Really high ABV bottle carbing

[diverpat]

I'm planning on bottling an 18% barleywine in the near future. It was fermernted with WLP007 and finished off with WLP099. The OG was 1.150 and the FG is 1.019. It has been bulk aging for 4 months, 3 of those on oak cubes.

original post here

I don't want to take a chance with this guy not carbing properly so I was thinking of using champagne yeast. I'm thinking of adding the yeast to the secondary for a day or two to ferment any extra if it would like, and to avoid unplanned bottle fermentation. I'll then add priming sugar and bottle. Does this sound like a descent plan? I've searched and can find where people ask about doing this but I haven't found any follow through.

Thanks in advance!

 

[wonderbread23]

I wouldn't try to bottle condition a beer with that high of ABV. Even champagne yeast being thrown into such a harsh environment is going to have a tough time. If you end up going for it, I would add the fresh yeast right at bottling time.

 

[Toga]

I wouldn't try to bottle condition a beer with that high of ABV. Even champagne yeast being thrown into such a harsh environment is going to have a tough time. If you end up going for it, I would add the fresh yeast right at bottling time.

I agree. Most yeasts kick the bucket with that high of a content. Champagne yeast would be a must. Add at bottling time and rehydrate it first. Perhaps even make a small starter with it to add at bottling. This will at least give it a fighting chance.

 

[TopherM]

There's really no physical reason that that high ABV beer would have any less residual yeast left to carb than a lower ABV beer, so you can add extra yeast if you want to, but you probably don't need to. The yeast were strong enough to attenuate the beer as far as they did, and those same yeast are still dormant in the solution and will be fine working with the additional priming sugar.

Just note that EITHER WAY, the high ABV beer is going to take a LONGGGGG time to carb and condition, like on the order of 4-6 months, so don't rush it.