first big beer... a few questions.

[basilchef]

So i made a monster IIPA last month. BRY-97 (1pkg) The original brix read 22. Four and a half weeks later my brix reading is 8. WITH THE ADJUSTMENT for alcohol, it comes out to around 12%. upon tasting it comes off a bit too sweet. Is it normal for such large beers to taste that sweet early? the bitterness is right where i would want it. will the sweetness mellow out over time? is this a sign i need to add more yeast? i hit all my numbers. ill post the recipe for you to see what you think. thanks for the help!

12 lbs - American 2-row
2 lbs - Pilsen DME
1 lb - Victory malt
1 lb - Cara Foam
8 oz - Crystal 10
8 oz - Crystal 20
8 oz - Honey malt

1 pkg BRY-97 re-hydrated

1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 whirlfloc tablet

4 oz hops in boil

willamette
galaxy
nelson sauvin
mosaic

4 oz for dry hop

mosaic
au topaz
galaxy

mashed in and held at 152 for 1 hr
boiled 1 hour
fermented 65 deg F

o.b. 22
f.b. 8 (before alcohol adjustment)
abv Around 12%

 

[Pie_Man]

I am not an expert on Brix, but using a conversion table it appears your OG would be about 1.092 and your FG about 1.032. If that is correct, your apparent attenuation was about 65%, with an ABV around 7.9%. I suspect the relatively large amount of residual sugars may be leading to the sweet flavor.

I'll add, that alcohol can also have a sweet flavor, so it is possible that the alcohol flavor will mellow over a time and perhaps reduce the sweetness.

 

[duboman]

I'm not a fan of refractometer readings for FG even with proper conversion, take a hydrometer reading and I'll bet it hasn't finished yet. Raise the temp and rouse the yeast

 

[cheezydemon3]

If it really is 12% ABV, then the yeast are probaly in a coma and can not finish the job.

 

[MichaelBrock]

I think OP is using a refractometer. He measured 8 brix and used a calculator to correct for the presence of alcohol and arrived at an FG of .56 brix/plato. That would give him his 12.x% alcohol. I wouldn't trust the refractometer and calculator in this case (or any case for FG). Unless you have an impressive infection I doubt an ale yeast could take down a wort mashed at 152 down to .56 brix. I suggest measuring your FG again with a hydrometer.

 

[Tinga]

that half pound of honey malt would make itself known.

 

[forstmeister]

Sounds like you under pitched and the yeast crapped out most likely, leaving lots of unfermented sugars behind.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I think OP is using a refractometer.......

I think he is using a dead fish and some old chicken bones. I used that for my first few brews, but found it to be wildly inacurate. In fact, just guessing proved to be far more accurate.

 

[basilchef]

what would happen if i added more yeast at this point? its been almost five weeks since original pitch. i dont want a yeasty brew either. i dont have a test tube to take hydro readings right now. so a thief and refract is all i have. what would you all do in this case? again its not TOO sweet just a bit more then i would want. there is also no alcohol burn or flavor either. i racked the brew to a secondary for dry hopping and to get it out of the dirty one that was blown up from fermentation.
EDIT:

i turned the temp back up after crashing and racking to 66. the fermentation seems complete.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I would leave it. Carbonation will make it more bitter and less sweet.

You have a lb of crystal, and a lb of cara, I think it will be a mite sweet, but good with all of the hop bitterness.

Don't eff with it.

 

[sweetcell]

something isn't right here.

22 brix --> 8 brix, corrected, is 1.093 OG --> 0.995 FG according to two different online calculators. a beer this big with that much crystal and DME can't end below 1.000 without bugs. by the way, 1.093 --> 0.994 = 13.4% ABV.

furthermore, to get a 12% beeer from 22 brix/1.093 OG, you would need to get down to 1.004. at 12% and 1.004, this beer would not taste sweet - which is what the OP complained. it would taste hot and dry. yes, alcohol can impart an impression of sweetness - but not THAT much sweetness.

i'm wondering if there wasn't an error or two using the refract.

 

[dpatrickv]

what would happen if i added more yeast at this point? its been almost five weeks since original pitch. i dont want a yeasty brew either. i dont have a test tube to take hydro readings right now. so a thief and refract is all i have. what would you all do in this case? again its not TOO sweet just a bit more then i would want. there is also no alcohol burn or flavor either. i racked the brew to a secondary for dry hopping and to get it out of the dirty one that was blown up from fermentation.
EDIT:

i turned the temp back up after crashing and racking to 66. the fermentation seems complete.

I use my thief all the time to take hydro readings....

Take a sample....drop the hydrometer into the thief...

 

[basilchef]

I use my thief all the time to take hydro readings....

Take a sample....drop the hydrometer into the thief...

thief is a glass turkey baster. not large enough for my hydrometer.

 

[basilchef]

the more i taste it the more i realize its not as bad as i thought. there is a whisper of heat from the alcohol which tastes and feels high in content. with carbonation i m betting this beer will be pretty drinkable but again still strong. in a month this beer will be best. thanks for any input so far. cheers

 

[forstmeister]

Big beers like this are usually drinkable after a few months but get better with age. It might take a year for you to find it's really peaked.

 

[sweetcell]

Big beers like this are usually drinkable after a few months but get better with age. It might take a year for you to find it's really peaked.

this is generally true, but doesn't hold for IIPA's. most people like to drink them fresh, before the hops fade.

 

[forstmeister]

this is generally true, but doesn't hold for IIPA's. most people like to drink them fresh, before the hops fade.

You're right. I forgot which "big beer" thread I was in for a minute. Honestly with the grain bill and the abv it's likely this is more of a barley wine anyway.

 

[sweetcell]

Honestly with the grain bill and the abv it's likely this is more of a barley wine anyway.

ha! good point!

 

[oldstyle69]

if you do add yeast to it, be sure to give it some nutrient and make a starter for it.

 

[basilchef]

My final gravity was 1.012

O.g. 1.093

About 10.5% with temp adjustments

 

[basilchef]

My final gravity was 1.012

O.g. 1.093

About 10.5% with temp adjustments