Hi All, I've just finished brewing a batch of a scotch ale. It ended up at 5.5% but I'd like to boost to 7% like an innis and gunn by adding a scotch before bottling. Will this work or will I kill the yeast? Isn't there residual sugar in the alchohol? Would this over carbonate if I use the normal amount of corn sugar?
Can I fortify bottle carbonated beer?
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you should be able to do that. as you are changing the ABV from 5.5 to 7, the yeast should be fine. What I would do is figure out how much scotch you need, and put that with your carbonation sugar in the bottom of the bottling bucket, and rack the beer on to that, then bottle. But that is me. As to residue sugar, that is a very good question. While there are calories in hard liquor, I don't think that they are from sugars. A quick but not deeply read google search seems to imply that distilled alcohol has very little to no residual sugar.
filthyastronaut
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It's possible whatever Scotch you use has some sugar, but probably negligible. You might consider dialing back your proming calculation a tad, but no need to do it significantly.
You might also consider doing a minimash or dme boil, transfer to the fermenter with a siphon, and let it ride. You can adjust for ABV without reducing body that way.
Another good way to get some scotch character in the beer is soaking oak chips in scotch and letting them sit for a week or so in the fermenter.
You might also consider doing a minimash or dme boil, transfer to the fermenter with a siphon, and let it ride. You can adjust for ABV without reducing body that way.
Another good way to get some scotch character in the beer is soaking oak chips in scotch and letting them sit for a week or so in the fermenter.
So the end product is to your expectations most take 100 ml of beer and add 1 ml of flavor changer at a time, tasting as you go, then when at desired level you can do simple math to get the perfect amount to add.
Just to close this thread out, it turned out quite well. I should have opted for a bit more corn sugar but I went with a beer calculator, a little flatter than I'd like but still a good beer. The difference in the fortified beer is it has a nice bite in the aftertaste (and also gets you tipsy quicker). I would say the fortified beer is a hair less carbonated than the normal stuff.
