Yeast strain to use for high gravity

[mhill2079]

So I am wondering what strains can handle higher gravity beers. I have on that I am wanting to make that will have an OG of about 90 and from what I’ve heard some yeast strains will not handle this. It is going to be an Imperial pumpkin beer if that matter. Does anyone know of a chart with OG to strain comparisons?

Also I was going to use the pumpkin extract kit from northern brewer but to get the ABV up should i just double the DME and LME (with some grain addition) or should i just add a few pounds on light DME and/or some other sugars?

Thanks

[shadetree]

Can’t think of an ale strain that won’t handle a 1.090 OG. If using liquid yeast, be sure to make a starter or pitch multiple packs, if dry, you’ll need multiple packs, too - use the calculator at
http://www.mrmalty.com
to figure out how much you need for either approach.

Choosing sugar versus extract for boosting OG depends on what you want in the final beer - as you increase the gravity with extract you also end up with a higher FG from the unfermentables in the extract, so if you want a sweeter, bigger beer, use 100% extract. In contrast, sugar ferments completely, lowering the FG and drying the beer, so if you want a big, dry beer, use sugar. A combination of the two might be the way to go.

[mojoman67]

interesting… so maybe this is the problem with my Tripel’s FG. I used an extract kit, but it only had one packet of yeast, so it could be a combination of unfermentables and not enough yeast. Even though I rehydrated it for about 20 minutes before pitching, the FG is stuck at 1.026 down from about 1.080. Maybe it’s done but the kit says it should be lower.

I posted about this already and based on the advise of my local brew shop pitched some champagne yeast to lower it even further. It moved down from 1.030 after a full week.

I think I’m to the point that I just need to bottle and see what happens but now I’m wondering how much yeast/sugar to pitch before bottling?

[shadetree]

Have you warmed the beer into the 70s and roused the yeast at least a couple of times? If not, try that before deciding to bottle - you do not want to bottle with fermentables still available or you’ll risk bottle bombs, which are no fun.

[denny]

Using champagne yeast in a beer is always a bad idea IMO. It really changes the flavor and not in a good way. The key to fermenting high gravity brews is not the strain you use, but to pitch enough healthy yeast for the beer.

[mojoman67]

well I’m learning that hard way, but in the mean time trying to salvage this batch. the brew shop said it wasn’t supposed to change the taste but that guy may be grasping…

I did move it upstairs which is about 75 and roused it once but there’s no movement. I sampled a taste from the gravity reading and it tastes pretty good despite no carbonation, so maybe I’ll let it sit some more.

[mojoman67]

@Shadetree

Have you warmed the beer into the 70s and roused the yeast at least a couple of times? If not, try that before deciding to bottle - you do not want to bottle with fermentables still available or you’ll risk bottle bombs, which are no fun.

but isn’t it possible my problem is non-fermentables due to the extract kit making my SG reading high and therefore there’s nothing left to ferment? If so, then I should be good to bottle correct?

[denny]

@mojoman67

[quote=“Shadetree”]Have you warmed the beer into the 70s and roused the yeast at least a couple of times? If not, try that before deciding to bottle - you do not want to bottle with fermentables still available or you’ll risk bottle bombs, which are no fun.

but isn’t it possible my problem is non-fermentables due to the extract kit making my SG reading high and therefore there’s nothing left to ferment? If so, then I should be good to bottle correct?[/quote]

Take gravity readings for 3 days in a row. If it doesn’t change, you’re done.

[a10t2]

@Denny

Take gravity readings for 3 days in a row. If it doesn’t change, you’re done.

… Unless the gravity doesn’t make sense, like in this case. If you aren’t sure that the beer has reached FG, then bottling is a bad idea. Like I said in the other thread, pitching an active starter is the only way to be (almost) certain.

But yes, if the problem is an unfermentable wort, then it would be safe to bottle.

[shadetree]

[quote=“mojoman67”]but isn’t it possible my problem is non-fermentables due to the extract kit making my SG reading high and therefore there’s nothing left to ferment? If so, then I should be good to bottle correct?[/quote]If you have warmed and roused the yeast and given it at least a week to make sure that the yeast is actually done (as shown by at least a couple of identical gravity readings over a couple of days and Denny mentioned), then you can be reasonably sure that you’ve reached terminal gravity and bottle.