain if I could, vice using S-05 or 099. Barring all that, I can borrow a keg from neighbor and force carb it, then bottle.

 

[smokinghole]

If you wanted to use 099 you'd have to do a test to see how much further it would attenuate the beer beyond where it is currently. My experience with 099 has been contentious and have since learned to give it very ample time to finish because it works slow and sneaky. If you wanted to ensure carb without your 1728 I'd use champagne yeast since it does not have the necessary enzymes to ferment the remaining sugars left in your beer, 099 on the other hand certainly does.

 

[bottlebomber]

I wouldn't use 099 on this beer. I just had a 1.12 IPA ferment down to 1.00 using that, and saw another thread on here where someone had a stuck fermentation on a huge Barleywine, used that, and it dropped down to 1.005 or something. Too dry for this.

 

[smokinghole]

I had to use 099 on mine since it got stuck at 1.055 and the 099 took it down to 1.026 and stopped. It might be slightly more estery than it should be but it's not 1.055 anymore. I know it was finished at 1.026 due to gravity measurements with a precision hydrometer over two months. The thing is that my wort is not the same as anyone else's wort so the other wort very well could end up way too dry.

 

[MorningGloryBrew]

Is the very first recipe on the thread the definitive 12-12-12 recipe? I saw several scattered on the first few pages and would rather not run through 55 pages with a fine-tooth comb. Anybody?

 

[MDVDuber]

I think this is the "definitive" recipe..... or two we decided on https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/12...e-formulation-271379/index32.html#post3558460

 

[MorningGloryBrew]

Thanks for the link—I may have never found that. Gonna brew this in the next 4-6 weeks, targeting late winter consumption.

 

[MDVDuber]

No sweat - I had to scan like 20 pages to find the post I made directing others to the recipe post that.... Well you get the idea. It's not a bad thing to scan the post brew reports to gain some pointers or to put yourself to sleep at night...

This is a great beer BTW.

 

[Golddiggie]

Mine is still bulk aging. I plan to put it to keg sometime after I've moved at the end of September.

 

[bottlebomber]

I've got a lot of beer to bottle this weekend. This one is going to be one of them. I will even use some of my fancy useless oxygen absorbing caps.

 

[Stephonovich]

When do these historically get shipped? I am still in for it, but I'm going to be underway (Navy) for awhile around winter time. I should be home around Christmas, but I don't want to upset anyone if I don't respond to PMs asking why my bottles haven't shipped.

 

[bottlebomber]

Does November sound good for shipping?

 

[Cromwell]

Well, when I brewed this way back last year, I had only been brewing for about 6 months and had never made a beer this big. My OG was only around 1.8 (I'm too lazy to look it up now.) When I saw that people were shooting for 1.1, I started assuming l wouldn't participate in the swap, since people wouldn't want to send me something that wasn't anything like what they got back. So I started trying them, and mmmmboy they are good! I only have about 12 bottles left. I've made some beers that people raved over, but this is still my favorite dark/complex beer.

Do I assume correctly that I should withdraw from the exchange? I'm totally happy to drink my 12, but I would like to try other people's - especially since the only other wee heavy I've tried is Belhaven (which I like, although it's not very heavy) because it's the only one I can get.

 

[bottlebomber]

Well, when I brewed this way back last year, I had only been brewing for about 6 months and had never made a beer this big. My OG was only around 1.8 (I'm too lazy to look it up now.) When I saw that people were shooting for 1.1, I started assuming l wouldn't participate in the swap, since people wouldn't want to send me something that wasn't anything like what they got back. So I started trying them, and mmmmboy they are good! I only have about 12 bottles left. I've made some beers that people raved over, but this is still my favorite dark/complex beer.

Do I assume correctly that I should withdraw from the exchange? I'm totally happy to drink my 12, but I would like to try other people's - especially since the only other wee heavy I've tried is Belhaven (which I like, although it's not very heavy) because it's the only one I can get.

I would still count yourself in. It's not like anyone's going to feel gyped over a couple percent ABV. I don't consider Belhaven to be quite up to snuff for a wee heavy. Plus, considering how many people have sort of disappeared from the thread, it looks like we may need all the swappers we can get.

 

[acuenca]

I would still count yourself in. It's not like anyone's going to feel gyped over a couple percent ABV. I don't consider Belhaven to be quite up to snuff for a wee heavy. Plus, considering how many people have sort of disappeared from the thread, it looks like we may need all the swappers we can get.

Is everyone using extra yeast for bottling? I bottled some without and after 2.5 months.... Nada....Im going ton give it a couple more months but I as hopingbfor something....

 

[bottlebomber]

Is everyone using extra yeast for bottling? I bottled some without and after 2.5 months.... Nada....Im going ton give it a couple more months but I as hopingbfor something....

Yes, I always use a half packet of rehydrated champagne yeast for anything close to this. I literally just washed my hands from bottling mine. I'm not the least but surprised that you didn't get it to carb from the latent yeast.

 

[Golddiggie]

Is everyone using extra yeast for bottling? I bottled some without and after 2.5 months.... Nada....Im going ton give it a couple more months but I as hopingbfor something....

I'm going to carbonate in keg (slow method) so I'm not at all concerned about the yeast's state. I also know it will be carbonated within 2-3 weeks of it going onto gas.

 

[bottlebomber]

It's weird, but I took a taste at bottling, and this beer still tastes "young", even though I made mine Thanksgiving weekend 2011. Flavors still need to mellow a little. It tastes delicious though. I'm glad I made 6 gallons. I bottled some in champagne bottles for long term aging. I think it will peak at 2-3 years.

 

[smokinghole]

I've been drinking one from time time. It's good, it's super malty/boozy though. I think maybe a year or more might get it to calm down.

 

[bottlebomber]

I've been drinking one from time time. It's good, it's super malty/boozy though. I think maybe a year or more might get it to calm down.

Yeah, that's exactly the impression I get. It's funny too because I made a 16% IPA that wasn't boozy at all and it's almost gone now 4 months from brew day. This beer has a vinous malty heat. It definitely still needs time.

 

[Stephonovich]

Does November sound good for shipping?

Yeah, that could work. I should be able to ship around Thanksgiving time.

 

[Golddiggie]

I deviated (more than a bit) from the posted recipe. So, I'll probably not be participating in the bottle swap. But, if anyone is up in my neck of the woods, once it's ready to go to glass, you can swing by for a taste.

I expect to transfer to serving kegs sometime after the end of this month. Most likely in time to have it in glass by Thanksgiving.

 

[JuanKenobi]

Mine is aging away in a carboy in the basement. Haven't had time to think about it (or any brewing sadly) this summer due to a new addition to the family, but I will definitely be participating in the swap.

It's good to see activity in the thread. It reminded me that it was there. Took a taste this morning. Not much change in the last three months. It's still a little hot, but tasty none the less. Threw a quarter cup into some BBQ sauce I'm making in lieu of molasses.

 

[bottlebomber]

KBrian, are you still in on this? How did your whiskey/abused cellar oak experiment work out?

 

[KingBrianI]

KBrian, are you still in on this? How did your whiskey/abused cellar oak experiment work out?

I never ended up making it. Got busy and by the time I was ready to brew it, I figured it wouldn't have enough time to age. The oak ended up in another big beer very like this one though. I made a beer with 95% warminster maris otter, 4% carastan and 1% black barley to commemorate my first kid who's due next year, and just racked it to secondary on top of oak. I didn't bury the oak in peat or age it outside after soaking in the alcohol though.

 

[bottlebomber]

^^ it still sounds delicious though.

So how many people actually brewed this and are willing to swap?