High ABV stout tips needed

The temperature of the fermenting beer will be significantly higher than ambient temperature.

How much head space do you have?

Cheers!

 

With that limited headspace you will likely lose a lot of beer. Did you by any chance add some Fermcap-S when you pitched your yeast?

Yes, the Fermometer is closer to measuring the temperature of the fermenting beer. As the beer reaches its peak of fermentation you will likely see that temperature rise; this is more of an issue with high gravity beers. Do you have any means to cool this down when this occurs?

Cheers!

 

Where are you in the primary fermentation stage? When did you pitch your yeast?

Hopefully some other BA with more experience with brewing Imperial Stouts will provide you with your opinion here. I am inclined to think that you can secondary/age in the bottle just as well as in a bulk secondary vessel (e.g., a 5 gallon carboy). My inclination is to suggest that you do what is easier for you in this instance.

Cheers!

 

I leave my big beers in primary for at least four weeks. The fermentation takes a bit longer to finish. At that point, you can either bulk age in secondary or bottle and leave them to mature a bit. Bulk aging is said to provide a more consistent aging vs slight differences between bottles. Bottling may be ideal if you do not have the space or cannot tie up a fermentor for that long. Bulk aging is helpful so you aren't opening bottles before they're ready. That's usually how I choose to age my big beers.

When it comes time to package a beer this big, you will likely have stressed/dead yeast that may struggle to carbonate the beer. I always recommend adding fresh yeast. You can add some more 1056, or a couple grams of champagne yeast at bottling.

 

I would guess that at day four you are around the peak of fermentation point but I have never brewed a beer of this high a gravity so the best I can do is guess.

Cheers!

 

Any beer I make over 8% get the secondary treatment. I will leave beer in the primary for 2+ weeks, then transfer to secondary for 1 to 8+ weeks depending what extras I am using, oak, fruit nibs etc.
You'd be surprised how much residue you'll get in a secondary without using fining agents.

Good luck wh
Itch either method

 

I like everything about this but the champagne yeast. Pick up lallemand cbc cask and bottle conditioning yeast and throw it in the bucket with the sugar when you bottle.

 

bumping this back up for a few questions...

I'm also planning to brew a big stout for the first time 1.107 OG -> 1.024 FG with US05

Do you do 8+ weeks in secondary even if you add no extras?

@Drel How did this one turn out? Where did your FG end up? Would you make any adjustments to the recipe if/when you brew it again?

Cheers

 

4 weeks for a regular 8-9 abv stout, depending how it tastes but it takes time beyond the primary ferment for all the grains to meld into what I want. It also allowed more time for fines to drop out. I have no way to cold crash. up to 8-10 weeks for other additions, 6 months when I make the bad ass Burton ale, because, the brewing tv segment said secondary for 1 year and I am impatient . A great. Beer by the way.

Good luck with your brew

 

covering mostly covered ground here... first, don't even do it unless you're going to use a secondary(GLASS) carboy and use nearly all the space(oxygen a real killer on these brews)... I mean if there's any significant headspace at all I'd purge it with co2... those are extremely important for doing those types of beers. Time has also been mentioned and it's defo needed to round out the flavors, cool down some of the alcohol smack etc. looks like you've got the starter-must thing already but just calculate the size... I wouldn't be too afraid of over-pitching, but under would be a killler... gotta have a good consistent temp too...

 

IMO, I'd package as soon as you reach a stable gravity. The only thing bulk aging (in a neutral vessel) does is expose your beer to more oxygen.

 

You can 'age' the beer in it's final package (e.g., bottled, keg). No explicit need for a secondary vessel.

Cheers!