Multiple fermenting

[jjasghar]

So for giggles i was wondering...

Can i repitch any/all brews? Say i have a batch in the primary fermenter, i syphoned it out and figured i'd like to put it back in the primary... could i just add a new "clean" yeast vial and corn sugar to it?

Or am i just completely wrong?

 

[Yooper]

I guess you could. Really, you shouldn't even have to add yeast as there would still be plenty of yeast in there to restart fermentation.

By, the question is: Why?

 

[jjasghar]

i guess why not...is more my question. it'll change the flavor, the abv right?

 

[Yooper]

Yes, I would think it would add some unpleasant cidery flavors. It would also boost the ABV a little.

If I were thinking about adding corn sugar to boost the ABV, though, I'd do it doing the boil.

The other consideration with this- if you are adding sugar to boost the ABV, if you exceed the yeasts' alcohol tolerance, you'll also end up sweetening the beer. So, you could have sweet rocket fuel!

Winemakers sometimes do this- add sugar until it won't ferment any more and then add some additional sugar for sweetening. It maxes out the ABV for that yeast and then allows sweetening. It takes a couple of years to age to a decent taste, though, unless they're making port.

 

[TexLaw]

If you just add corn sugar, it will increase your alcohol content, which will affect the flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel of your beer. Yooper mentioned the limit on that, though most beer yeasts can go further than most brewers ask them to. You could always repitch with a wine yeast, if it fills your sails to do so.


TL

 

[malkore]

It'd work, but I"m a big fan of doing it right the first time.

I only add stuff later if something isn't right (like its too dry and needs back-sweetening, or its too malty and needs to be dry hopped).

 

[Joker]

I would leave your hypothetical batch as is, and brew the next batch bigger in the pot.

 

[kinison_fan]

Get several one gallon wine jugs instead of a carboy.
Start with the same base recipe in the brewpot, then split the batch to the jugs.
Keep one unchanged as your control, and you can then try your "experiments" or variations on the others.
Having the control gallon will let you make comparisons on what worked well and what did not. If something comes out awful, you've only wasted a gallon instead of the whole batch. Or if something comes out great, scale it up to a full 5 gallon batch.

You can try all sorts of things:
-add more/new yeast to one gallon
-add only corn sugar to one gallon
-add only malt extract to one gallon
-add only table sugar to one gallon
-add only honey to one gallon

you get the idea, experiment and fine tune your recipies....

 

[cheezydemon]

Bravo Kinison fan. I too am a believer in experimenting to increase your skill and knowledge as a brewer.

From my experiments, I know that a yeast can be pushed beyond it's advertised limits of alcohol tolerance through subsequent additions of fermentables after primary fermentation. It is then, however, a real ***** to bottle carb!

 

[Catfish]

This is a good technique to increase the ABV and dry a beer out a bit. It helps if you have planned ahead instead of having to re-awaken your now dormant yeast. Melt the sugar in boiling water, cool and add it while the yeast is kicking, just after the peak in fermentation. Waking the yeast up on a completed fermentation is risking lots of sugar and weak yeast.