OG and FG Preferences for RIS and Barleywines

[old_tx_kbb]

I was just wondering what the Russian Imperial Stout and Barleywine brewers here, like to target their OG's and FG's....not necessarily competition/BJCP guidelines....but personal consumption.

I have an RIS that started at 1.134 that I took down to 1.012....there's no heat, plenty of body, and plenty of sweetness for my taste.

I'm letting my yeast work on a Barleywine now and am wondering where I'd like it to finish at without it being too cloying. the OG was 1.113....last I checked...the gravity was at 1.028....but way too sweet for me...

 

[zachattack]

I can't help you, but let me just ask... 91% attenuation on an imperial stout?? 16.3% abv? How are you doing that!!

 

[old_tx_kbb]

I made what I call a propagation batch ( a smaller gravity 5 gallon batch ), it was a Dry Irish Stout using WLP004 so I'd have a fresh yeast cake ready to rack the RIS to. Then when I brewed the RIS, I used the fresh yeast cake and lots of oxygen. This fermented very well and very quickly at 65°F and brought the gravity down to about 1.031. I decided to feed it one more pound of DME and more oxygen....and some DAP....

and some WLP099

this raised the gravity up to 1.040....within 12 hours it was down to 1.012. Since I've seen WLP099 take a batch down to 0.0995, I decided to move my fermenter to my freezer and set my temp controller to 30°F. I know with that much alcohol it won't freeze....but it will put the yeast to sleep. And that worked just fine. Next stop for the RIS is my 5 gallon oak barrel that was given to me by a local whiskey distiller here in Tennessee.

So....I used a lot of yeast....the WLP004 and the WLP099...a lot of oxygen....some DAP....plenty of grain....and some DME....and that's how I created a monster.

 

[FATC1TY]

I got my 1.102 down to 1.018, and I think I like it right around there..