| Author |
Message |
    
Ron Siddall
Intermediate Member
Username: El_cid
Post Number: 395
Registered: 12-2005
Posted From: 198.135.241.18
| | Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 04:50 pm: | 
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I am planning on using Red Star Dry Pasteur Champagne yeast for my ABC as that is what my LHBS had.
I guess that I am looking for reimforcement that this will work out okay. |
Steve Sampson
Intermediate Member
Username: Sampsosm
Post Number: 439
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 8.8.196.87
| | Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 06:20 pm: |
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Ron, it would probably be OK, but when you put this much time into a recipe, you really should do it right.
I'm sure anyone on this board would mail you some (myself included). |
Ron Siddall
Intermediate Member
Username: El_cid
Post Number: 397
Registered: 12-2005
Posted From: 198.135.241.18
| | Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 09:54 pm: |
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Steve,
Thanks for the advice and offer, that was nice.
I put in my yeast order with Norther Brewer for the real deal. |
Andrew Bales
Advanced Member
Username: Bales
Post Number: 516
Registered: 10-2002
Posted From: 65.28.44.253
| | Posted on Monday, September 17, 2007 - 02:24 am: |
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This is a good yeast for carbing another mead so it is not a waste.
I just tranfered a English Dry Yeast WLP?? Polish 1.120 mead and found it still sitting at 1.080 after 5 weeks. I was pissed and then pitched my backup yeasts (2 packs 1116) into it with more O2. Meads, I'll tell you, little finicky bastards. Always pays to keep this stuff on hand. I saw it going crazy a few weeks back. WTF????
Personally I would use EC1118 or Premie Cuvee dry yeast on this one. But then I never do as told. 3packs. EC1118 took my last batch from 1.140 down to 1.025 and is still working a tad on it. Normally I would not use this yeast, but for ~~ciders~~ its good. |
Steve Jones
Intermediate Member
Username: Stevej
Post Number: 365
Registered: 08-2001
Posted From: 164.89.253.21
| | Posted on Monday, September 17, 2007 - 11:36 am: |
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ABC has an OG in the neighborhood of 1.170 or so - mine was 1.171. The yeast specified in the recipe (eau de vie) is tolerant to around 23%. I used a 1 gallon starter (decanted) and mine ended up at 1.018, for about 21.5% ABV.
I seriously doubt that many other yeasts (champaign, ec1118, etc.) will go that far.
Early last year several BnV'rs made ABC and took the advice of a few people here to incrementally feed the yeast. IOW, leave out some of the fermentables (honey or sugar) and add them incrementally to avoid 'stressing' the yeast. Of those who took this advice, I don't know of any who got their FG below 1.050.
I did mine a bit differently - I made it all up according to the recipe, but increased the yeast nutrients and added them incrementally. Here was my schedule:
hour 0 - oxygenate, add 1 tsp nutrient
hour 12 - oxygenate, add 1/2 tsp nutrient, rouse
hour 24 - add 1/2 tsp nutrient, rouse
hour 48 - add 1/2 tsp nutrient, rouse
hour 72 - add 1/2 tsp nutrient, rouse
hour 96 - add 1/2 tsp nutrient, rouse
hour 120 - add 1/2 tsp nutrient, rouse
(Message edited by stevej on September 17, 2007) |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 7681
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.57.225.170
| | Posted on Monday, September 17, 2007 - 02:14 pm: |
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Monster gravities (and ABC is a monster for sure) require extreme measures to achieve adequate attenuation and the desired results.
(Message edited by BillPierce on September 17, 2007) |
Andrew Bales
Advanced Member
Username: Bales
Post Number: 527
Registered: 10-2002
Posted From: 205.175.225.226
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 - 09:00 pm: |
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Steve - what was in the starter? How did you make it? Decant - how long did you let it set?
Is that yeast still available? I thought it was not...
Sounds like you have the right idea. I'd like the whole story on that becuase I think this is something I need to do as well. This sounds like the method I need to use for a true Polish mead. Right now I am going to vodka up the one that is fermenting as if it had started at 1.200. With this type of starter I can go up another few points withing 1.2; per your 1.17 and see if its better....in 5-10 years!
(Message edited by Bales on September 26, 2007) |
Steve Jones
Intermediate Member
Username: Stevej
Post Number: 378
Registered: 08-2001
Posted From: 24.158.130.98
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 - 09:48 pm: |
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It is available year-round from Wyeast - old number 3347, new number 4347. Details from Wyeast's site (in the distillers section):
A very good choice for alcohol tolerance and stuck fermentations. Produces a very clean, dry profile, low ester formation and other volatile aromatics.
Origin: France
Flocculation: Low
Attenuation: NA
Temperature Range: 65-80°F, 18-27°C
Alcohol Tolerance: 21% ABV
You want to go to 1.200? I said 23% in my post above, but that shows how much of a mistake it is to rely on my memory - Wyeast says 21%. I got about 20.5% from mine. If you start at 1.200 and attenuate to 21%, your FG will be around 1.045 or so.
I started my yeast about 10 days ahead of time. I used 1 liter of 1.030 wort on a stir plate for 24 hours, chill 24 hours, decant, repeat 3 times. Then on the day I made the ABC, I removed 1 qt out of 1 gallon of juice and put it in the fridge. I added the yeast slurry to the remaining 3 quarts in the gallon jug and let it go about 4 hours till it was nice and active. Then I put the reserved quart plus another gallon of juice in my kettle and heated to around 110-120F. I mixed in the honey, sugar, apple butter, and dme and stirred till all dissolved. Then I added the remaining 3 gallons of juice and poured half of this into each of 2 5-gallon carboys. Then I mixed the starter well and put half of it into each carboy.
I just received a package of 3347 a few weeks ago and I'm anticipating receiving the last of the ingredients by this weekend. I should be mixing up another batch by Oct 15. |
Steve Sampson
Intermediate Member
Username: Sampsosm
Post Number: 446
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 8.8.196.87
| | Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 11:45 am: |
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I just checked the gravity on my ABC, and it is at 1.018. At first I was going to add everything but the muscovado sugar, then add the sugar little by little, but everyone convinced me otherwise so I just dumped it in.
Heres the original thread.... http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 7751
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.57.225.170
| | Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 01:30 pm: |
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Despite ELK's experience in the thread in Steve's link, I still maintain that adding sugar to ultra high gravity brews as fermentation progresses reduces stress on the yeast and the chances of a stuck fermentation. Imagine the extreme environment the yeast has to face when the O.G. is as high as 1.200. ELK's stuck fermentation was due to other causes, probably poor yeast health in the first place. |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 2902
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 209.155.236.154
| | Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 02:31 pm: |
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This one is difficult to incrementally feed since the only liquid is the apple cider. If you add honey then you're going to have an issue getting it disolved unless you've got a GIANT stir plate.
I'm just going to dump and stir when I do it this afternoon and then follow Steve's regime of rousting and yeast nutriant. |
Skotrat
Member
Username: Skotrat
Post Number: 237
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 24.60.78.162
| | Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 02:44 pm: |
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DUMP AND STIR is the True Path.
In My opinion |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 7752
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.57.225.170
| | Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 02:55 pm: |
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A fair opinion, Scott. Mine is that you should add the words "and pray" to the advice of "dump and stir." Brewing something of more normal gravity and using the yeast cake (lots of healthy yeast) would certainly improve the odds. |
Skotrat
Member
Username: Skotrat
Post Number: 238
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 24.60.78.162
| | Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 02:57 pm: |
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I use lots of slurry and I have brewed around 12 batches of ABC.
I have never had one stick |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 2904
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 209.155.236.154
| | Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 03:22 pm: |
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No yeast cake but I stepped up the yeast 4 times before pitching. The last step up I used a gal of the apple juice (two - 1/2 gal starters) and had air lock activity in less than 30 minutes. Activity in the carboys in less than 3 hours.
Following Steves roust and feed with nutrient regime for the next few days. Actually I'm going to miss the 6th feeding as I'll be out of town.
Skot, have you ever tried saving any of the Eau de Vie yeast? I'm thinking that's not a good idea since it's such a high gravity ferment and the yeast would be stressed. But it's a distilling yeast so a little different than what I'm used to using. |
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