Key factors in producing high gravity (1.100+) worts ?

[brewman !]

What are the key factors to producing high gravity (1.100+) worts ?

Do you use the same mash thickness for a high gravity wort as for a low gravity wort ?

Are there special sparge techniques that work better for high gravity worts ?

Thanks

 

[wheels4]

I have only made a few high gravity beers but will tell you what worked for me. I used the same mash thickness (1.5 quarts water per lb.) but did do a 3 hour mash every time. I mashed a little higher (156-158) and collected more volume (8.5 gallons) for the longer boil (90-120 min). I used my 10 gallon equipment to make 5 gallons of higher gravity beer because of the volume needed. If I used the 5 gallon set up it would have been maxed out and my efficiency would suffer. Beersmith pretty much hit the numbers all 3 times doing it this way. I always fly sparge and did not do a mashout on any of my bigger brews. In fact I have recently stopped doing a mashout all together.

 

[kevin58]

I partigyle and use just the first runnings for the big beer. Keep some DME on hand just in case you come in low on your pre-boil gravity.

What you do after the mash/boil process is also important. As alcohol is produced during fermentation you will need very healthy yeast tolerant of the high alcohol environment. Toward that aim you want to use a yeast nutrient... make a yeast starter large enough to produce the cell count you will need... and you want to aerate/oxygenate before pitching and more than likely within 12 - 18 hours after pitching.

Good luck.

 

[brewman !]

I have only made a few high gravity beers but will tell you what worked for me. I used the same mash thickness (1.5 quarts water per lb.) but did do a 3 hour mash every time. I mashed a little higher (156-158) and collected more volume (8.5 gallons) for the longer boil (90-120 min). I used my 10 gallon equipment to make 5 gallons of higher gravity beer because of the volume needed.

So what was the resulting gravity and mash/brewhouse efficiency ?

Did you stir the mash ? Did you recirculate it ?

Those mash temps would have resulted in a wort with lots of unfermentable sugars. Did you want a sweet wort ?

If I used the 5 gallon set up it would have been maxed out and my efficiency would suffer. Beersmith pretty much hit the numbers all 3 times doing it this way.

Not sure what you mean by this. What recipe was it ? What did Beersmith "predict" ?

I always fly sparge and did not do a mashout on any of my bigger brews. In fact I have recently stopped doing a mashout all together.

What do you mean by mashout ? Raising the temp of the mash to 165F+ ? You sparged at mash temps ?

 

[brewman !]

FYI, since posting this question I have learned all about doing reiterate mashes, also called POLYgyle mashes for attaining high gravity worts.

Here are some links to that process:

https://www.reddit.com/r/grainfathe...cially_the_largest_brew_ive_done_with_the_gf/
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&q=Reiterated+Mashing:+Multiple+Mashes+for+Massive+Brews
https://homebrewacademy.com/reiterated-mashing-brewing-high-gravity-beers/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/polygyle-mashing-anyone-done-it.627080/
http://www.nordeastbrewersalliance.org/education/nicks-tips-for-brewing-high-gravity-beers/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...s-pumpkin-porter-and-ale-from-one-mash.74927/
http://beerandwinejournal.com/reiterated-mashing-2/
http://beerandwinejournal.com/tripel-iii/#more-4372
http://beerandwinejournal.com/tripel-iii/
http://grainfatherweeklymash.blogspot.com/2016/03/week-62-large-grain-bill-brewing-what.html
http://grainfatherweeklymash.blogspot.com/2016/06/week-74-reiterated-mashing.html?view=magazine
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/brew-strong-triple-mashing-2/
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/brew-strong-triple-mashing/
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/brewing-style-brewing-big-beers/

I'll be using the reiterative mash process for my high gravity beers.

 

[wheels4]

So what was the resulting gravity and mash/brewhouse efficiency ?
Did you stir the mash ? Did you recirculate it ?


Those mash temps would have resulted in a wort with lots of unfermentable sugars. Did you want a sweet wort ?




Not sure what you mean by this. What recipe was it ? What did Beersmith "predict" ?
I mean I put the numbers in beer smith for my 10 gallon system and my efficiency was spot on.



What do you mean by mashout ? Raising the temp of the mash to 165F+ ? You sparged at mash temps ?

SG was 1.112 and got %74 efficiency.
Only at dough in and no.
That's not true. Can be debated all day but I know for a fact some well know brewers often mash at 160.
I mean I put the numbers in beer smith for my 10 gallon system and my efficiency was spot on.​

Right, I no longer raise mash temp to 165 I just sparge with 170 water.

 

[catdaddy66]

I have had difficulty hitting my OG and preboil numbers with a lot of my high gravity attempts (50%). I keep the process virtually identical but it comes out all over the map. I have added volume to strike and sparge steps after reading that it can aid efficiency.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I've only done one...OG of 1.128.

It was a big stout that I wanted to be rich with a nice mouthfeel. I mashed at 158 for 90 minutes at 1.3 qt/lb. I did a double batch sparge and collected 9.5 g for a 5 gallon batch. I then boiled down to my target volume, about 5.5 gallons.

I nailed my OG at about 70% BH efficiency.

Mash efficiency drops considerably with those larger grain bills, so collecting extra and boiling down is a great way to overcome that.