Stopping fermentation and then bottling

I've tried making a few beers that I think have TOO much alcohol. I'd like to stop the fermentation before all of the sugars have fermented, and I'm wondering what the best way is to do that.

I've heard if you add priming corn sugar that the yeast will convert to only use that, so can I add the corn sugar and bottle will that do the trick? I'm a little afraid that if this doesn't fully stop fermentation that I'll have some explosions.

The other thing I've thought about was using campden tablets, but my understand is that I'd have to add more yeast after that to ferment the priming sugar. And then I'd still run into the problem of stopping fermentation of the original grain sugars again.

adding corn sugar will not stop the yeast, dont do that. why don't you just make the beers smaller? stopping fermentation isn't a good idea

To stop fermentation,you basically have to kill the yeast. wine makers stop fermentation when it gets where they want it. Brewers don't do that. Just let it finish fermenting & test it with a hydrometer 2 days apart. If you get the same number,it's done. Then give it 3-7 days to clean up by products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty. Then prime & bottle. The fermentation has to be done first before bottling. Whether malts or sugars,it's all the same to the yeast. So that won't matter at all.

If your beers are coming out too strong, just dillute them with water before you pitch the yeast.

To dillute, just add boiled (and cooled to pitching temp) water to your carboy or bucket, that will bring your original gravity down. Give it a good mix/swirl. Then pitch the yeast as normal. Or if you're doing all grain just bump up the strike water a half gallon or so, or add water to the mash or boil.

This ship has already sailed. The options you have listed are not solutions.

You control alcohol in a beer on the front end by choosing how much "digestable" sugars you give the yeast and what kind of yeast you use(how attenuative).

Be more thoughtful next time at the beginning and head this problem off before it becomes one.

I think others who know a lot more about brewing than I do have posted how it's problematic to try to stop fermentation this early and that the best way is recipe adjustments up front.

My suggestion? Let the beer ferment completely, bottle as usual, and then when you're ready to drink, make what Germans call a Radler (translation: bicyclist). A Radler is equal portions beer and lemon/lime soda.

This will lower the alcohol content, is a refreshing summer drink, and you won't have the risk of bottle bombs.

Just a thought.

If he lets it ferment out to a stable FG,he won't have to worry about bottle bombs. What alcohol level beer do you generally have in mind? It seems rediculous to complain about high alcohol if you're berwing a DIPA,Wee Heavy,etc when a session beer would do.

It sounds like you are just winging your recipe. I would get brewing software(I.E. Beersmith2) and input your recipe there. It will estimate your alcohol content, which will give you a better idea of what your outcome will be. Xpertskir nailed it though. The only thing you can do, is to prevent it in the future.

Adding priming sugar and bottling a beer that isn't finished fermenting, will give you bottle bombs for sure. Campden tablets are used to remove chloramine from your brewing water, and won't help you either. If you have a smart phone or a tablet, beersmith mobile is only 8 bucks. Totally worth it imo.

Yeah,beersmith2 is def nice to have so you can play around adjusting a recipe before you even buy the ingredients. It can also help to look at how much of what is used in a beer recipe you like. Then you can use different extracts,hops,& the like,but keep the amounts realatively the same. This would keep your beers in about the same ABV range. I did that for a couple years till going PB/PM BIAB & buying Beersmith2.

What do you consider too high abv? Are you not liking the alcohol taste? What style are you brewing? Maybe post the recipe so you can get some help in the future. Everyone here will help you make changes as needed.

what temp are you fermenting at? maybe you're just creating fusels, making it seem like its too much alcohol

Just cut the recipe in half or a quarter. I never dilute my beers. Been there and it comes out like crap I find. Just change the recipe.

Reviving an old thread. Everyone jumped on the OP saying just adjust your recipe and always let your fermentation finish, only wine makers do things like arrest fermentation. While I agree that's mostly true, in the interest of thinking outside the box how would one arrest fermentation? Add sulfites to kill the yeast? In "Radical Brewing" Mosher writes that an old Belgian style of ale called a Diest was very popular in the 1800s and feremenation was intentionally halted by adding lime. This kept the beer sweet and low in alcohol. If one were to want to recreate this ancient style, how would you do it? By adding lime I assume Mosher means they added slaked lime? Would this stop fermentation? I can't see why or how. Would they just add lime juice? I'm not sure how this would stop fermentation either.

Any thoughts?

BPal75 said:

Reviving an old thread. Everyone jumped on the OP saying just adjust your recipe and always let your fermentation finish, only wine makers do things like arrest fermentation. While I agree that's mostly true, in the interest of thinking outside the box how would one arrest fermentation? Add sulfites to kill the yeast? In "Radical Brewing" Mosher writes that an old Belgian style of ale called a Diest was very popular in the 1800s and feremenation was intentionally halted by adding lime. This kept the beer sweet and low in alcohol. If one were to want to recreate this ancient style, how would you do it? By adding lime I assume Mosher means they added slaked lime? Would this stop fermentation? I can't see why or how. Would they just add lime juice? I'm not sure how this would stop fermentation either.

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

The problem with lime (CaOH) is that you would destroy your pH. You can't really halt fermentation without pasteurization (heat in excess of 160F) or sterile filtration. In wine making metabisulphite is used in conjunction with Sorbistat (Potassium Sorbate) to prevent malolactic fermentation. Sorbistat eliminates the ability of yeast cells to divide, it doesn't stop fermentation that is already underway.

If you keg, you could pasteurize then force carbonate.

I will bring forward a tool used in cider making, there is a popular post on these boards called country cider.

You can in fact stop fermentation, retain sweetness in your brew, and prevent bottle bombs...

Pasteurization, I do it with ciders... You want that cider to be in a bottle all fizzed up but can't keep the bottle in an fridge the whole time and you are a difficult drinker so you want it slightly sweet as well. Start your fermentation and take note of the initial gravity or OG. Watch the gravity reading throughout fermentation and have an idea of what your Final Gravity should be roughly. This will take a little experimentation but that's always fun anyway. Once you are about 0.03 above your expected FG then bottle the brew. Wait about 24 hours keeping an eye on your bottles, I like swing tops best for this. Then pasteurize on the stove top or my favorite, in the dishwasher on high heat/sanitize mode. I like to run mine through the hot rinse cycle twice because I'm OCD like that. The dishwasher is awesome bc you can't blow up your face with glass shards and if 1 bottle explodes it is completely contained in the dishwasher compartment. Less mess is awesome!

Good luck,
Michael


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