Everybody got this months issue of BYO...

[Sir Sudster]

I like the article about the 10 most difficult beers to Brew. Think I'm going to go for the WEE-Heavy. Sounds fun.

 

[El Pistolero]

I haven't got it yet, but I'm up for a wee-heavy. Why is it on the most difficult list?

 

[Sir Sudster]

You partially freeze it and discard the frozen part. This apparently ups the ABV to 10%.

<OOps this is the Eisbock that you freeze not the Wee-Heavy ..sorry guys >

 

[ScottT]

I poped the cap on my first wee heavy homebrew this morning and my God! it's good.

I don't think it's all that hard to brew myself. It's just a high gravity beer that you ferment under cool conditions.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

I haven't got mine yet! When did your's arrive?

 

[Sir Sudster]

I haven't got mine yet! When did your's arrive?

Yesterday

 

[Sir Sudster]

I poped the cap on my first wee heavy homebrew this morning and my God! it's good.

I don't think it's all that hard to brew my self. It's just a high gravity beer that you ferment under cool conditions.

Did you go through the partial freeze part. How hard was that?

 

[ScottT]

Did you go through the partial freeze part. How hard was that?

Nope, no need to. Here's the style guidelines for a wee heavy http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category9.html#style9E (Scotch Strong Ale)

I hit 6.7 ABV and that is good enough for me. I wasn't shooting for an imperial grade.

 

[El Pistolero]

I poped the cap on my first wee heavy homebrew this morning and my God! it's good.

How long have yours been in the bottle, Scott?

 

[Sir Sudster]

Apparently BYO is stretching the limits. Could be hipe. Sounds fun though!

 

[ScottT]

How long have yours been in the bottle, Scott?

Only 2 weeks last Friday. I primed this one with DME and the carbonation is still a little light but the flavor is right on what I was looking for. The carbonation is very fine and the flavor malty but only slightly sweet, less so than a Belhaven Wee Heavy.

I'd read that these type heavy brews need to age out. Not this one at least. It's spot on what I was looking for flavor and body.

 

[El Pistolero]

Only 2 weeks last Friday.

Yeah, I bottled mine a week ago last Friday...I was figuring three weeks, so I guess I'm gonna have to wait another week at least. Should help out with turkey day anyway.

 

[sause]

This freezing thing came up a long time ago on the forum. I think that most of the comments were that it was illegal. Basicly it's a form of distilling. Here is the link ICE BEER

 

[Dude]

You partially freeze it and discard the frozen part. This apparently ups the ABV to 10%.

Haha...that IS definitely a cheap way to distill, like sause pointed out. I won't tell you where I learned how to do that.

EDIT: I haven't gotten my BYO yet.
I'm about to go postal. Serious withdrawals!

 

[Sir Sudster]

oops, made a mistake guys. The style should be EISBOCK not Wee-Heavy. I left my Magazine at work and was going off stewed memory. Sorry if I caused some confusion. You freeze the EISBOCK to get an ABV of 10% NOT the Wee-Heavy.

 

[Sir Sudster]

The EISBOCK is difficult because it is two beers in one. A High-Gravity Lager(dopplebock) and the second, a freeze concentrated beer. When they say two beers they mean they take a lagered dopplebock and then freeze it to distill it to 10% ABV.