My first high gravity beer

[SMOKEU]

I've made a double NEIPA with an OG of 1.082. The brew shop was supposed to include 2 packets of US-05 but they didn't include any yeast and being a Saturday evening the only place I could get yeast was to beg for some from a brew pub. They gave me about 500mL of yeast slurry from one of their IPAs. I don't know the strain but they only use dried yeast.

I fermented it at 19C (66F) for 6 days and then I increased the temp to 20C (68F). I checked the gravity today and it's at 1.030 so I gave the yeast a gentle stir from the bottom.

Should I leave it at this temperature or increase it slightly? I plan on bottling in 2 weeks.

 

[Frodo]

I tend to ferment on the low end of yeast temp range, so I personally wouldn't raise the temp. 68F is near the top end of most ale yeasts and you risk producing off flavors at the higher temps, particularly without knowing the yeast specifications.

 

[Tim H]

Let it ride. My high gravity IPA’s (just added a 1.078 to my fermenter today) take a while at those temps. No need to push it along. Worst case, you can always repitch and see where that takes you.

 

[SMOKEU]

I went back to the brewery to find out which yeast they gave me and it's US-05.

It's been 12 days since pitching and the gravity is 1.024. I gave it a stir and increased temperature to 21C (I won't increase it any more than that) as it seems that US-05 is fairly tolerant of higher temperatures from what I've read on other threads.

I was planning on bottling after 3 weeks in the primary but maybe I should leave this for a month instead. It's only 9 days until my planned bottling day and I think it might need more time on the yeast cake.

 

[Frodo]

If you used malt extract, some interesting discussion here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/extract-brews-often-do-not-go-below-fg-of-1-020.453254/

 

[SMOKEU]

That was a very interesting thread. Before this I've only ever made beers with an OG of no more than about 1.065 and even that finished at around 1.016. My other extract brews were always below 1.014.

I added about half a can of LME at the start of the boil (with the flame off) for better hop utilization and added the rest at flameout so no issues with scorching the extract. When I stirred it today I noticed a thick, firm layer of yeast on the bottom. Hopefully stirring with the temperature increase will help finish it.

 

[Tim H]

Honestly, it might not be worth the extra trouble (and possible complications with infections and oxygenation). The beer probably tastes a little bit sweeter than expected, but drink it and enjoy the cheap learning experience. Guys who have been brewing 20+ years have “off batches”.... even big breweries like dogfish head dump beer because of underperforming fermentation. Don’t beat yourself up about it, and make sure you have an extra packet of US-05 laying around.

I laugh because when I posted on here earlier this week, I had just pitched a bigger beer.... I had zero activity in the first 24 hours and had to re-pitch with 05. It happens all the time, just be prepared to adapt. So-so beer is still beer!!!

 

[SMOKEU]

Honestly, it might not be worth the extra trouble (and possible complications with infections and oxygenation). The beer probably tastes a little bit sweeter than expected, but drink it and enjoy the cheap learning experience. Guys who have been brewing 20+ years have “off batches”.... even big breweries like dogfish head dump beer because of underperforming fermentation. Don’t beat yourself up about it, and make sure you have an extra packet of US-05 laying around.

I laugh because when I posted on here earlier this week, I had just pitched a bigger beer.... I had zero activity in the first 24 hours and had to re-pitch with 05. It happens all the time, just be prepared to adapt. So-so beer is still beer!!!

Thanks for the advice! Now I understand that this beer will take longer for the yeast to "clean up" and condition than a lower gravity beer, but because it's summer here in NZ and I can only fit 1 brew in my fridge at a time, I'm keen to get my fridge space back for my next batch...

I usually leave beer in the primary fermenter for 3 weeks before bottling but because of the higher gravity I'm wondering if it needs an extra week in the fermenter, or would the yeast clean up work just as well in the bottle as the fermenter?

Being an IPA I'm wondering if I should leave it on the yeast for as long as possible and then dry hop for 5 days before bottling so it doesn't need a lot of time to bottle condition while the hop aroma disappears with time.

 

[Tim H]

My high gravity IPA’s clean up within 2 weeks of primary (usually at 68 degrees F) and then go straight to keg for conditioning and cold-crash. Honestly though, your yeast is done when it’s done- there isn’t a magic number of days or gravity points.

I don’t have the ability to put my conicals in fridges, so I filter from fermentation to keg, and drop those to temp. Everyone does it differently..... as long as you are enjoying you beer, that’s what matters most right now.

-Edit- the yeast has a major role in how quickly your beer cleans up. Try experimenting with different types at different temps. London Ale “Juicy” and WLP008 “east coast” are solid choices for IPA’s.

 

[odie]

I did a RIS back in May with a single pack of US-05. started over 1.10 before adding 2# of pure maple syrup to the primary. I let it ride a month on the US-05 at 68'. Only now having a bottle or two. pretty sure it rocked it to about 14% (only a guess since the OG was before the syrup). Without factoring it in I'm at 11% by the numbers.

 

[wepeeler]

Never used US-05 for any of my neipas, but I find that bigger beers (for me, over 1.080) usually ferment out almost on the same schedule as my lower gravity beers. How long was your total primary fermentation? I've never needed to go more than 14 days, and that's only because I tend to double dry hop. Also, don't be afraid to go above 70F. Fruity esters are PERFECT for the style.

I did a RIS back in May with a single pack of US-05. started over 1.10 before adding 2# of pure maple syrup to the primary. I let it ride a month on the US-05 at 68'. Only now having a bottle or two. pretty sure it rocked it to about 14% (only a guess since the OG was before the syrup). Without factoring it in I'm at 11% by the numbers.

Damn son! My RIS started at 1.085 and got down to 1.020, but I used 2 packs of US-05 in each fermenter! Clocked in around 8.2% or so.

 

[odie]

My OG to FG came in at 11% But the OG was before 2# of pure syrup. All the references I found on maple syrup said 1.5% ABV per pound per 5 gal...thus my extra 3% ABV.