Irish stout aging

[A_McG]

I have an Irish stout almost ready to go to secondary. I would like to bulk age it for at least 1 but maybe as much as 3 months. The longest I've bulked is 2 weeks before bottling but I want this one to be more consistent. My biggest concern is bottle carbing. I'm not setup yet for kegging.

I have easy access to yeast, but not sure how to add more to assist the carb, or if I need to. What type should I use and do I need more than standard amount of priming sugar? Do I need to let everything sit or stir yeast into beer then bottle immediately?

Also, when using fresh yeast will it effect the carbonation time? I don't want accidental bottle bombs.

 

[Miraculix]

I have an Irish stout almost ready to go to secondary. I would like to bulk age it for at least 1 but maybe as much as 3 months. The longest I've bulked is 2 weeks before bottling but I want this one to be more consistent. My biggest concern is bottle carbing. I'm not setup yet for kegging.

I have easy access to yeast, but not sure how to add more to assist the carb, or if I need to. What type should I use and do I need more than standard amount of priming sugar? Do I need to let everything sit or stir yeast into beer then bottle immediately?

Also, when using fresh yeast will it effect the carbonation time? I don't want accidental bottle bombs.

Don't do secondary, age in primary, if you age at all. I personally think it is unnecessary to bulk age in this case as it doesn't have any benefits to aging in the bottle.

After one or two months you wouldn't need additional yeast for botteling, however I would just bottle when it's done and age it in the bottle, if necessary.

 

[A_McG]

Thanks for responding. The last time I made a stout about 1 in 5 bottles just wasn't as good as the others. It was the most inconsistent beer I've made. Assumed it was an aging problem but I guess not. Any ideas on better consitency? Other than kegging? Which I do hope to have a setup by the end of the year, been botting way to long. I like bottkes, but 150-200 a year is getting old

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks for responding. The last time I made a stout about 1 in 5 bottles just wasn't as good as the others. It was the most inconsistent beer I've made. Assumed it was an aging problem but I guess not. Any ideas on better consitency? Other than kegging? Which I do hope to have a setup by the end of the year, been botting way to long. I like bottkes, but 150-200 a year is getting old

Sounds more like a sanitation problem to me. Contaminated bottles will create contaminated beer!

 

[A_McG]

Sounds more like a sanitation problem to me. Contaminated bottles will create contaminated beer!

Hadn't considered that, I'll pay extra close attention at bottling. Would you recommend bottling as soon as the gravity hits target?

 

[Miraculix]

I did let my stouts usually sit on the yeast for three weeks in total, to let them clean up whatever was there to be cleaned up.

However, I am not fully convinced that this is necessary anymore, but it definitely won't hurt.

I think I would now just give it another week after fg has been hit.

 

[deadwolfbones]

I did a split batch of Irish stout recently (notty and s-04) and bottled after 2 weeks on the yeast. They tasted great after just a week carbing up and have tasted better every week after that. (S-04 took a while to carb up, must be said.) I don't think you need to bulk age, just age in bottle instead.

 

[A_McG]

I did a split batch of Irish stout recently (notty and s-04) and bottled after 2 weeks on the yeast. They tasted great after just a week carbing up and have tasted better every week after that. (S-04 took a while to carb up, must be said.) I don't think you need to bulk age, just age in bottle instead.

I used s-04, fermentation has been a solid 65f for 9 days as of today. I was at 1.020 a week from brew day. Starting grav 1.045

I guess I'll just be more careful with bottle cleaning and sanitizing. I'm usually very thorough, must have dropped the ball on the last stout. Maybe letting mistakes slip after cleaning so many bottles.

 

[deadwolfbones]

Yeah, I fermented around 68F and hit FG in about 8 days—1.048 -> 1.012.

 

[brewcat]

No need to age very long. It won't get much better after it reaches carbonation.

 

[flars]

Hadn't considered that, I'll pay extra close attention at bottling. Would you recommend bottling as soon as the gravity hits target?

Target gravity is just an estimate based on published attenuation figures by the the yeast producer. These figures are found by fermenting the same standard wort for all their yeasts. It is just to compare their yeasts. Your final gravity depends upon what you are brewing. You can only determine final gravity for your beer by using a hydrometer.

More time in the primary will let the beer clear. This means there will be less suspended sediments racked to the bottling bucket to end up in your bottles.

 

[A_McG]

Target gravity is just an estimate based on published attenuation figures by the the yeast producer. These figures are found by fermenting the same standard wort for all their yeasts. It is just to compare their yeasts. Your final gravity depends upon what you are brewing. You can only determine final gravity for your beer by using a hydrometer.

More time in the primary will let the beer clear. This means there will be less suspended sediments racked to the bottling bucket to end up in your bottles.

The beers I've made before generally hit the target gravity, more my assumption that it wasn't done fermenting yet. I come from wine making, so when something isn't quite right I fall back on just let it age. The stout is the only one that has been inconsistent from bottle to bottle.

I've also noticed that bottle aging makes a huge difference in flavor, a month in the bottle made my honey ale go from just ok to a very tasty beer. I can bottle age, but thought bulking would be more beneficial.

 

[A_McG]

I bottled the stout today, managed 48 bottles and bit left over to drink flat. This is also the last batch I will have to brew in the kitchen, finally setting up a brewery in my basement. No more hauling out the equipment on brew day, and also tracking down kegerator parts.

Here's a pic of what I got to taste test, can hardly wait for it to carb up.

 

[CodeSection]

Nice looking stout there! I'm planning on bottling my Irish Stout this Sunday after three weeks in the fermenter at 61-61F. A little cooler than what I wanted so it will be interesting to see what the FG is. I used S-04 as well.

Like you, A McG, I'm moving from 5 gallons batches brewed in a kitchen to 10 or 15 gallon batches to be brewed in another part of my house.

Good luck with your move.

 

[A_McG]

Update, tested a bottle today. Put in the fridge before work and thought about it all day. Much stronger coffee flavor than my last stout, and the hops are coming through strong. Very happy with how this turned out, I think after a couple weeks conditioning in the fridge this batch will be one of my better brews. Better start another, it won't last long.

Cheers HomebrewTalk,

 

[CodeSection]

Very nice! Enjoy!!

 

[stieg000]

You don't need to age an Irish dry stout long, 2-3 weeks tops. I did a guiness clone, 2 weeks after kegging I couldn't tell it apart from an actual guiness.