Omega Hornindale Russian Imperial Stout

[rconway91]

I recently brewed Founders KBS clone with Omega Hornindale. I overshot my OG by quite a bit due to a low assumed mash effeciency (this is my first high gravity beer, I assumed 60, got 75ish...) and ended up with 1.123 OG. I added a 1.7L starter of Horninale and the thing took off unlike anything I've ever seen before. After about 24 hours, the activity very suddenly stopped. I panicked and was sure I had a stuck fermentation. However, a gravity measurement showed 1.024. So it was done after just after just 24 hours!
I tasted it and it did not taste very good. I have some research on aging I intend to do, and will likely be aging this beer 4 or 5 months.
However, I am wondering if this very fast fermentation may have resulted in issues I should be aware of and try and counteract with additions in secondary or specific aging methods?

 

[beersk]

Dang! 24 hours to ferment down to 1.024 from 1.123? Crazy. My next beer is going to be an imperial stout, planned OG is 1.100 and using Hornindal harvested last week. Not that that matters; you could pitch a year old jar of Hornindal, most likely, and have it take off like a rocket.

I mean, in general, you're going to have to age something that strong for a period of time anyway. What's the rush? I don't think you'll need to do anything special, just give it some time.

 

[rconway91]

It is crazy, and after doing some reading on this forum about hornindal I have trouble believing it. I know its fast but nothing I have read is THAT fast. Oh well, can't redo my OG and I'm not going to risk oxygenating it to get another FG. I wish I had one of those bluetooth gravity things...

 

[myndflyte]

Yeah but you made a starter with it so so I guess I'm not surprised it went that fast. It usually takes 48 hours when I use Hornindal to get something in the 1.065 range down to finishing gravity and I just pitch it from the bag it comes in. And I'm not surprised it doesn't taste good. Something that high in starting gravity is going to take awhile to age.

 

[tracer bullet]

I've got a RIS sitting in a fermenter right now, it took about 48 hours to go from high 90's to high 20's, and I have always figured a yeast starter + all that extra sugar is why it goes so quickly. 24 hours is amazing but believable.

My first taste test (I have a sampling port on the side of a "Catalyst" fermenter) was gross, but I realized too that the beer was light brown and hazy, not super dark brown / almost black and clear. It was all that suspended yeast in mine really throwing off the flavor. I had to grab another sample and let it sit in the frig a couple days, have the yeast fall out, and then test and of course it was pretty yummy.

So - be sure you aren't tasting an extreme amount of yeast in your sample if / when you take another.

For aging, I would exercise super good cleaning methods, sanitize everything, o-rings and all, don't be lazy. You can get away with a little for say a hoppy IPA that is gone in a few weeks. You can not get away with anything for an RIS that could sit 6 months or more.

The tastes do evolve, I find that the hops goes away and the malts come out, if you had any chocolate, coffee, or other tasty malts you'll start to pick those up more. It just seems to come together too, like day old chili. But I have to admit some of that could be wishful thinking on my part, but that's how I perceive it.

Other than a suspended yeast issue throwing the flavor way off, it won't change dramatically - if it's bad, it's bad. But so soon after such a vigorous fermentation, I'm kind of doubting it. That yeast took over for sure. SOmething else may contribute over time but I'd find it hard to believe it's done so already.