wlp099-when does it stop eating!!?

[m3n00b]

My barley wine had an og of 1.127.
Pitched it on a wlp002 yeast cake.

About two weeks later the 002 had finished at 1.050. Rousing didn't work. Pitched a 1 gal starter 99 about 3 weeks ago and slowly but surely my SG has come down about 7 points a week. Temps have been 65-68.

I'm down to 1.028 but the yeast is still feasting. At what point do I need to worry about the bw drying out? I figured I'd be safe since this was all lme so it should have some unfermentables.. I've never seen a yeast eat for so long. Most stuff is done in a week.


Also...how long can I leave something in primary? The wlp002 is already about 7 weeks old.

 

[FATC1TY]

No need to worry about sitting on the yeast too long. Not really a concern in homebrewing.

Are you still seeing krausen, or are you going off "activity" from an airlock?

 

[m3n00b]

Well...that's a tough one since I used fermcap. No krausen but I am seeing yeast activity through the side of the carboy in addition to bubbles and airlock activity. Also...every 3 days I lose a few of points of gravity.

 

[smokinghole]

It is a strong fermenter and takes while to stop so when you think its done, it probably isn't. I had two very overcarbed beers from this yeast. One was due due inexperience with the yeast, and the second was me pitching the yeast accidentally in place of wlp028. I didn't know I did until I bottled and saw I still had my 028 and an empty 099 bottle instead. Oops.

 

[m3n00b]

It is a strong fermenter and takes while to stop so when you think its done, it probably isn't. I had two very overcarbed beers from this yeast. One was due due inexperience with the yeast, and the second was me pitching the yeast accidentally in place of wlp028. I didn't know I did until I bottled and saw I still had my 028 and an empty 099 bottle instead. Oops.

As soon as it's done its off to the secondary on some oak cubes for a few months. Going to take another reading today when I get home.

 

[edecambra]

You souls just move it to secondary now and the may help the rest of the yeast drop out a bit. I don't see any problem with doing it now, especially since it is going on two months in primary. Just move in now and what ever yeast is still in suspension will probably be small enough for little concern.

 

[m3n00b]

You souls just move it to secondary now and the may help the rest of the yeast drop out a bit. I don't see any problem with doing it now, especially since it is going on two months in primary. Just move in now and what ever yeast is still in suspension will probably be small enough for little concern.

It could be in secondary for many many months. I don't want to take any chances.

 

[m3n00b]

1.025 today. 13.7%. Taste is slightly solventy. Still sweet. I think it can dry out a little more if it wants to.

 

[m3n00b]

1.022 and 14.1% abv. This is insane. I'll rack to secondary when it hits 1.020.

 

[beertroll]

Would a campden/potassium sorbate double whammy possibly shut it down? I used that to keep a cider from drying out too much, and I can't pick out any effect on the flavor. I don't know how it will behave in a beer, though, and it would definitely rule out bottle conditioning.

 

[smokinghole]

It probably wont go too awful much further. My most recent imperial stout is only at 1.025 with wy brett lambicus and that started in October. Granted I mashed at 160.

Other thing I want to mention. I don't know what.gravity you made your starter or your overall batch size. However if you have a 5 gal batch, and you dumped on a 1 gal starter without decanting you seriously diluted your original gravity considering your starter was 20% of your volume if its a 5 gal batch. So you just need to do a little math to figure out your diluted og and and go from there.

 

[Ed4]

I had a Belgian quad that started at 1.117 and stopped at 1.036. I transferred the beer onto some oak chips with wlp099 that I had a barleywine aging on and over the course of two months it dropped to 1.012, it was a steady drop too. A few points every week. It will definitely need some serious aging. The taste is fantastic!

 

[m3n00b]

It probably wont go too awful much further. My most recent imperial stout is only at 1.025 with wy brett lambicus and that started in October. Granted I mashed at 160.

Other thing I want to mention. I don't know what.gravity you made your starter or your overall batch size. However if you have a 5 gal batch, and you dumped on a 1 gal starter without decanting you seriously diluted your original gravity considering your starter was 20% of your volume if its a 5 gal batch. So you just need to do a little math to figure out your diluted og and and go from there.

I decanted most of it. Probably added a quart.

 

[smokinghole]

Forget I said anything about dilution then. It seems many times with stuck beers people make a huge starter and then toss in the whole thing. Which dilutes the beer and they think they got additional fermentation when it was the dilution and residual extract from the starter that ended up being what they thought to be a kickstarted fermentation.

 

[m3n00b]

So it finally stopped at 1.015 2 weeks after moving to secondary. Taste is great! Oak is there. 15% abv. Tastes like scotch/bourbon and cognac.