reaching HIGH proof?

[eastwood44mag]

I tried to run a high proof ale, but apparently I went wrong. How much sugar would you need to get a batch to ~20% ABV (yeast permitting)? Any other techniques I should know about? This would be the yeast in question http://www.whitelabs.com/gravity.html

Thanks.

 

[Mikey]

Assuming you were starting with an average beer, probably ten pounds of cane sugar would do it.

Yech, what a waste of beer.

 

[mbeattie]

It's gonna be hard to get it up that high... Even that super high gravity yeast wont really handle it well.

You want to get the OG up to like 1.100 or something like that and add a mix of a few different yeasts... champagne yeast, wlp099, wlp001 also... Then as the fermentation progresses you want to take more extract, or another mash I suppose to get more fermentables and boil them, cool, and then add the already fermenting primary.

If you make a few additions of 1.100+ OG wort to the primary you might be able to get it up that high.

 

[Pumbaa]

Once you get up to that high of an ABV your looking at something like distillers yeast I think

from http://www.homebrewheaven.com/

Super Start Distiller's Yeast 1# From Alltech

One POUND pkg. Ferments to about 18-21% before "giving up". Use nutrients to obtain the highest alcohol level prior to distillation (which of course is NOT legal as a beverage!). Usually not used for wines or beers. Sufficient yeast for approx 500gallons $7.95

 

[Brewsmith]

Tinkering around with promash its looking like having an OG of 1.184 and a FG of 1.025 will give you a 20% ABV which comes out to about 20 lbs of light DME for a 5 gallon batch. At my LHBS 3# of DME costs about $10. You are looking at $67 just for the extract!!! And thats assuming it ferments all the way out. Now if it's just alcohol you're looking for, you could use corn sugar, which would require at least 16.5 lbs. And that would require a ton of yeast nutrient. Now you could reduce the size of the batch, but it's still doubtful you would get this thing fully fermented. Good luck trying

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Throw a 40-pounder of vodka in there, and save yourself the headache.

That doesn't sound right... Oh, GIVE yourself a headache, that's what I meant to say.

 

[Lou]

i'm not sure why you want to do this...there's no way it will taste good... just drink some liquor if you want to get drunk off a "HIGH proof" beverage

 

[david_42]

High gravity yeasts can cook themselves. The best way to work with them is to add the sugars in stages of about 1/3 and let them ferment out each stage for 3-5 days. A distiller's yeast can ferment 8 kg per 20 L in 48 hours, but you have to have a way of keeping the temperature under 27C (That's 16 lbs of cane per 5 gallons and 80F) You won't be able to drink the result due to fusel alcohols, though. If you keep the temperature below 65F, do small batches and stage the sugar, you can get there with something drinkable.

Although it tops out around 15%, a local brewery sells a Brut IPA that starts as an Imperial IPA at about 8%, aged in wine barrels and then is boosted with corn sugar and champaign yeast in the bottle.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Start with about a 12g boil, add your 20lb. of extract (going by Brewsmith's #'s), and boil it all day until it reaches 5g (adding hops when appropriate). Then follow the technique that you linked to in your message. I don't think it will be drinkable, but you never know!

 

[El Pistolero]

Although it tops out around 15%, a local brewery sells a Brut IPA that starts as an Imperial IPA at about 8%, aged in wine barrels and then is boosted with corn sugar and champaign yeast in the bottle.

Going from 8% to 15% in the bottle? That seems like a lot of pressure, even for champagne bottles.

 

[budbo]

Why would you want to do this? be cheaper to do shots and chase them with a nice IPA.

 

[david_42]

The Brut IPA is re-fermented to 15% and then bottled with a small amount of carbonating sugar.

 

[eastwood44mag]

I didn't realize it would cost so friggin much. Forget this. My next attempt at real beer (not from a kit) will be a Brown Ale. Estimated starting time 2/2007 (or when I can find more room to store it)