# what yeast for a super high gravity beer



## kezza (25/1/13)

hey guy's
a mate and i are planning a brew to make a super high gravity super hoppy beer along the lines of a barley wine but stronger. it will be a 50l batch 37.5kg grist and nearly 500g of hops but we are yet to decide on what yeast could handle it. the recipe we have designed will weigh in at approx 18%abv ive thought of using distillers yeast (not turbo yeast) is there any thing out there that will handle this without imparting esters or phenol's, ive searched quite a bit can can't decide on what to use so i was hoping that some of you guy's that have done some big beers could shed some light

cheers kezz


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## Online Brewing Supplies (25/1/13)

Consider using 10% + sugar to make it drinkable.
You might consider doing a two stage ferment,
First stage use a yeast like 1056 (10%ABV) then hit it with a champane yeast.
Nev


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## kezza (25/1/13)

cheers nev
but wont champane yeast dry it out


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## Online Brewing Supplies (25/1/13)

It could but normally on these big beers that is what you want so its drinkable, its all about drinkability and it will still be a chewable beer.
Others may have some other experiences they can pass on. Good luck sounds interesting.
Nev


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## Nick JD (25/1/13)

Have you looked into Freeze Distilling - the eisbock style method? IMO it would be much more preferable than reaching the death zone of yeast and ending up with 16% syrup beer...

EDIT: Linky

http://barlowbrewing.com/2011/02/10/a-simple-way-to-make-a-homebrewed-eisbock-without-a-keg/


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## kezza (25/1/13)

i have but we are looking to push the 50l bm to its absolute limit to see if can be done


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## Online Brewing Supplies (25/1/13)

Without a sparge getting those numbers is going to be Fing near on walking on water, 37kg of grain in a 50L vessel will it even fit ?
Ikg of milled grain takes up approx 1.5 L(dry) of space so 37.5kg will use 56.5L of space. Try for 20L and see how you go.
I must have some pics when you try 
Nev


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## doon (25/1/13)

Think they are planning multiple mash ins


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## kezza (25/1/13)

doon said:


> Think they are planning multiple mash ins


yes we are and there will be a video on youtube about it


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## scottc1178 (25/1/13)

Legend... deadset legend.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (25/1/13)

Cool, keep us upto date on recipe, mash details etc so I can have a gander.
Nev


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## Bribie G (25/1/13)

Try Turbo Yeast (beloved of the fellowship of alcohol producers we don't talk about here).

Seriously.

The brewer at the UK brewery of "Doom Bar" apparently takes a fermenter full of first runnings home, hits it with turbo and then dex and dex and dex until it's about 20%, matures it for a while and serves it up as a dessert "liqueur" beer at dinners.


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## dr K (25/1/13)

This is advice.
Tears before bedtime on so many levels.
First off even with no sparge you are not likely to get sufficient extract from grain to hit that plato. So you will have to boil for a long time (I guess you know this).
Second you are going to have to use a shitload of beer yeast (you have discounted turboyeast with good reason) I say beer yeast because its not all about alcohol tolerance, beer yeast is happy in a maltose rich environment, champagne yeast in a fructose rich environment. Either or will ferment of course, but environmental conditions will determine how well.
Third thats one massive osmotic load with such a high gravity.
There are a number of options none of which are very good (the good one is don't do it)
Here are two:
Rehydrate a shtload of dry yeast and pitch to a smallish volume of 1060 wort (wort) and use this as a pseudo starter after say 36 hours
Start your fement at a lower gravity and after it gets going feed it with maltose (you can make it).

K


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## kezza (25/1/13)

cheers for the responses guys we will be brewing this beer on the 2nd of feb so we will have st see how it goes


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## joshuahardie (25/1/13)

I agree with Dr K.
I did a belgian beer last year with a OG of 1096 even with massive amounts of yeast, and a supposedly tolerance of 14% i could not get it to drop below 1028 and it is horrible. too sweet. just disgusting.
That is sub 11% from memory too.

However if I started smaller, and fed the yeast incrementally, I am sure I would of got a lower FG, hit above 12% and been a happy camper.

Your numbers are so high, you are really adding another layer of complexity to it.

and to answer your question. check out WLP099 super high gravity 
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp099.html


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## Nick JD (25/1/13)

kezza said:


> cheers for the responses guys we will be brewing this beer on the 2nd of feb so we will have st see how it goes


So long as you don't go on a skydiving forum and ask if it's cool to make a parachute from tissue paper - I say go for it. Your madeness, while not well guided, is empowering!

And yes, it'll taste like shit and you'll dump it.

But at least you're not on a skydiving forum.


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## Diesel80 (26/1/13)

Nick JD said:


> So long as you don't go on a skydiving forum and ask if it's cool to make a parachute from tissue paper - I say go for it. Your madeness, while not well guided, is empowering!
> 
> And yes, it'll taste like shit and you'll dump it.
> 
> But at least you're not on a skydiving forum.


Careful we don't let kezza in on the Xmas lotto 2013..... h34r:

Optimistic but I reckon I will follow the progress of this escapade. Good luck!
Hope you don't break the bromo!

Cheers,
D80


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## bum (26/1/13)

Nick JD said:


> But at least you're not on a skydiving forum.


+1

But's the point really - they aren't. Worst case scenario is they'll waste some grain, yeast, energy in controlling ferment temps and an arvo amongst mates (getting pissed, most likely). Worse things can happen.

Sounds like they're starting out from a position they know is unlikely to succeeed but they want to see if it is possible.

Kezza, pretty much all of the naysayers make good points. If you want to reduce your goals somewhat and make a potentially good, big beer then have a listen. Otherwise, I'm really keen to see how this goes. Good luck.


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## hoppy2B (26/1/13)

Besides the above mentioned 099, which is probably the best for super high gravity, a yeast I have found to be clean flavour wise and good at preserving hop flavour is SN9. It will go to around 18 or 19 percent and produce very little foam. Could always do a split batch.


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## kezza (26/1/13)

Nick JD said:


> So long as you don't go on a skydiving forum and ask if it's cool to make a parachute from tissue paper - I say go for it. Your madeness, while not well guided, is empowering!
> 
> And yes, it'll taste like shit and you'll dump it.
> 
> But at least you're not on a skydiving forum.


Why would i want to jump out of a perfectly good plane


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## kezza (26/1/13)

bum said:


> +1But's the point really - they aren't. Worst case scenario is they'll waste some grain, yeast, energy in controlling ferment temps and an arvo amongst mates (getting pissed, most likely). Worse things can happen.Sounds like they're starting out from a position they know is unlikely to succeeed but they want to see if it is possible.Kezza, pretty much all of the naysayers make good points. If you want to reduce your goals somewhat and make a potentially good, big beer then have a listen. Otherwise, I'm really keen to see how this goes. Good luck.


The worst thing to happen is we get pissed and blow $150 having fun


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## doon (26/1/13)

Costs more for a night out!!


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## dogger (26/1/13)

A long read, a good read, and some insight into process (along with lots of other interesting stuff) used by Dogfish Head to make their 20% or so 120min IPA.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/24/081124fa_fact_bilger


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## dogger (26/1/13)

Sorry - just re-read my long read... definitely a good read, but specifics on the high gravity process are absent... must have done some more research afterwards.

This one contains more info + link to Jamil podcast... there's lots of info on yeasts + (involved) process. You'll want less malt and more dextrose to get where you want to go.
http://www.homebrewchef.com/120minuteIPArecipe.html


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## Barry (26/1/13)

Big yeast cake from low gravity beer or a couple of vials of WLP007 plus a packet of US05?! Dar
e to be great.


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## iralosavic (5/5/13)

99 will rescue most stalled high gravity beers without changing the flavour profile much. I have a vial I prob won't use for ages I'd be happy to swap for another strain. I'd typically revert to 99 off the bat for a barely wine, but using a lower attenuating ale yeast that has the characteristics you want first is perhaps better. I guess it's handy to have in reserve if you brew a lot of strong ales.


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