I currently have wootstout in fermentation. I took a gravity reading at 1.030 after 5 weeks. This seems high. Fermentation seems to have stopped though. Should it ferment out more? i don’t know what the final gravity should be.
That’s a HUGE beer with a heck of a grain ill with a lot of unfermentables. You’re at roughly 10.3% ABV and around 72% Apparent Attenuation. I would say it’s done, and right on course.
What’s your plan for it? I would bulk age that sucker for at least 6 months.
I’m not familiar with this beer so this may be off base. The SG does seem to be high for being finished. Are you taking the SG with a refractometer or a hydrometer? Which yeast did you use and the starting fermentation temperature?
Hydrometer. Wyeast 1056. Starting 68F.
I was going to let it sit in secondary for a couple months then bottle it.
Flars, OG of 1.108…
1 Like
Yep, unless you used something like WLP099, that ones going to end up with a massively high FG. And it’ll be delicious!
If that’s the case, I hope it doesn’t have any problem bottle conditioning.
I would give it a couple more weeks and check gravity again to make sure it’s done. I bet it will still bottle condition, but it’ll probably take a few to several months. If you want to speed things up, you could bottle with champagne yeast.
^^^^. This. I think on a beer that high I would add champagne yeast to ensure fermentation. Easy insurance.
Would bottling with champagne yeast create bottle bombs? Since it could possibly convert the remaining sugars, not to mention the priming sugar?
Champagne yeast can only ferment simple sugars, and most of what’s left in your beer is maltose, maltriose, and the like. Champagne yeast can’t touch that stuff, only the priming sugar. If you’re concerned about it, you could add it a week or so before you bottle to make sure fermentation doesn’t restart, but it shouldn’t.
Ok. Good to know. What’s the normal procedure for doing this? Drop a few drops of yeast into each bottle as I’m bottling?
I like to rehydrate the yeast in some lukewarm water, basically same procedure as rehydrating any other dry yeast. A quarter to half packet is plenty of yeast. Then add it to the bottling bucket along with the priming sugar to evenly distribute it. Adding it dry to each bottle sounds like a PITA and with a high ABV, is pretty likely to kill the yeast.
I know this is a late reply, but I just brewed my second batch of wootstout. My FG is also right at 1.030 after primary fermentation of about 6 weeks. I’ve transferred to secondary with the oak and bourbon. Hopefully this time I can get the stuff to carbonate in bottles. I’ll be trying the addition of yeast at bottling time this time.
That is a high FG. Either this is due to ingredients, Windsor ale yeast, or using a refractometer.
Do be wary of bottle bombs! Sneezles61
1.030 is pretty much in line with a big RIS. Give it another week or two and check gravity again if you want to be cautious, but 1.030-1.035 is a pretty reasonable terminal gravity for a beer like this.
I can’t seem to find it, but doesn’t that beer call for an OG of 1.130?
If so, 1.030 is very much in line with that kit and puts it at about 13%.
Edited: found it. OG is 1.108. Still within range.
Mine turned out fine. I think I bottled with champagne yeast if I recall (I’d have to check my notes). Finished at 1.030, carbed up fine.
