A bit premature, and still a gamble in the making, but finally... FINALLY, I'm completely thrilled with the outcome of brewing something over 1.100. Recently changed up a RIS recipe, something akin to BCBS grist, but wasn't expecting to get it that large by any means on my system. I have 6 gallons of a 1.108 stout that I did roughly 2 weeks ago. I've done plenty of beers 1.095-1.125 in the last year, and while some were good, others were nice, most were just.. ehhh, it's boozy beer. Finally decided, to NOT be lazy when brewing my annual May RIS for the winter months and beyond. I used dry yeast to save myself making a massive starter, and/or pitching on a cake, although I could have. Used US05 in my beer, 2 packs per 3 gallons, aerated the hell out of it at pitching, and 12 hours in with pure O2, pitched it cold, allowed to warm and held at 62*F the whole time, with a slight warm to 66* after a week, and now letting it rise to 69-70* to finish out, and sit for another week. Just took my first taste, and man... there's alot to be said to not be lazy and not cut corners like you are always tempted to do. It's down to 1.025. A bit lower than I wanted, but I can adjust going forward. This is going into a bourbon barrel in another week probably for however long it needs. It seems "thin", but I'm drinking a KBS right now, and mouthfeels are identical, and I wouldn't consider KBS to be thin, although it's carbed up too. In any case.. I've been brewing for a while, and it's just great to finally be excited by the outcome of a huge beer, especially throwing the recipe together and loving the results. I will be honest that brewing a large stout, is certainly, not my best style to make for some reason. 10.9% stout before it goes into the barrels.. I'm fine with that!!
So what's so NOT lazy about that method? Dry yeast, started low...let the temp rise..."throwing the recipe together" sounds like my brew regimen Lots of oxygen would be my only "anal thang" for a beer of that magnitude.
There are lots of times in the past, where I need.. more yeast, but say.. "ehh, 1L is a enough, I didn't plan well enough" Or I need to hit it with 02, but was out, so I just shake and pray. Or hit it once and say to hell with it 12 hours later. Or I pitch it at 68*, and try to cool it to 65* while it's attempting to take off. Or I don't trust my instinct on how much roast grain to add, and how bitter it needs to be and go overboard usually. This go around, I decided if it were going to go into the barrels, and if I were going to end up playing around with 25# of grain, to just do it correctly, even though I wanted to sit around and not bother with it. I'm a pretty laid back brewer. I follow the correct things to do, but for whatever reason, when it's a big beer, I feel ill planned for it, and decide to wing it, which doesn't work. I'm THRILLED to put this beer into a barrel. I can't wait to keg it and bottle it off the keg with the beer gun and try and hoard it. This beer is so damn good so far. And I rarely think that of samples straight from the primary.
I appreciate that you were not lazy on this grand experiment. and I enjoy that dry US-05 showed up, three men on and two men out, and hit it out of the park. because US-05 is a bad ************ that will get you where you need to be if you are kind. my only observation from experience is to take advantage of the things you nailed 100% so you can incorporate these methods, if you care too, into your next IPA or whatever. I know my little victories have gone a long way. it can make the difference you enjoy. only problem now...don't drink it all while still green. patience! Congrats.
Indeed- I hope some of the newer brewers around here will see that despite doing it for a little while, and brewing a bunch of stuff, you can always make it better with a little planning, and not being a lazy fuck.
Glad to hear it. Everyone here has always seemed to reinforce the mantra of "perfect your process" and it is 100% true. I feel like, after a couple of years of doing this and leaning on this forum pretty heavily at times, I am finally coming. Into my own and developing my own styles and techniques that work best for me. @FATC1TY , mind sharing the grist? I've been thinking about doing a big beer as well, and just wanted to compare grain bills.
If it were me, I'd plan on making a 2 liter starter every time and just not pour it all into the fermenter. I like over pitching more than under pitching. Especially when you have to worry about hitting a FG like in a big beer and in lagers. I'm not sure if you have a stir plate or how practical this would be for you. I'm going on a limb here thinking you pour the full 1 liter into your fermenter without decanting. The beer goes in the barrel. The beer gets racked out of the barrel. The beer goes in a bottling bucket. The beer goes into bottles. This is an oak project and you're going to beer gun them? You're killin` me smalls.
Glad to hear it. When I do my big beers I get brewery pitches about 2 days prior and then dump a whole bunch of fresh healthy active yeast in there. Chill to high 50s to low 60s, hold in the low 60s for 5 days, then start bumping 2*F every couple days to finish it off in the low 70s. Got my 11% Wee Heavy down to FG in 2+ weeks.
I like over pitching as well, hence why I like the results better when I overpitch more. I do have a stir plate, and multiple flasks. I also don't pour the whole starter in the beer, I crash and decant. The beer won't be going into a bottling bucket. I keg. I plan to take it from primary to barrel, to keg. Force carb it, drink some, bottle some with my blichmann gun to free the keg up, as I don't really need a huge stout taking up a tap. Especially in summer when I have Pales Kolschs, Berliners and things of that nature on tap full time.
Yeah, the grist is pretty dang good. Nice level of sweetness for a larger beer obviously, plenty of roast to balance it, but not be too ashy. It has a TON of coffee and dark chocolate notes, which I'm pretty surprised with. Everything is pretty much in check, and has all I wanted when I put it together. 72.9% Pale 2 Row 8% Munich 4% Pale Chocolate Malt 4% Chocolate Malt 4% Roasted Barley 2.6% C-80 2.6% C-120 2% Carafa III 70 IBU hopshot Willamette @ 10min to around 7 IBU's
Ha! That's pretty much what my grist is looking like, but I will be adding 2lbs flaked oats or possibly gno's to the grist as well and using MO instead of 2row. Glad to hear it works well!
I'd be curious to hear what you think of the GNO's. I think they are a bit delicate, so I'd be wary of them coming through at all. I like it with 2 Row. I normally use MO, and I think it just adds some sweetness that I'd rather tame with the 2 row. The Flaked oats are good idea though. I commented to myself and in my notes, that I think the body is great, especially since I'm going to barrel it up, but it would be primo with a pound of oats atleast. That, or mash slightly higher.
I've never used the gno's, so it's mostly an afterthought at this point, but I love what flaked oats do for mouthfeel and the small amount of flavor they bring. I'll be adding 2oz cold pressed espresso @ bottling in an attempt to clone Avery's Tweek, so the MO sweetness doesn't bother me. I'll use wlp001 and wlp002 in equal parts. I've been planning this one since november, and will probably do it after I get my double sunshine clone brewed up. Thanks again for sharing, it's always good to hear someone's winning the good fight!
Congrats my friend, I will love you will get a fantastic beer and can enjoy it to the highest part of your soul !!!!
