might have racked CBS clone to secondary too soon

[faithie999]

I am making my first "big" beer after years of home brewing. I found a clone recipe for Canadian breakfast stout that was just a list of ingredients, not method. I mashed at 153F and my OG was 1.080. following my typical practice, I racked to secondary after the bubble rate in primary was about 1/minute. the fermentation (with Wyeast Irish ale, in a 1 liter starter) was very vigorous, so the fermentation appeared essentially complete after 3 days.

I have since done the research I should have done prior to brewing, finding that I should have left it in primary for a week or two.

It has been about a week total now, and I measured the sp gr today using a sanitized thief tube. it measures about 1.022. I would have thought it should be in the 1.018-ish range.

I tasted the sample and it is a bit on the sweet side, but at room temp and without carbonation I know that can be misleading.

should I:
a) RDWHAHB and leave it in secondary for a few weeks, or
b) pitch some more yeast into the secondary? I saved the yeast cake from primary in a sanitized jar in the fridge and could use some/all of that.

thanks in advance!

 

[InspectorJon]

Leave it alone. I would guess the real CBS finishes at least that high. I suspect it starts higher than you did also. I don't think you would notice a significant difference between 1.022 and 1.018 in the finished product. Give it a couple weeks.

 

[faithie999]

thanks. I will leave it alone. I had planned to let it sit in secondary for a couple of weeks, then add 2oz of whiskey-soaked oak chips for a week, then 4oz of dark roast coffee beans for about 4 days. then keg it.

 

[kevin58]

Founders CBS clocks in at just over 11% ABV. For some reason many of the clone recipes floating around the interwebs only hit an OG of 1.080+ which is only going to get you to and 8+% beer. You're OG will have to be 1.108-+ to reach the ABV of the original. Fwiw the FG of most clones is ~1.022 so you are on target there.

 

[faithie999]

yes. I discovered in my post-brew day research that the real thing is 11+. had I known that, I still would have gone for 8-ish. we'll see how it tastes.