17% Imperial Stout

[joelrapp]

So last year I made an oak aged imperial stout that came in at 11%, and this year I am wanting to go above and beyond that. The recipe that I have so far is coming in at 17% and I know the recipe will be good, my question is what yeast to use. I know that I am going to use #1098 and #1968 as that's what I used for last years version. I am thinking of adding champagne yeast to this years in hope that it will help ferment down to the estimated FG of 1.026.

OG right now is 1.143 FG is 1.026

Any thoughts on if this yeast line up will work would be appreciated.

 

[Cape Brewing]

I would suggest using 1098 or 1968 to start fermentation going but then pitch WLP 099 (Super high gravity yeast) once fermentation starts to slow.

I tried to get a beer up into the low 20%s for ABV but stalled out at about 17.5% by doing just that. I used US-O5 for intitial fermentation and then pitched 099 to try to push it further.

 

[jester5120]

I second the wlp099. you'll almost need it. I don't think champagne yeast is really tough enough to get it up that high. I took an imperial stout to 18.5% with a 1056 yeast cake then a 2q starter of 099 when the 1056 died at 15%

 

[bmick]

I'm making a similar stout now, aiming for 15%, and I'm using WLP028. White Labs lists its tolerance at something like 12%, but with a big starter and a whole lot of oxygen, it seems like it's taken me almost all the way to 15% (as of last night), with an FG around 1.022, which is perfect. Last year I tried the same thing and pitched a small starter of WLP099 after initial fermentation, and it dried the beer out to about 1.010, which is way too thin for the style. WLP028 is also apparently very good with oaked beers, which is what I'm planning for this bad boy.

 

[scottland]

See my Dogfish 120 min thread. Brew your base beer as a stout around 1.100 instead of the IPA i brewed around 1.100. You can follow the recipe from there. You'll need to add sugar daily to feed the beer, and as Cape said, pitch a huge starter of WLP099.

I was able to get up to 21.1% with a FG of 1.021.

 

[scottland]

Here's the link: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/dfh-120-minute-clone-259314/

 

[joelrapp]

Thought I'd update this. Finished at 16.5% according to the FG reading. Though given the amount of alcohol I would think it is actually a little higher. It's been in secondary for about 10 weeks now on oak spirals and vanilla beans. Going to keg soon and then bottle for the remainder of the year.