Barleywine fermentation

[adrock430]

Hi All,
I'm currently fermenting a 1.115 OG barleywine, 100% maris otter, done in a reiterated mash, one mash being 155*F, the other 145*F.

Pitched onto a pacman yeast cake from a 1.060 beer, fermented in my basement @ 60*F. 12 days later, its @ 1.072. Still good sized krausen.

Is only 40% attenuation 12 days into a barleywine ferment normal? How long should the primary take typically?

I moved it upstairs to 70F to move things along, considering most esters/fusels have been made already.
Thanks, Adam

 

[cheezydemon3]

You answered you own question there....

60 would have been fine but slow. Maybe 70 for a few days and then back to 60 would be my advice

 

[stompbox]

I have a barleywine that has been fermenting for 10 days now, I need to take a gravity reading to see where I am at too. Interested in seeing the replies to this one.

 

[Paymygasbill77]

I made a similar beer last year.
I fermented it on a pretty big WLP001 cake, aerated very well and it still took a LONG time to ferment.

How well did you aerate/oxygenate it?

 

[cmybeer]

I just did a 1.112 barleywine a few months ago and got it down to 1.018. I think the key is pitching enough yeast which you seem to have done, aerating enough which hopefully you did, moving it to a higher temp to finish out which you're doing, and then genitally swirling your carboy to keep the yeast in suspension long enough to eat through everything that it can. I tried to do mine three times a day after the after the second week and kept that routine going for a week or two.

My BW finished out and I racked it to the secondary to bulk age until July or so before bottling but it was dangerously good already.

 

[adrock430]

OK, great. This is my first high gravity beer, and I was getting worried about how long this will take. I'll keep swirling away and hope for it to get below 1.030. Thanks!

 

[OvaTersley]

I just did a 1.112 barleywine a few months ago and got it down to 1.018. I think the key is pitching enough yeast which you seem to have done, aerating enough which hopefully you did, moving it to a higher temp to finish out which you're doing, and then genitally swirling your carboy to keep the yeast in suspension long enough to eat through everything that it can. I tried to do mine three times a day after the after the second week and kept that routine going for a week or two.

My BW finished out and I racked it to the secondary to bulk age until July or so before bottling but it was dangerously good already.

I can't say as I've ever tried swirling a carboy with my genitals before, sounds painful.

 

[cmybeer]

^Yeah, that's right, I work out my genitals. Don't you?

Seriously though; that is one of the worst auto corrects I've ever had...

 

[Jbear]

^Yeah, that's right, I work out my genitals. Don't you?

Seriously though; that is one of the worst auto corrects I've ever had...

Now that's taking Kegel exercises to a whole new level!

 

[adrock430]

Just an update here, took a hydro reading yesterday, just under 1.050...man this is taking a while. Looking at another two weeks in the primary I think.

 

[MaynardX]

How did you oxygenate? Keep us informed on its progress.

 

[chiteface]

Pacman yeast has an abv tolerance of 12%. You should consider moving to a secondary and repitching onto some champagne yeast or something that can handle higher of alcohol content.

 

[adrock430]

I repitched a 1L starter of pacman @ high krausen on saturday, hopefully it will get things going again.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

Sometimes once you hit a certain alcohol level, repitching the same yeast won't do anything. You might need to use to a highly alcohol tolerant strain or even champagne yeast to help it finish up.

As others have asked, how did you aerate? Good aeration is absolutely essential to beers this big.

 

[adrock430]

I poured back and forth between buckets about 6 times, it was as aerated as I could possible make it...no pure o2 system yet.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

If you're just pouring it from bucket to bucket, I'd suggest pouring it through something like a paint strainer (sanitized of course).

 

[adrock430]

For what reason? To get out hops, or to have it work like the end of a faucet?

 

[phoenixs4r]

or to have it work like the end of a faucet?

Bingo. The little piece on the end of your faucet is called and aerator. You are trying to aerate your wort.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I just did a 1.112 barleywine........., moving it to a higher temp to finish out which you're doing, and then genitally swirling your carboy to keep the yeast in suspension long enough to eat through everything that it can.......

This is epic. Not just anecdotal.........

"If it's gonna be that kind of party, Im'a stick my dick in the mash.......I mean the carboy"

What exactly are the yeast eating through????????


EFFING HATE AUTO CORRECT. turned mine off. Not any faster, but I don't have random insane crap go out that makes me look bad.

 

[Phunhog]

When I do big beers like that I make sure I had plenty of pure O2 and yeast nutrients.

 

[adrock430]

Was stuck around 1.036 for a while after the initial repitch, so I re-pitched a 4L starter slurry, hasn't budged, so I'm calling it...time to rack.

A little disappointed I didn't get under 1.030, but I guess yeast can't count!

 

[turkeyjerky214]

What yeast did you repitch with?

A lot of people underestimate how important 02 is for high gravity beers like. I would highly recommend at the very least doing the paint strainer trick next time you do a big one if you don't have an actual 02 kit yet.

 

[cmybeer]

When you were repitching your yeast were you pitching at high krausen? I've read and heard that this is the way to do it and if you wait until it is fermented out and/or put it in the fridge to decant it is almost pointless.

Also was thinking of making a Saison and came across this on Wyeast's website for their French Saison yeast. "This strain can also be used to re-start stuck fermentations or in high gravity beers." It has crazy high attenuation which I guess is why they recommend it. Haven't tried it but might be worth it.

 

[adrock430]

I added a little wort to wake things up after crash cooling and did 4L worth because I needed to get the cell count up.

I have a 1L starter of 3711 kicking around in case my dupont saison craps out (it didn't), but I'm kind of reticent to add that here. I'm racking to a secondary tonight, maybe oxygen from the transfer will kick things up, but I'm pretty sure it's done

 

[turkeyjerky214]

You actually don't want any oxygen getting in after fermentation has started.

 

[adrock430]

Had an email exchange with the brewer that this beer is modeled after. He says that 1.036 is about right...now for the waiting! Thanks for everyone's great input!