dougdecinces
Well-Known Member
Preface: I have looked through a few threads and seen where people have asked about using sherry flor yeast as the primary strain in a beer, but I have yet to see an instance of anyone trying to get the flor to develop. If anyone has a thread or link they can share that does so, I would be appreciative.
I was thinking of doing an English style barleywine with WLP Sherry Flor yeast as the primary strain. I know that the flor that gives sherry its characteristic nutty/stone fruit flavor and aroma is only active around 16% ABV, and I also know I don't want to be drinking a 16% ABV beer. So I planned on brewing a 2.5 gallon batch of a big, malty barleywine aiming for about a 12% ABV. I would pitch a built up strain of Sherry Flor into it. And alongside it, I would ferment some of the second runnings with a neutral strain. Once my big beer had reached terminal gravity, I would add enough cognac or bourbon (I haven't decided which), to get the ABV up to 16% and activate the sherry flor. When that step of the fermentation completed, I would blend some of 2nd runnings back into the barleywine to get it back down to an acceptable ABV.
I am hoping someone out there has done this successfully and can provide firsthand advice on the probability of my plan working. If not, any credible advice on whether my plan might work would be great too. I also have some other more detailed questions:
1) I know sherry is allowed to oxidize in order to get a lot of these desirable flavors. They do this by allowing lots of headspace in the barrels and leaving the bung open slightly. Should I allow more oxygen in the beer to replicate the flavor of sherry? If so, should I do it throughout primary, or should I wait until I activate the flor?
2) I was also thinking I should age some of this on Brett C. How do you think that sounds?
3) Should I use a neutral strain on the 2nd runnings, or should I use some of the cultured sherry flor yeast? Even though the second runnings would likely only be 5-7 ABV, is there any advantage to fermenting the second runnings with the sherry flor yeast?
4) It would take approximately 4.8 oz of 80 proof spirit to get the ABV of 2.5 gallons of beer from 12% to 16%. Is that too much booze? Would it just make the beer ridiculously hot? I'm apprehensive to take the ABV of my base beer any higher for risk of getting a stuck fermentation.
I was thinking of doing an English style barleywine with WLP Sherry Flor yeast as the primary strain. I know that the flor that gives sherry its characteristic nutty/stone fruit flavor and aroma is only active around 16% ABV, and I also know I don't want to be drinking a 16% ABV beer. So I planned on brewing a 2.5 gallon batch of a big, malty barleywine aiming for about a 12% ABV. I would pitch a built up strain of Sherry Flor into it. And alongside it, I would ferment some of the second runnings with a neutral strain. Once my big beer had reached terminal gravity, I would add enough cognac or bourbon (I haven't decided which), to get the ABV up to 16% and activate the sherry flor. When that step of the fermentation completed, I would blend some of 2nd runnings back into the barleywine to get it back down to an acceptable ABV.
I am hoping someone out there has done this successfully and can provide firsthand advice on the probability of my plan working. If not, any credible advice on whether my plan might work would be great too. I also have some other more detailed questions:
1) I know sherry is allowed to oxidize in order to get a lot of these desirable flavors. They do this by allowing lots of headspace in the barrels and leaving the bung open slightly. Should I allow more oxygen in the beer to replicate the flavor of sherry? If so, should I do it throughout primary, or should I wait until I activate the flor?
2) I was also thinking I should age some of this on Brett C. How do you think that sounds?
3) Should I use a neutral strain on the 2nd runnings, or should I use some of the cultured sherry flor yeast? Even though the second runnings would likely only be 5-7 ABV, is there any advantage to fermenting the second runnings with the sherry flor yeast?
4) It would take approximately 4.8 oz of 80 proof spirit to get the ABV of 2.5 gallons of beer from 12% to 16%. Is that too much booze? Would it just make the beer ridiculously hot? I'm apprehensive to take the ABV of my base beer any higher for risk of getting a stuck fermentation.
