Yeast

[Return_of_the_Mac]

So I just brewed a chocolate pumpkin porter about 2 weeks ago. When I pitched the yeast the temperature was a little high (72 degrees) but I thought the brew would cool down to the mid 60's by mid day. I had to leave for the day and when I came back 24+ hours later it was still around 72 degrees (didn't turn on the AC as it was suppose to be cool outside). At this point I heard the yeast rumbling and doing its thing. About 8 hours later I took it downstairs where it would be cooler and after another 12 hours or so I got the temperature down to 66-68 degrees. It has now been about 2 weeks and my gravity is stuck at 1.032 I just moved my primary upstairs to raise the temp back up to 70-72 degrees to see if I can wake the yeast back up. My thoughts are that when I took it downstairs to cool down it could have killed off/stopped fermenting. I originally used Denny's favorite 50 for the yeast I was wondering what would happen if I tried to pitch some more Denny's favorite 50 or use a different yeast (West Yorkshire Yeast). I have no clue if this would work or what would happened but awhile back I had a problem with an imperial maple nut brown stuck at a high final gravity and I used some San Diego super yeast and it gave the beer an overpowering alcohol taste and would like to avoid that again. Any suggestions would be great!!!

 

[fuzzy2133]

what was the OG? Whyeast claims that strain has Attenuation of 74-76%.

How did the sample taste?

 

[kal]

...awhile back I had a problem with an imperial maple nut brown stuck at a high final gravity and I used some San Diego super yeast and it gave the beer an overpowering alcohol taste and would like to avoid that again. Any suggestions would be great!!!

FYI: That alcohol taste is likely from:

(a) Either fermenting at too high a temperature (fusel alcohols are created and time won't fix these), or
(b) The fact that it's a high alcohol beer that requires time to age to get rid of the hot/solvent taste (leave it and try a bit once a month).

I've used San Diego super a few times now and it won't do that any more than any other yeast when treated right. Just wanted to point out that you can't really blame the alcohol taste on that specific strain...

Kal

 

[Return_of_the_Mac]

Fuzzy - So the OG was 1.074 and I had a sample a couple days ago and it tasted really good (little more chocolate flavor than I wanted and not as much pumpkin but I am going to add some pumpkin pie spice in the secondary). The attenuation is approx 57% (using an online attenuation calculator) but I am not sure if that is taking into account the grains I am using.

Kal - Thanks for the reply. I have only had this brew bottled for a couple weeks now so I was going to let it set for another month before I try it again. Hopefully that will mellow out the alcohol taste, thanks for the info.

here was my ingredients for my chocolate pumpkin porter (5 gal)
300 grams of Carabrown
200 grams of Carafa I
600 grams of Chocolate Malt (english)
400 grams of Munich Matl II
2 LBS of fresh butternut squash (baked)
This was steeped at 155-160 degrees

Then 8 LBS of golden light LME
1 LBS of sparkeling amber DME
1 LBS of light pilsner DME

2 oz Fuggle (US) hops at 60 min
1 oz Pacifica hops at 15 min

1 cup cocoa power 5 min
3 tbs of pumpkin pie spice at flame out

(Denny's Favorite 50 Yeast)

3 tbs of pumpkin pie spice in the secondary
2 sticks of vanilla bean in the secondary

Thanks!

 

[fuzzy2133]

Hoping some one with more experience will speak up. All the times I have seen pumpkin and squash used it has been in a partial mash or all gain.