Bottle Condition Guinness Clone

[Architect-Dave]

I am brewing a Guinness stout clone this weekend. I need it to be ready to drink mid March. This gives me just about enough time to have it brewed and bottled (bottle conditioned - I do not have keg equipment). I read that conditioning with DME will give it more of that nitrogen mouth feel with the smaller bubbles. However, I heard that it takes longer to condition this way.

So, my three options are as follows:
1 - just condition with corn sugar and be happy with that.
2 - condition with a mixture of corn sugar and DME in order to get a close replication of the DME conditioning.
3 - condition with DME and add CBC-1 Cask and Bottle Conditioning Yeast to the bottling bucket to speed the DME.

So, wanted input on my three options above. thanks in advance.

I found that adding the CBC-1 to the bottling bucket speeds up the bottle condition to about a week instead of 2 to 3 weeks when priming with corn sugar.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

With regard to bottle conditioning using DME and CBC-1, is this ...

LalBrew CBC-1™ is a killer yeast, meaning it will secrete a toxic protein that can inhibit killer
sensitive strains (most brewing strains are killer sensitive). [...]

... (from the CBC-1 TDS) something that needs to be considered?

 

[mac_1103]

I read that conditioning with DME will give it more of that nitrogen mouth feel with the smaller bubbles.

Interesting. Where did you read that? I wouldn't think that the bubbles can tell whether they came from corn sugar or DME, but I suppose you would get a little bit more body and mouthfeel since the DME is about 25% unfermentable.

 

[Architect-Dave]

Interesting. Where did you read that? I wouldn't think that the bubbles can tell whether they came from corn sugar or DME, but I suppose you would get a little bit more body and mouthfeel since the DME is about 25% unfermentable.

Some other thread on here about DME conditioning…

 

[Architect-Dave]

With regard to bottle conditioning using DME and CBC-1, is this ...



... (from the CBC-1 TDS) something that needs to be considered?

I do not understand what this means, tho…

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

With regard to bottle conditioning using DME and CBC-1, is this ...

LalBrew CBC-1™ is a killer yeast, meaning it will secrete a toxic protein that can inhibit killer
sensitive strains (most brewing strains are killer sensitive). [...]

... (from the CBC-1 TDS) something that needs to be considered?

@Architect-Dave : CBC-1 kills many beer yeast strains. Also, it only ferments simple sugars - so it may not ferment the DME as well as other beer yeast strains.

 

[MaxStout]

I tried bottle conditioning with DME once. I couldn't tell the difference in mouthfeel or head retention vs. using corn sugar. One data point, FWIW.

If you want richer foam, you'll have better luck adding some dextrin malt (like CaraPils or CaraFoam) to the mash. Or add some maltodextrin prior to bottling. Be sure to dissolve it in some sterilized water first, so you don't cause foaming from nucleation. Don't add too much, unless you like jelly beer. A quarter pound or so is plenty in a 5 gallon batch.

You can use any neutral beer yeast for re-pitching at bottling. You'll only need a few grams for a typical 5 gal batch. However, unless your beer is very high ABV and/or has bulk-aged a long time, you will still have plenty of viable yeast left in suspension for bottle-conditioning and re-pitching at bottling is unnecessary.

You shouldn't need to speed things up if you're brewing this weekend. You'll have about 7 weeks grain-to-glass till mid-March. Plenty of time for fermentation and 2-3 weeks bottle-conditioning, with time to spare.

 

[Architect-Dave]

@Architect-Dave : CBC-1 kills many beer yeast strains. Also, it only ferments simple sugars - so it may not ferment the DME as well as other beer yeast strains.

Ahh - yeah, they talk about sugar for bottle conditioning. I am not worried about the killer strain as this would be serving as the yeast the corn sugar would use to carbonate the beer. Either way, CBC-1 and DME will not be a good mix.