Got a bigger beer than expected...fermentation help!

[deadboy182]

Ok, long story short. I did my first parti-gyle brew today and collected my first runnings (a little shorter than expected due to a lesson learned about mash tun volumes and grain absorption - a topic for another time). I ended up with a bigger beer than expected at 1.112 (90 minute boil was planned as was addition of 1# turbinado sugar). I had planned on a beer at 1.080 or 1.085. So, I prepared a WLP023 starter at 2.0 L.

Ok, here is the question...Whilte Labs says the alcohol tolerance of WLP 023 is up to 10.0%. BeerSmith says I should be able to get 12.9% but that will be a fairly low FG at 1.016. Do I roll the dice and hope for the estimated attenuation of 75% so a FG of 1.025 but still 11.7% ABV? My concern is the WLP023 won't get it down that far and I'll be left with an under attenuated overly sweet beer. Suggestions?

 

[jekeane]

What was your volume into the fermentor?

 

[jekeane]

Assuming 5 gallons you could feed it some O2 and nutrient in the first day of active fermentation to help it along.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Without knowing your overall volumes this is just a guess but you could always dilute your higher gravity down to a reasonable gravity. If you do have 5 gallons at 1.112 and diluted to 6.5gallons should leave you around 1.085 gravity.

 

[hottpeper13]

Diluting's not a bad idea and if you have the container for it is the way I would go too. On a max alcohol note, at a brewing conference in Milwaukee Chris White was a speaker and he said that if you treat your yeast the best way possible and do the fermentation on cooler side for first 3 days and then ramping to upper limit most yeast will go above there listed max tolerance. I've taken 001 up to 14% just took 6 weeks to complete. Just give it time and don't do the 3 days in a row check, instead check in 2 weeks if it is about done ~1.035 or so check in another week and then a week later and so on until 2 weeks are the same. If you bottle condition consider using some CBC yeast in your cool syrup.

 

[deadboy182]

OP here...I got just over 4 gallons in the fermentor...pitched my yeast starter with the 2L of 1.036 wort so that should dilute some. If I want to dilute further...still have about 1.5 to 2 gallons in my 6.5 gallon carboy do I need to treat the water in particular way? Do I need to boil and chill before adding? Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. I'll treat with nutrient as well.

 

[madscientist451]

You could just buy a gallon of distilled water at the store for $1 and toss it in. Or save a buck and boil some tap water.

 

[hottpeper13]

About adding water........remember back when we were noobies and doing extract batches and we would TOP up the fermenter with cold water from the faucet? I never boiled it and never had a contaminated batch, so what's different here?

 

[ncbrewer]

If adding boiled tap water and it contains chloramines, you should treat it with campden. A tablet could be cut down to size - treating a larger volume of water would help with getting a reasonable concentration. Campden can be added at higher rates than the 1 tablet per 20 gallons specification, but I don't know just how much higher.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

About adding water........remember back when we were noobies and doing extract batches and we would TOP up the fermenter with cold water from the faucet? I never boiled it and never had a contaminated batch, so what's different here?

Depends on your water. Well water, boil it. City water treat it or filter it, and sanitize the end of your faucet just in case you splashed some nasty dish washing water on it.