Need some help with priming yeast

[Chadwick]

I've got a frankenbrew that needs bottled. It's been sitting in the primary for about 4 months now and I assume fermentation is finished at this point. :cross:

I only bottle so it will be necessary to add some sort of yeast to this to ensure it carbs up like I want it too. And that is the heart of this puzzle. The OG was 1.123 and it is down to 1.010. My calculations has the ABV anywhere between about 14% and 17%. I need a yeast that will munch the corn sugar I intend to prime with and not simply die in horror of this environment.

I have on hand some CBC from Danstar and also some Redstar Champagne yeast. I'm not overly concerned about using the champagne yeast, if that is a viable option, because this beer was made with a healthy dose of raisins anyhow and smells something like wine already. Of course, I'll take a beer yeast over a wine yeast but I have to be real about this. I'll take an ensured carbonation over something that never carbs at all.

Also, I'm not limited to using the yeast I have on hand. I'll order something if I need to. After all, it's been 4 months in a primary, another week won't make any difference. Any suggestions?

EDIT: Just to be clear, I want to naturally bottle condition this. Kegging, while an ideal solution, isn't an option.

 

[TheMadKing]

I've never made a beer that big and strong before, but with most beers, there's still enough yeast in suspension to carb it even after that long in the primary (got that t-shirt). So I would think you should be fine just bottling as usual. Someone with more experience with strong beers will give you a better opinion though.

But a couple other questions, is that style supposed to be carbed? And how long does it need to age in the bottles? A damn long time I would guess, so if you added more yeast, it would likely overcarb like crazy sitting in those bottles for 6 months to a year. Just my $0.02

 

[Chadwick]

I do big beers all of the time. This one is bit further over the top than most I brew. The beer is something like a DFH raison barleywine beer they make occasionally. It is meant to be carbonated. As with most of my larger beers, I do expect a long conditioning period. I've found that bottle conditioning has taken over 6 months for some of my wilder barleywines if I don't introduce a bottling yeast.

Over carbonation isn't a worry at all. Anything that yeast will eat has been eaten. My concern is how to get yeast to eat again.

 

[MaxStout]

Why risk it after all that time and effort (not to mention what had to be a king's ransom worth of ingredients)? Pitch a half packet at bottling for peace of mind. I have had great results using CBC-1. Never tried champagne yeast, but that would work too. Your beer's flavor profile was set long ago in primary, and bottling yeast shouldn't alter that. I don't think it really matters what you use for bottling, as long as the strain can handle the ABV.

 

[GuldTuborg]

After 4 months in that harsh an environment, I wouldn't expect there to be much live yeast left. I'd just use a bit of champagne yeast for the best chances at solid carbonation.

 

[Chadwick]

I decided I'm going to pitch some champagne yeast. I have a couple packets of the Red Star stuff, the one in the yellow pack. I'll pitch one of those in at bottling.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Don't use the whole pack. Maybe 20-25% is more than enough. Rehydrate first, though.