The Mad Russian - Imperial Stout

[BeerCat]

My last RIS stuck at 1036 from 1096 so i added some toasted coconut and a packet of high gravity yeast and its now down to 1010 giving a measly 11.3% ABV. Sample tastes very nice, not too dry surprisingly. I might add some more lactose to some of it to get it up to 1018.

 

[strange-steve]

My last RIS stuck at 1036 from 1096 so i added some toasted coconut and a packet of high gravity yeast and its now down to 1010 giving a measly 11.3% ABV. Sample tastes very nice, not too dry surprisingly. I might add some more lactose to some of it to get it up to 1018.

Which yeast did you add?

 

[BeerCat]

Which yeast did you add?

It was the crossmyloof high alcohol yeast. I only took one reading after about 3 days but the krausen had gone and at 37c it's normally done in 2. That has also dropped and the sample I drank was was not at all yeasty. Big hit of coconut. I think it will age well. I drank a year old bottle and was very tasty.

 

[strange-steve]

So it's time for me to start thinking properly about how to ensure this'll carbonate when it gets bottled next week.

My current idea is to take some of the slurry I collected from the primary after racking and run it through a starter medium a couple of times to grow some healthier cells then add a little of that to the bottling bucket. Still, it'll be going into a pretty damn harsh environment even for a kveik yeast. Thoughts?

 

[Sadfield]

A test run, priming a fizzy drinks bottle whilst you do that, would give a rough idea of how much viable yeast is remaining.

 

[Zephyr259]

I like this idea. I'd be hopeful that the yeast are doing well as they got the beer to a good fg and about 80% attenuation? That would make me think they stopped due to attenuation rather than abv tolerance so should manage to bottle conditioning.

 

[strange-steve]

A test run, priming a fizzy drinks bottle whilst you do that, would give a rough idea of how much viable yeast is remaining.

That's a really good idea, I'll try to get a bottle filled tomorrow

That would make me think they stopped due to attenuation rather than abv tolerance so should manage to bottle conditioning.

I suspect you're right, but after having a high gravity beer fail to carbonate once before I'm a bit paranoid

 

[Zephyr259]

Don't blame you, all this success only to have it be flat and lifeless would suck. Maybe a bottling yeast? I've used CBC-1 in a Belgian brunette and my barleywine as they got 5 and 11 months bulk ageing before bottling.

 

[Clint]

Do you have a cornie set up/gas? Could you force carbonate then bottle?

 

[strange-steve]

Do you have a cornie set up/gas? Could you force carbonate then bottle?

I do but they're all full atm, and I don't have a bottling gun unfortunately.

I've just filled a bottle and added 3.6g of sugar for 2.5 vol and bunged it in the hot press, so hopefully by this time next week I'll know if the yeast is up to the task.

On another note, I took a gravity reading while I was at it and bad news for @F00b4r, it has dropped another point meaning 16.18% and @Ajhutch has just scraped into the lead.

This is also my first proper tasting of it with my senses returned to normal. The aroma is fruity, and roasty and the flavours are incredibly rich with a huge roastiness with loads of coffee and chocolate flavours and a nicely balanced bittersweet finish. The alcohol flavour is pretty big as you'd expect, but it's not harsh at all and the mouthfeel is exceptionally velvety, like drinking cream. The experience is actually a lot like drinking a whisky or rum, I've never had a beer quite like this. At this early stage I'm pretty pleased with it :thumba:

 

[An Ankoù]

The Kweik has done its work and given the beer its character. I'd play safe and go for Safale F2, if the alcohol level is not already too high.

 

[MrRock]

It would be interesting to do a couple of bottles with just sugar as normal to see if it would have carbed up on it's own.

 

[BeerCat]

So it's time for me to start thinking properly about how to ensure this'll carbonate when it gets bottled next week.

My current idea is to take some of the slurry I collected from the primary after racking and run it through a starter medium a couple of times to grow some healthier cells then add a little of that to the bottling bucket. Still, it'll be going into a pretty damn harsh environment even for a kveik yeast. Thoughts?

Don't blame you, all this success only to have it be flat and lifeless would suck. Maybe a bottling yeast? I've used CBC-1 in a Belgian brunette and my barleywine as they got 5 and 11 months bulk ageing before bottling.

This time i am going to make a very small starter with safeale f2 bottling yeast and add that to the bottling bucket with priming sugar. Will wait 12 hours to give the yeast some time to get going. I know the starter will dilute the beer but the sugar should put it back.

 

[JonBrew]

This time i am going to make a very small starter with safeale f2 bottling yeast and add that to the bottling bucket with priming sugar. Will wait 12 hours to give the yeast some time to get going. I know the starter will dilute the beer but the sugar should put it back.

@BeerCat Do you, or any other members reading this, have any experience with the F2 yeast? I've been looking at the data sheet:

https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/Resourc...uct_Sheets/Fermentis/fermentis_safbrew_F2.pdf

This says the recommended dosage rate is 2 to 7 g/hl. Can this be correct? It seems very low and difficult to transfer to homebrew scale (although the product has clearly been made for commercial breweries). I believe the packet content is 20 grams.

I ask because I'm planning a big brew myself and, having struggled to bottle carbonate in the past with these types of beers, I'm keen to use the F2 yeast to make certain that the beer carbonates.

Presumably using a high dosage cant/wont harm the beer? Also, given that you wouldn't need to use the full 20 gram packet, what are peoples thoughts on storing dried yeast in the fridge once opened?

 

[strange-steve]

It would be interesting to do a couple of bottles with just sugar as normal to see if it would have carbed up on it's own.

That's what I've done, I filled a plastic bottle and added some sugar to it to check yeast viability

 

[F00b4r]

I do but they're all full atm, and I don't have a bottling gun unfortunately.

I've just filled a bottle and added 3.6g of sugar for 2.5 vol and bunged it in the hot press, so hopefully by this time next week I'll know if the yeast is up to the task.

On another note, I took a gravity reading while I was at it and bad news for @F00b4r, it has dropped another point meaning 16.18% and @Ajhutch has just scraped into the lead.

This is also my first proper tasting of it with my senses returned to normal. The aroma is fruity, and roasty and the flavours are incredibly rich with a huge roastiness with loads of coffee and chocolate flavours and a nicely balanced bittersweet finish. The alcohol flavour is pretty big as you'd expect, but it's not harsh at all and the mouthfeel is exceptionally velvety, like drinking cream. The experience is actually a lot like drinking a whisky or rum, I've never had a beer quite like this. At this early stage I'm pretty pleased with it :thumba:

Noooooooooo...
That yeast is a best.

 

[MrRock]

That's what I've done, I filled a plastic bottle and added some sugar to it to check yeast viability

Cool, can you let us know how it goes for future reference please?

 

[BeerCat]

@BeerCat Do you, or any other members reading this, have any experience with the F2 yeast? I've been looking at the data sheet:

https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/Resourc...uct_Sheets/Fermentis/fermentis_safbrew_F2.pdf

This says the recommended dosage rate is 2 to 7 g/hl. Can this be correct? It seems very low and difficult to transfer to homebrew scale (although the product has clearly been made for commercial breweries). I believe the packet content is 20 grams.

I ask because I'm planning a big brew myself and, having struggled to bottle carbonate in the past with these types of beers, I'm keen to use the F2 yeast to make certain that the beer carbonates.

Presumably using a high dosage cant/wont harm the beer? Also, given that you wouldn't need to use the full 20 gram packet, what are peoples thoughts on storing dried yeast in the fridge once opened?

2 to 7 grams per 100 liters seems ok to me. I have not used it myself yet but will soon. I think a gram in 500ml of decanted wort should be fine as i only have 6l of beer. I will add it to the bottling bucket and see what happens. My last beer at 10.5% did not carb enough so this is a precautionary measure.

 

[Sadfield]

I'm suprised @strange-steve hasn't been on to say his test prime bottle is like granite after two days. I'm beginning to lose respect for this Kveik yeast.

 

[strange-steve]

OK well the test bottle has been in the hot press for 6 days now and it has firmed up a little, but not as much as I'd like. I'm bottling tomorrow so I thought I might as well open the bottle to see.

There was a small hiss on opening but it poured with zero head, even with a vigorous pouring action. On tasting, carbonation is very low, almost nonexistent in fact

Not sure if it needed more time or if the yeast is knackered. I've had some of the harvested yeast on the stir plate since last night and it's looking very lifeless also, not sure if there's anything happening at all.