Suggestions for failed Imp. Stout

[davehenry]

I'm looking for suggestions on what to do with an Imperial Stout that failed to attenuate.

First of all, I'm not new to high gravity brews. In fact this is the third time I've made this particular beer and this is the first fail. It has a 1.127 original gravity and finishes at 1.023 or so.

I did make one change this time, switching from US-05 to wlp 007. I've used 007 in barleywines and old ales and I thought it would be up to the task. But it wasn't, stalling at 1.043 after two weeks of vigorous fermentation.

I swirled the beer and raised the temperature and let it sit for another week. No change. I then made a 2 litre starter with more 007 and pitched it at high krausen. This appeared to restart the process but after another week it died again at only 1.041. This beer is done.

I filled a couple of glasses with samples and tried diluting it with varying amounts of water and a 2.7% brown ale. The results with the brown ale were palatable but still had a cloying aftertaste.

I'm wondering if anyone has another idea before I dump this?

 

[day_trippr]

If you want to go to the well one more time, try a big WLP099 pitch.

Otherwise, you could brew a bone dry porter (minimal if any dextrins and run a low mash temp) and blend the two...

Cheers!

[edit] emphasis added just in case the "009" corruption goes too far

 

[davehenry]

Good idea, 099 might do the trick.

 

[Natdavis777]

Id second trippr... Brew something really dry, maybe a bit on the lower gravity side, and blend. Im suprised 007 stalled out so fast. From what Ive read, I thought that would be a tank....

 

[d3track]

If you go 009, I'd make a HUGE starter with all the alcohol present.

 

[davehenry]

Actually I was planning to age this one for a year before bottling. I could brew another batch at that time using 009 and blend them. Thanks for the idea.

 

[davehenry]

So I finally got my hands on some 099 and I'm going to try pitching a 3 liter starter into this beer.

 

[blizz81]

Are you concerned about the "rocket fuel" flavor that is WLP099's reputation?


I'm kind of curious too, as I'm in a similar boat (1.127 at 1.045 currently, 2.5 weeks in). Am thinking that going from the 1.04s to something like 1.025-1.030 wouldn't be too big of a worry re: fusels / off-flavors...really don't think the 099 is going to get that active in the already-10%+ environment + I don't think I'd aerate at this point. Just wondering what you're thinking about it.

 

[JustLooking]

Time to bring out the bugs.

Add Brett and call it an Old Ale.

 

[AK7007]

Time to bring out the bugs.

Add Brett and call it an Old Ale.

This. Dumping it after all that work would be a shame, and the right Brett could chew through anything.

 

[davehenry]

Are you concerned about the "rocket fuel" flavor that is WLP099's reputation?


I'm kind of curious too, as I'm in a similar boat (1.127 at 1.045 currently, 2.5 weeks in). Am thinking that going from the 1.04s to something like 1.025-1.030 wouldn't be too big of a worry re: fusels / off-flavors...really don't think the 099 is going to get that active in the already-10%+ environment + I don't think I'd aerate at this point. Just wondering what you're thinking about it.

Pitched the 099 starter today, no aeration. Small amount of activity from the airlock but that could be from the already fermenting starter. I'll get a better idea in the morning if it it's actually chewing at the stout sugars. I think due to the fact that it will only be chewing through 10-15 gravity points, I won't get much Fidel's.

 

[FatDragon]

Brett or a pound of simple sugar would help. I had an RIS that started around 1.09 stop around 1.03 and it just wasn't where I wanted it to be. 300 grams of homemade caramel syrup - sugar, a bit of water, and a dash of lemon juice all simmered together over a low-medium flame until it starts to color - dropped my FG some 5-7 points while adding a bit of complexity to the flavor, and now it's a great beer.

 

[Nico93]

i think you made the right choice, give time to the wlp 099 and he will do the trick!

notice that is a very slow worker! took mine belgian ale (1116) from 1024 to 1016 in 40 day and is still working like the first day (one bubble from the airlock every 4/5 minutes)

good luck!

 

[davehenry]

Are you concerned about the "rocket fuel" flavor that is WLP099's reputation?


I'm kind of curious too, as I'm in a similar boat (1.127 at 1.045 currently, 2.5 weeks in). Am thinking that going from the 1.04s to something like 1.025-1.030 wouldn't be too big of a worry re: fusels / off-flavors...really don't think the 099 is going to get that active in the already-10%+ environment + I don't think I'd aerate at this point. Just wondering what you're thinking about it.

Pitched the 099 starter this morning, no aeration. Small amount of activity from the airlock but that could be from the already fermenting starter. I'll get a better idea in the evening if it it's actually chewing at the stout sugars. I think due to the fact that it will only be chewing through 10-15 gravity points, I won't get much Fusels. I could be wrong though. At this point it's all a big experient. If this doesn't work, my next beer has Brett so I'll throw a little in the stout at at the same time.

 

[davehenry]

Are you concerned about the "rocket fuel" flavor that is WLP099's reputation?


I'm kind of curious too, as I'm in a similar boat (1.127 at 1.045 currently, 2.5 weeks in). Am thinking that going from the 1.04s to something like 1.025-1.030 wouldn't be too big of a worry re: fusels / off-flavors...really don't think the 099 is going to get that active in the already-10%+ environment + I don't think I'd aerate at this point. Just wondering what you're thinking about it.

Pitched the 099 starter this morning, no aeration. Small amount of activity from the airlock but that could be from the already fermenting starter. I'll get a better idea in the evening if it it's actually chewing at the stout sugars. I think due to the fact that it will only be chewing through 10-15 gravity points, I won't get much Fusels. I could be wrong though. At this point it's all a big experiment. If this doesn't work, my next beer has Brett so I'll throw a little in the stout at at the same time.

 

[davehenry]

Sorry about the multiple posts. Problems with the app.

 

[madscientist451]

You said you brewed it twice w/US-05 and it finished where you wanted? Why not pitch some US-05 into it? Or maybe rebrew, with US-05, pull a gallon at high krausen, and then toss that in?

 

[LostBoyScout]

This is more of an honest question than a suggestion because I'm new to such things, but couldn't you pitch some dry champagne yeast like DV10?

 

[davehenry]

Well I wasn't sure if us 05 would start up in such a high alcohol/low oxygen environment. Champagne yeast would probably work but the 099 is just as high alcohol tolerant so I stuck with the beer yeast.

 

[davehenry]

Just talked to the wife and the airlock is bubbling slowly and there's a small amount of foam on top. So, if nothing else, the 099 hasn't gone to sleep yet.

 

[day_trippr]

I've often wondered why some suggest using Champagne yeast for a stalled fermentation, mostly because its forte is chomping up simple sugar molecules and it's not good at the more complex sugars that make up barley malts.

You have to figure all the simple sugars are the first to go with the original pitch, so when a stall happens what's likely going to be left is the complex molecules.

What Champagne yeast is handy for is bottle carbing high ABV beer - because the primer is simple sugar, and Champagne yeast can work in a fairly high alcohol environment...

Cheers!

 

[davehenry]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1431650364.239472.jpgWell so far so good! Chamber smells like Imperial Stout...

 

[davehenry]

Still going after another 12 hours. Looks like we have success. I honestly didn't think it would work.[emoji106]

 

[davehenry]

Checked this morning and I'm down to 1.031, another couple of days and I can start crashing.

 

[davehenry]

Ok. So my saga continues. A couple of days later the activity died and I did another gravity check. Still 1.031. Stalled again. So I happened to be finishing a bottle of Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bier and I decided to pour the dregs in. I didn't expect much but the next day the beer and airlock were bubbling away. The action was non stop and still continues today after nearly two weeks. So I took another gravity sample today. 1.031, WTF?

 

[cantrell00]

Ok. So my saga continues. As

Where did it finish... ?

My last RIS, I pitched a partial yeast cake of 090/007 & another 2L starter of Safale S05..

Went from .091 to .026

 

[day_trippr]

Ok. So my saga continues. As

Power failure?

Cheers! (or just leaving us hanging? )

 

[davehenry]

Edited

 

[davehenry]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1432688578.855070.jpg
Here's a photo of how it's looked for the last two weeks. Constant bubbling but no drop in Gravity.

 

[cantrell00]

View attachment 280682
Here's a photo of how it's looked for the last two weeks. Constant bubbling but no drop in Gravity.

.031 doesn't seem like that bad given the OG...

How does it taste>? And if still bubbling, it's gotta be still active, right?