Opinions On Priming RIS

[Kidagora]

First time bottling a RIS and I was wondering if I'd need to use any combination of yeast and priming sugar. Here are the stats for a 1 gallon batch I did.

OG 1.118
After 3 weeks.
FG 1.030
Three separate readings over 1 week of 1.030
ABV ~11.9%
Safale 04 used.

Should I pitch a quarter packet of yeast with the appropriate amount of priming sugar? Should I just pitch the sugar? Should I just pitch the yeast. What are the chances the yeast are spent/stressed? Will the remaining yeast be able to ferment the priming sugar?

 

[Kidagora]

Bump

 

[botigol]

It looks like the S-04 has exceeded it's theoretical alcohol tolerance, so throwing some yeast in there would be a very good idea. Rehydrating the yeast before adding it into the bottling bucket would probably be a good idea as well.

 

[botigol]

In order to avoid alcohol toxicity, you may want to grab a yeast with a higher tolerance.

Another thought, given the FG of 1.030, you may still have plenty of unfermented sugars available. I am tempted to suggest pitching some champagne yeast, without bottling, in order to avoid bombs. What was your full recipe?

 

[BierGut]

I had these same questions last week when I bottled an 11.8% ABV Wee Heavy (OG 1.104 - FG 1.014) For a 6g batch I used 5 oz. priming sugar and ~1/2 a pack of champagne yeast. The bottles have been at room temp for 6 days, no bombs yet and I haven't opened any to check the carb level? I'm going to open one after another week to see if its flat or gushing.

 

[Kidagora]

Maris Otter 3lb 8oz @ 70%
Chocolate Malt 4 oz @ 5%
Caramel 120 4oz @ 5%
Roasted Barley 2 oz @ 2.5%
Molasses 4 oz @ 5%
Special B 2 oz @ 2.5%
Munich 6 oz @ 7.5%

Mash @ 150 for 60min
2.5 gallon preboil
1.1 gallon post boil

Not sure what yeast to use. Was wondering if a fresh 04 and priming sugar would last long enough to carb. Or should I just use champagne yeast. The gravity is perfect for my taste. Chewy and viscous without being too sweet. Alcohol is tempered nicely by the malt sweetness. I'm really excited about this so far and don't want to ruin it.

 

[botigol]

I don't think that S-04 will do anything more for you in the presence of so much alcohol; most speculation puts it's limit around 10% or so. My concern is that potentially the FG ended high, because the original yeast died of alcohol toxicity rather than running out of sugar to eat. If this is the case, if you were to introduce a yeast that can tolerate higher levels of alcohol, it will eat your priming sugar and whatever is left in the beer as well, which could lead to bombs.

Maybe rehydration of the yeast prior to priming would be sufficient to get carbonation before the yeast die off, but I don't have enough experience to make a definitive statement.

 

[botigol]

Biergut, your FG is low enough that I wouldn't worry about bombs. That said, opening bottles of a big beer to check carbonation before at least a month has passed is premature. I would bet on closer to two months. You will have carbonation before then, but very possibly also residual sweetness from the priming sugar. It needs time. My 9% quad took about two months. A wee heavy that I received in a beer exchange took at least three months.

 

[Kidagora]

IMO, 1.030 is perfect.

It has a great body and malt sweetness that barely covers the alcohol. It's actually pretty good without carbonation but I'd like a little. I don't want to go any lower. I was looking for something with the viscosity of Dark Lord.

 

[botigol]

Then, short of kegging, the only option I see is rehydrating S-04 and hoping for the best. Maybe this bump will get someone else's opinion.