First yeast cake pitch

[DeadYetiBrew]

Oh, I got you now. And, for what it's worth, I don't think it's possible for this stout to be too thick... I added lactose and 2 pounds of oats because I want it to be tar-like when I pour it

Right on, mine tend to be like that too...

 

[eadavis80]

I came up with this idea in hopes of preventing bottle bombs which I had the last time I bottled a stout with a high FG of 1.030... This 1.030 was stable for over a week prior to bottling, so I'm thinking of trying this instead: Would there be anything wrong this - when I rack the beer over the cocoa nibs today to add in the priming sugar AT THAT TIME as well. I'd let it sit on the nibs and it would ferment out the priming sugar as well in that time. Before bottling, I'd take another gravity reading and make sure it was still at 1.030. Last time I had a "stable" gravity of 1.030 on a stout after a month in the bottle they became way too carbonated and I was like - WTF? I checked the gravity and the "stable" gravity had dropped to 1.020 so somehow that priming sugar solution "energized" the yeast to consume stuff it could not do before. By putting in a few ounces of priming sugar solution, I'd prevent that same mistake as it would "get below" 1.030 while it was in secondary, not in the bottle.

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

I came up with this idea in hopes of preventing bottle bombs which I had the last time I bottled a stout with a high FG of 1.030... This 1.030 was stable for over a week prior to bottling, so I'm thinking of trying this instead: Would there be anything wrong this - when I rack the beer over the cocoa nibs today to add in the priming sugar AT THAT TIME as well. I'd let it sit on the nibs and it would ferment out the priming sugar as well in that time. Before bottling, I'd take another gravity reading and make sure it was still at 1.030. Last time I had a "stable" gravity of 1.030 on a stout after a month in the bottle they became way too carbonated and I was like - WTF? I checked the gravity and the "stable" gravity had dropped to 1.020 so somehow that priming sugar solution "energized" the yeast to consume stuff it could not do before. By putting in a few ounces of priming sugar solution, I'd prevent that same mistake as it would "get below" 1.030 while it was in secondary, not in the bottle.

That should work honestly... And if the priming sugar doesn't ferment you'd know the yeast is exhausted and could then toss in a packet of US-05 or something and you'd have peace of mind then.

 

[eadavis80]

Yeah, I guess if I don't see any airlock activity, mild krausen, anything moving or the gravity after a week is ABOVE 1.030 THEN I'd know I'd have to make a starter with Notty or 05 and pitch that and then maybe RE-RACK over more nibs - worse case scenario is I'd get even more chocolate flavor.

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

Yeah, I guess if I don't see any airlock activity, mild krausen, anything moving or the gravity after a week is ABOVE 1.030 THEN I'd know I'd have to make a starter with Notty or 05 and pitch that and then maybe RE-RACK over more nibs - worse case scenario is I'd get even more chocolate flavor.

Has anyone done an experiment of nibs with active fermentation vs without active... I think you'd get more flavor if you had them during active fermentation. So, WOULD you need to rerack over more nibs??? I actually screwed up last weekend and tried to sanitize with tequila, but it was flavored, only 30% and had sugar out the ass and I was too blitzed on homebrew to realize, so my nibs are in during an active fermentation too.

 

[eadavis80]

Everything I've ever read has said to rack on nibs after fermentation is complete, but given the tiny amount of fermentables I'm using in this experiment with 1/3 cup of corn sugar over 4.5 gallons of beer, I don't think it's "really" an "active fermentation." I'm just looking to see if the gravity goes BELOW 1.030 from this addition of corn sugar. Assuming I'm still at 1.030 next week (a week after the experiment began), I'll let the beer sit on those nibs for 2-3 more weeks and then bottle. If I still have bottle bombs after this experiment, I'll just throw my hands up and give up...

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

Everything I've ever read has said to rack on nibs after fermentation is complete, but given the tiny amount of fermentables I'm using in this experiment with 1/3 cup of corn sugar over 4.5 gallons of beer, I don't think it's "really" an "active fermentation." I'm just looking to see if the gravity goes BELOW 1.030 from this addition of corn sugar. Assuming I'm still at 1.030 next week (a week after the experiment began), I'll let the beer sit on those nibs for 2-3 more weeks and then bottle. If I still have bottle bombs after this experiment, I'll just throw my hands up and give up...

Never give up... I had a problem with my capper last time I bottled and the two batches I have coming up for bottling are going in flip tops and I'm saving to start up kegging... Look at it as a reason to get more equipment...

 

[eadavis80]

It's still at 1.030 so I see no reason I'd get bottle bombs in a month or so. The yeast fermented the priming sugar solution and is still at the same gravity it was prior to the priming sugar solution. I'll let it sit on the nibs n' beans for 1-2 more weeks and bottle with just over 1/3 cup of priming sugar. The sample tasted good, so I'm hoping the batch turns out nicely.

 

[DeadYetiBrew]

It's still at 1.030 so I see no reason I'd get bottle bombs in a month or so. The yeast fermented the priming sugar solution and is still at the same gravity it was prior to the priming sugar solution. I'll let it sit on the nibs n' beans for 1-2 more weeks and bottle with just over 1/3 cup of priming sugar. The sample tasted good, so I'm hoping the batch turns out nicely.

Glad to hear it turned out well.

 

[eadavis80]

Now, if only my honey nut brown would be nice n' carbonated by Saturday's March Madness party. I tried one last week (only a week after bottling) and it was flat as a board, but that's only a week and I wanted low carbonation for that one anyhow.

 

[eadavis80]

I bottled it up yesterday. I'm hoping it turns out as tasty after conditioning as it was going in the bottles - it was really, really good. Just hoping they don't turn into bottle bombs. I used the same out of priming sugar (1 TBSP over 1/3 of a cup) as I used in my Scotch Ale and I was very pleased with how that one turned out, carbonation wise.