How do you baby your big beers

[BierGut]

I brewed a Wee Heavy yesterday with a SG of 1.104. Its fermenting fine with a nice krausen 24hrs later but I seriously underpitched. Just 2 packs of wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale in a 1.5L starter for 6g batch. What are some techniques you folks use to keep those yeasts happy and hungry enough to chew through this big beer? I have some WLP001 harvested from a pale ale that I thought maybe I could throw into a starter and pitch?

Recipe:
16lbs 2 row
1lb each of caramel 80, munich and special roast
12oz each of amber and german wheat
8oz of roasted barley
4oz of peat smoked
2oz of UK East Kent Goldings
1oz WIllamette
1oz Fuggle

 

[Bensiff]

IME underpitching a big beer will about guarantee stalling out, so you want to hit it with more yeast before the alcohols get too high or it won't help much. The 001 would be a good addition as it will let the 1728 shine through; however, my one concern would be that as it is from a pale ale, unless it is amazingly well washed, it will bring some very unwanted hop character to the wee heavy.

 

[BierGut]

Thanks for your reply. I'm making a starter right now for the WLP001 but there's plenty of hop sediment in there. Its such a big malty beer though I don't think will ruin it.

 

[Bensiff]

Good luck...you might want to try washing it a few times first...it might surprise you how much hop character hangs out in yeast slurry.

 

[BierGut]

Update: After 12 hrs. on the stir plate the WLP001 had formed a nice krausen so I pitched it into the wort that had been fermenting for approx. 36 hrs. with the Wyeast 1728. It's been two weeks now, just took a gravity reading and it went from 1.104 to 1.014. I couldn't be happier about that because I was really worried about having it stall or finish above 1.020 and having a sickly sweet beer. IMO having dried out as much as it did, this 11.8% ABV Wee Heavy will be a homerun (or should I say touchdown since it's Superbowl Sunday?). The sample tasted "peaty", not sure about the hops from the 001 slurry. Regardless I'm a happy brewer!