JohanTheMighty
Well-Known Member
I am preparing to brew a whiskey barrel stout that will be 9-10% ABV. I know how to make a good starter, I'm using a quality yeast, but I've been told I am going to need an oxygen aeration system due to the high ABV of the finished product. Do I really need this? I've brewed IPA's, strong ales, and stouts in the past with ABV's of 8-9% and didn't need one, and I don't understand why I would need one for something that will be 9-10%.
My usual routine when I make beer is to boil 3 gallons of water when I make the wort, pour two gallons of near ice cold water into my 6-gallon carboy, cool the wort enough so that when I add it to the water in the carboy it will drop to around 70% (it goes through a funnel with a screen and so I am sure this process also aerates it), and shake. I was thinking I should be just fine if I shake up the water prior to adding it to the carboy, shaking once I add the wort (which I will stirring vigorously as it cools in the ice bath), adding the yeast, and shaking again.
Any thoughts? Has anyone else successfully hit the 10% mark without one of these systems. This will probably be the strongest beer I ever brew, by the way. My usual preference is 7-8%, but this is going to be for a special occasion so I wanted to go bigger.
My usual routine when I make beer is to boil 3 gallons of water when I make the wort, pour two gallons of near ice cold water into my 6-gallon carboy, cool the wort enough so that when I add it to the water in the carboy it will drop to around 70% (it goes through a funnel with a screen and so I am sure this process also aerates it), and shake. I was thinking I should be just fine if I shake up the water prior to adding it to the carboy, shaking once I add the wort (which I will stirring vigorously as it cools in the ice bath), adding the yeast, and shaking again.
Any thoughts? Has anyone else successfully hit the 10% mark without one of these systems. This will probably be the strongest beer I ever brew, by the way. My usual preference is 7-8%, but this is going to be for a special occasion so I wanted to go bigger.