65 replies to this topic

[ColdAssHonky]

Well, being in Portland, it got much warmer the last few days, has it done anything?

I got it chugging last night with the Nottingham so we'll have to see if it's still bubbling when I get home. I'm going to take another reading this weekend to see if there's been any progress.

[earthtone]

Already at that point. The environmental conditions to try and kick off a yeast is not a good one...

yeah, but I've heard of many people getting 1118 to push into the mid 20's even. A whole pack, rehydrated and pitched I think would yield some progress - the stuff seems to chew through sugar like nothing else.... do you have anything to lose by adding it?I am planning a brew that I hope to get up to about 18%, but you have a real monster on your hands...

[pods8]

yeah, but I've heard of many people getting 1118 to push into the mid 20's even. A whole pack, rehydrated and pitched I think would yield some progress - the stuff seems to chew through sugar like nothing else.... do you have anything to lose by adding it?I am planning a brew that I hope to get up to about 18%, but you have a real monster on your hands...

Nothing to loose, I'll grab some the next time I am at the LHBS. The back story on that brew as its been hiding in my closet for 2 years now, I don't have the heart to pitch it and its too sweet to drink (last time I tried anyways). It'll be an interesting story if it eventually progresses to a good beer, haha.

[ColdAssHonky]

Nothing to loose, I'll grab some the next time I am at the LHBS. The back story on that brew as its been hiding in my closet for 2 years now, I don't have the heart to pitch it and its too sweet to drink (last time I tried anyways). It'll be an interesting story if it eventually progresses to a good beer, haha.

Two years? Ok I will stop whining about my one month old.

[pods8]

Two years? Ok I will stop whining about my one month old.

Yeah I fussed with it a lot after it first stalled out but eventually that carboy blended in with the meads, cysers, etc. that are also aging. I moved on to other beers, outta sight outta mind. However since I haven't really checked on it / done anything with it for a year this thread reminds me I should check it out again.

[Sidney Porter]

Nothing to loose, I'll grab some the next time I am at the LHBS. The back story on that brew as its been hiding in my closet for 2 years now, I don't have the heart to pitch it and its too sweet to drink (last time I tried anyways). It'll be an interesting story if it eventually progresses to a good beer, haha.

I have a 5 year old old ale that is 2 sweet. I think I am down to 15 bottles or so last time I tried it (18 months ago) still sweet, did have a nice oxidized character. I think I am going to put one in the fridge try it tomorrow if it is bad it will get dumped. (will save som just to enter in a (free) club comp and get some bad feedback )

[pods8]

Just checked it 1.053 too sweet still, we'll see about tossing some more yeast in it next time I'm at the LHBS.../hijack

[MyaCullen]

Just checked it 1.053 too sweet still, we'll see about tossing some more yeast in it next time I'm at the LHBS.../hijack

hijack back oni would seriously think about blending it.

[pods8]

hijack back oni would seriously think about blending it.

Its a possibility, this batch is dark and has roast notes from caramelized sugar so if I knocked out a big stout or something with a good chunk of sugar and some beano to ferment it out dry to something like 1.010 I could net a combined FG in the ~1.031 range which would be appropriate for this brew.

[EWW]

Its a possibility, this batch is dark and has roast notes from caramelized sugar so if I knocked out a big stout or something with a good chunk of sugar and some beano to ferment it out dry to something like 1.010 I could net a combined FG in the ~1.031 range which would be appropriate for this brew.

you aren't too clear but I hope you are implying that you would use the beano in the mash instead of the carboy. Beano is never a good idea in the carboy IMHO since it tends to dry things out too much.

[ChefLamont]

Two years? Ok I will stop whining about my one month old.

Yea do yourself a favor and whenever you bottle/keg this beer, take some and "lose" it somewhere in the house (not the attic hahaha). I have a BW and a RIS that are both 1.5-2 years and there awesomeness is only increasing. Big beers love age and too often get drunk before they peak.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Yea do yourself a favor and whenever you bottle/keg this beer, take some and "lose" it somewhere in the house (not the attic hahaha). I have a BW and a RIS that are both 1.5-2 years and there awesomeness is only increasing. Big beers love age and too often get drunk before they peak.

Where do you store something this long? It would kill me to take up space in my lagering/cold storage fridge for that long...

[ChefLamont]

In kegs in the basement. Somewhere out of the way. It gets warm in the summer, but I think that only speeds up some of the aging processes.

[pods8]

you aren't too clear but I hope you are implying that you would use the beano in the mash instead of the carboy. Beano is never a good idea in the carboy IMHO since it tends to dry things out too much.

Since we're talking about two beers in this thread (sorry for the major hijack) you may have gotten confused. I was talking about maybe brewing a really big and dry beer on purpose to blend in with an beer I have that is currently 18% but also has a residual gravity of 1.053 and is too sweet to drink. The "cutting beer" I would want to dry out as much as possible because even if it ended up at 1.000 (it wouldn't) I'd still net a combined FG of 1.025 if I mixed 1 for 1.

Yea do yourself a favor and whenever you bottle/keg this beer, take some and "lose" it somewhere in the house (not the attic hahaha). I have a BW and a RIS that are both 1.5-2 years and there awesomeness is only increasing. Big beers love age and too often get drunk before they peak.

For sure. I love to bottle some of big beers and do just this.

Where do you store something this long? It would kill me to take up space in my lagering/cold storage fridge for that long...

Bottle some up so its easier to stash, a closet that doesn't get too warm works fine. Want to be cooler and more creative? Got a crawl space or anything like that? Bottle some up (and put it in a Rubbermaid if you are worried) and stash it, out a place outta mind... Not good enough? Have some fun with it and make it your own pirate stash, dig a hole some where (yard, woods, etc.) and stash a well wrapped package. Make it entertaining, haha. Best one I did was stash a 22bomber of a nice barleywine in the basement of a place I was visiting back in MI in 2005, likely will be returning for it this fall.

[ColdAssHonky]

After another test this weekend I'll make a decision on what to do with mine. Once it gets down to where I want it, it'll definitely not get opened for a year. The house I'm in has a huge basement with lots of little cubby holes to lose things in. The fiancee wants a fireplace in the next house, but my #1 is a basement for aging beer.

[pods8]

After another test this weekend I'll make a decision on what to do with mine. Once it gets down to where I want it, it'll definitely not get opened for a year. The house I'm in has a huge basement with lots of little cubby holes to lose things in. The fiancee wants a fireplace in the next house, but my #1 is a basement for aging beer.

Good plan. So they do basements down in portland? Man it pisses me off that hardly any houses around here have them.

[ColdAssHonky]

Good plan. So they do basements down in portland? Man it pisses me off that hardly any houses around here have them.

The house I'm currently in was built in the 20s so it does... not sure when they generally stopped here, but it's a priority for my next move in about a year or so.

[Dave]

Swirling the fermenter to get the yeast back in suspension sometimes helps...I had a big beer a few years back that I swirled twice a day for two weeks to get it to finish ( it wasn't as big as your beer though)

[japh]

Good plan. So they do basements down in portland? Man it pisses me off that hardly any houses around here have them.

Older houses have basements, newer ones (like mine) don't

[ColdAssHonky]

It went down two measly points. I dumped in the champagne yeast and will hope for the best. Anyone have some pointers for me now that I've gone nuclear? Does this yeast also need to be warmer?