TIPs & TECHNIQUES for Fermenting STRONG Beers PROPERLY (High-Gravity)

[@1TheLord1]

Planning a barleywine as my next big beer. What I like to do is to brew a session beer (1.045-1.050) OG with the same yeast about 10-14 days before and when I brew my big beer, I rack it off to a keg and pitch the big beer directly on the cake. Dry stout -> Imperial Stout, Scottish Ale -> Wee Heavy. Proably will be a blonde or a mild depending if I go American or English Barleywine. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Pitching on the cake is a great way to get a healthy amount of yeast! Great tip to share!

[@anthonysamuel4790]

I love this technique. I’m planning on making a lawnmower lager and then a big baltic Porter.

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

CONTENT SPREEEEEE Great stuff TAB!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks man!!

[@YankeeinSC1]

O.K. Hotshot...I'd taken a few years off from home brewing. In a comeback this fall, (think Muhammad Ali or Bo Jackson) I decided to brush up on knowledge with a KZbin binge, as I work through a few 10 Gallon HERMS brews that I had traditionally kept on tap at the house. It seems you might want to be the heir apparent? The next generation's John Palmer perhaps...so two questions: 1) If you're harvesting and washing yeast...how do you determine cell count in the home brew environment? 2) Whada'ya make of these cool new digital hydrometers, like the RAPT Pill?!!! They are so cool. If you start reading and logging rates of fermentation however, can we use that data in a way that affects the beer style? i.e. Imagine if we used software to set a maximum and a minimum rate of fermentation and then digitally used data from the digital hydrometer to precisely and quickly adjust temperature...to keep a linear (or a specifically programed non-linear) rate of fermentation? Would it matter in the end? I think this may be the new horizon for brewing. Interested in your thoughts.

[@beeroquoisnation]

This is a fantastic vidya Apartment. Like every one of your productions there is so much information to unpack in it. For a long time I stayed on the road @ around 1.046 with the same IPA recipe, using the same practices, to get a consistent product to enjoy. I wish this vidya, and all of your content, was around when this brewing journey began. I might have more in the grey matter to work with. I appreciate most of these productions bud.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I appreciate the kind words!

[@Siatsgaming]

I love how you go into detail for Liquid Yeast. Actually had the pleasure to talk to commercial brewers of 20+ years experience here and there and some newer ones too. They all try to stick to dry yeast whereever possible due to more consistent results. That being said, not being able to make a starter really, but you might need more than just one packet for a stronger ale (depends on package size obviously) Anyways, thanks for all your helpful tips!

[@Wuesten1988]

Letting strong beers age is something that pays off! I drank most off my first batch of Triple before it was ready and the last beers were the best ones! I now barely touched the further batches and let them sit for 9 month. Its totally worth it.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It's tough to do it but it is so worth it!

[@trainmanhawaii]

Dude! That's totally not the timeframe I was hoping for😅

[@Wuesten1988]

😄 I only wait that long for the heavy Beers (9+ abv). For Others I dont wait that long. :) The trick is to put them in the deepest corner of the cellar, brew a new batch and totally forget about it. That makes waiting easier. 😄

[@josepena4515]

Would like it if you provided time frames of when to aerate again or add co2 to revitalize the yeast and adding fresh yeast, and yeast vitalizar

[@MRW3455]

Very timely, as I am considering what to brew as a beer for Christmas so it has plenty of time to age. Cheers 😁

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad I can help out!

[@jumpjasper5276]

Thanks, doing a farmhouse saison. Move off primary into secondary with britt. Force carbonation. Used French Saison for the yeast. Enjoy your videos. Take care

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Sounds amazing!! I love mixed fermentation saisons

[@Atxjrdguy]

Very great video. Great info. Very timely and a bit humorous. First great info and food for thought as I embark on a 1.07 Norwegian style ale. Air stone, starter, and a rest will be need. The humor came during O2 chat. The bottle was green and therefore acting as a green screen in your hand. Looked like a floating label and cap. Took a moment for my mind to discern what was happening.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Haha at least I didn't wear a green shirt this time!

[@TheBruSho]

Excellent tips! I haven't brewed a lot of large beers but definitely will be referencing this when I do!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Can't wait to see what you decide to make when you do!

[@egruber50]

2 comments. First, taking excellent notes can make a big difference in your skills and knowledge as a homebrewer. That shouldn't be ignored or taken for granted by folks. Secondly, yes you can pitch directly from a yeast pouch provided the brewer has enough pouches. There have been great debates over the years about this very subject. Some homebrewers don't own starter kits or even a flask, so they do not have that as an option. Good video. Thanks.

[@ryanholland9348]

A 2L flask and cheap Amazon stir plate would be paid off in 4-5 liquid yeast packs. Keep a bag of DME on hand, and it will be very hard to justify buying extra yeast packs again.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Completely in agreement on taking notes! That's the best way to improve as a homebrewer overall. But the benefits of a yeast stater pays for the starter kit quickly. If you don't want to make a starter but need 300 billion cells (3 wyeast packets and 2 imperial packets, assuming they were all made yesterday) that's over $30 worth of yeast. On top of that, less stress and shock to the yeast leads to a better fermentation every time. I'll still pitch 2 packs sometimes because I don't feel like making a starter, but nearly every time I end up wishing I just made a starter instead

[@TroubleBrewing]

Great tips! The pure o2 thing I need to look into. I have herd from multiple people now that pure o2 really helps!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It's definitely helped shorten fermentations and also made them cleaner. I'd recommend it!

[@FermentationAdventures]

I think I saw other mention it, but brew a starter beer, and then pitch on the yeast cake. Also oxygenate the wort at yeast pitch and like 12 hours later. My last English Barleywine, I brewed a bitter, then pitched on most of the yeast cake. The barleywine went from 1.100 to 1.020 in less than a week, and tasted pretty good by week 2.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

100% agree! It's a great way to ensure you've got adequate cells and you get beer out of it!

[@Hellbrews]

The image and sound quality of your videos have increased notably I thought your background was real until I saw the oxygen bottle hahah also thanks for these great tips I learned some of them by spoiling beer lol, cheers 🍻

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I appreciate that so much!! Greenscreen helps a lot I think, but there were some weird chromakey problems on this one.

[@apack76]

Great tips and the timing couldn't come any better! I'm planning on brewing a higher abv beer than I normally brew. I'm going tobtry out these tips and see how it goes. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad it came out right on time for you! Best of luck with the beer!

[@DGPHolyHandgrenade]

Great tips. I have more of a mead background, so referring to 1.060+ as "high gravity" is a bit amusing ;) A few things to add; Yeast nutrient + oxygenation + proper pitch rate will save a BUNCH of headaches. You dont want what you expect to be a 13-14% beer to stop at 10% with a 1.030+ gravity. It'll be drinkable, but it'll be sweet and very rich. Anything more than about 8 or 9% ABV will greatly benefit from aging. We're talking 9+ months. Above 10%, it can go back a year or more for best results. It'll be drinkable before then, but dont rush it, you'll thank yourself later. Step feeding would also be good, if you've got a high gravity beer. Note: The ABV rating for the yeast is kind of bunk. Those figures relying on maltose as being the primary sugar. If you're ok with it and the style agrees, throwing in some honey or sugar adjuncts later in the fermentation will revitalize the yeast and ensure it goes smoothly. This isnt always possible for some styles though, but keep that in mind if you're trying to max out a 15% Belgian or Scottish style. Step feeding in beer should be done at high krausen, when the yeast are most active; this minimizes chances of oxygenation or infection from happening (still be clean and sanitary, but the risk is lower) Something to note about fusels; they dont just happen from higher gravity. It's almost always a sign of stressed fermentation. Similarly with phenols and esters. Although sometimes phenols and esters are desirable. The fusels though, that make the beer taste harsh or more alcoholic than otherwise desired, that can be solved through proper temp controls, proper feeding, and oxygenation. If the yeast are kept happy, the fusels and such will be minimized, if not eliminated entirely. The "pitching fresh yeast" suggestion is an open invitation for that stress to occur. You want to do a bit of a starter, and add some of your beer a little at a time to the starter and get the yeast built up to the environment you'll be putting them in prior to dumping them in your strong beer. This is more important if the ABV is already 9% or above. Otherwise, you'll risk shocking your yeast and putting them under stress immediately which will promote those off flavors.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for sharing those tips!

[@James-ec7qx]

Excellent tips thanks mate I'll be sure to try these on the Christmas barley wine I've got planned

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Hope they pay off for you!

[@PatrickSandy78]

Impeccable timing my friend. I am planning my winter warmer currently. It is going to be a masala chai wee heavy.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Oh wow that sounds awesome!! I hope it turns out great!

[@BuzzKillingtonism]

Do you have a how to brew a doppelbock beer? Looking to see how to properly decoct the mash.

[@noelhendricksonlb4119]

Two questions: How do you know if your yeast has stalled? And How would you go about adding oxygen into a standard wide-mouth carboy?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

You'll know if your yeast flocculates out but your gravity is way too high. Usually stalls happen in the 1.020-1.030 range. As for the carboy oxygen, just stick a carb stone on a tube in there hooked up to the oxygen tank. They usually sell the kits in that configuration

[@joshuastacy2371]

Thank you for doing this video! A LOT can go wrong in these high gravity beers. Ask me how I know...😂 On the plus side, I just shared a couple of my barleywines that had been sitting in the bottle nearly 2 years. Everyone said they were awesome. Time does great things for high ABV drinks.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Time is the ultimate secret ingredient!

[@glleon80517]

Great video, Steve! I use an aquarium bubbler pump with a sanitary filter and an aeration stone. I fire it up for about 20 minutes while I am rehydrating dry yeast or other chores. I get a creamy layer of foam on top. Any opinion vs pure oxygen? I have been known to co-pitch my beer yeast with Distillers’ Active Dry Yeast (DADY) which is very neutral, cheap, and high alcohol tolerant.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Interesting technique!! A co pitch is a good idea to ensure proper attenuation. I've never used an aquarium pump for Aeration but I imagine it does a great job. I just prefer pure O2 since it's a quick process

[@yoguimasterof69]

definitely very useful for distillers :) Thanks!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I imagine it would be!

[@TheVindalloo]

Hey there, great video. I love topics like this one. Only wish I could have is adding info's on dry yeast, as it's a slightly different world. Also what about pressure fermenting big beers? Any changes to lower ABV boys?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Dry yeast is coming soon! You'd still want to take care of the fermentation in the same way though. But you would likely not need to make a starter. Pressure fermentation on a big beer is hit or miss, generally I wouldn't recommend it since the osmotic pressure (the sugar concentration) is already very high. It could cause an incomplete fermentation.

[@goosefraba560]

6:15 where can I find one of them invisible bottles...asking for a friend. Great info as always Basement Steve!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

They only sell then on the black market!

[@vellakoil_Kattuseval]

Some of the high yeast tolerance varient can be selected...

[@waynebunker2071]

Excellent and informative video as always. I normally ferment in primary until I have reached FG and also finished dry hopping (roughly 1.5 weeks). I then transfer to a keg and condition under about 10 psi of pressure for another week and a half. Do you think it is better to condition at room temperature not under pressure or in the kegerator under pressure. I typically go another 1.5 in the kegerator before drinking more tan random samples. Thanks.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I usually condition in a keg at ambient temps after primary. I'm too concerned about potentially crashing it too early in the kegerator if fermentation suddenly kicked off again, that can cause diacetyl.

[@GenusBrewing]

Even if it's not Brett I like a secondary pitch sometimes with High ABV beers just because I sometimes like the flavor of Sleepier yeasts to start with better :)

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nice! Looking at you London ESB

[@tmarkk99]

Awesome content. Enjoyed this a lot. New subscriber here. Going to order some merch.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I'm glad you enjoy my channel so much! Thank you for the support!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Good info there, got a barleywine planned in a bit, considering either splitting the grain into 2 mashes, and mashing the second in the wort of the first or just all out into it. Should be JUST at the limit of my mash tun if I all in it.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Can't wait to see how you do that! A reiterated mash is a great way to make your OG with all that grain

[@Fyrwulf]

Hey, Nikita! A reiterated mash is definitely the way to go in your situation.

[@badpughomebrewing9031]

I've brewed as high as 9% without needing a yeast starter, I do however use a 3 packs and not just one or two, but that doesn't mean I'll never try using a starter, for my tastes I haven't felt the need. It's funny you mention time, I'm watching this while consuming the Imperial Stout as mentioned above this is the 9%er which is in keg and carbed but only 2 weeks in keg, needs time but also going into a comp to be judged in a months time, I'm yet to develop patience lol

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Must be quite good! I hope you can keep some around many months later to see how it evolves!

[@Jango1989]

Nice tips!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks!

[@patrickmiller9315]

I live in Belgium and only brew Belgian styles - mostly 1065+. I bulk condition in secondary but am experimenting with just leaving longer in primary. I don't find a lot of guidance on bulk conditioning in general and what information is available on leaving beer in primary for longer periods feels more based on myth than any testing. Question: have you, or do you know of any side-by-side tests of leaving the beer in primary for 1 month, 2 months, & 3 months? You see normally I age in secondary (Tripel for example) for 90 days. At transfer there is still yeast in suspension which settles out in 2ndary...so the beer does sit on the settled yeast for 3 months and I have not detected any bad results. So I am currently testing just leaving it in primary for 60 days then bottle conditioning. Of course if you have scientific evidence this is bad at homebrew scale I will not do it.

[@PartyTimeBrewing]

Seventeenth! Great info. I have just been overpitching the crap out of my high OG beers, but oxygen is definitely something on my list. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Overpitching is way better than underpitching!

[@Peter-Southern-Victoria-Aust]

What is your opinon on people who say you shouldn't 'over pitch yeast?' specually yeast from the yeast cake, does over pitching cause any problems?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

At the homebrew scale, it's not a huge deal. Theoretically it is possible to pitch too much yeast, especially with dry yeast or if you look at a yeast cake as 100% viable cells. But again I've never had problems with this on a 5 gallon scale, and that seems to be the consensus, or at least the most common experience, among most people as well

[@adamgorka368]

Hey Steve, when making a starter for say a lager, do you have to cool the starter down to fermenting Temps before pitching? Most starter guides I see online talk about the starter making process usually involving leaving it at room temperature, but they dont then talk about what to do once it's made and going. Can I pour a room temperature starter straight into my 60F wort? My gut says no but idk! Thanks, cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I usually don't worry about that. The important thing is making sure your wort is at the right temperature.

[@lukasjager2085]

Would you recommend the tip with the starter for dry yeast too? I love to brew belgian strong ales and usually I just rehydrate it according to the technical data sheets and get pretty good results. Can they get even better with a starter?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I've made starters for dry yeast before and it's definitely helped reduce the lag time, but rehydration is just fine. Dry yeast has such a high cell count its not as likely to underpitch. Some manufacturers like Lallemand specifically recommend rehydration and I think that helps for sure

[@tman9338]

When brewing 1.065 plus IPA with dry Kviek, do u hydrate ? make starter? Airate? Just made 14G IPA - two 5 gal buckets with 2nd gen Voss Kviek, 4G in all rounder using washed S05. All rounder is rocking at 10 psi but no activity in two 5 gal buckets with Voss Kviek. Recommended next step for two 5G buckets????

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Kveik you don't really need to rehydrate, although some companies like Lallemand recommend it. No need for starters or significant aeration though with kveik

[@tman9338]

@@TheApartmentBrewer Thsnks fir input. I gently rocked both 5G buckets and they woke up with a vengeance!!!

[@ninkasihomebrewer8226]

Thanks

[@christopherhay3358]

Kviek is a good solution for people looking to brew high gravity, but don't have the means to control more tradition yeasts.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Very true! It's preference for high gravity wort is great, but it won't work for every high gravity beer out there, like Belgian strong ales

[@prOkrEAt]

🤔 my woah heavier went from 1.110-1.030 with just 3 packets white labs straight pitched of 5g batch. 10.5%. started at 65° up to 70° fermentation. Going to have to think of some of these tips as I refine that recipe. However I think I would rather start the yeast from second runnings than DME.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Can we just take a second to appreciate the wee heavy --> woah heavier thing? I love it haha

[@prOkrEAt]

@@TheApartmentBrewer 🤣 it really earned that amendment. But it wasn't super cloying. I do need to increase bitterness as I progress the recipe. Right now I'm playing with bitter/aroma variations, fuggles vs EKG. Also used golden promise instead of maris otter. I'm also now on my 3rd iteration of brewhouse setup going to a 20g spike electric solo+ from igloo, that I didn't like during mash. Maybe one day herms setup. Love these videos though of big beer ideas..they are harder to deal with on nearly every level. I had to get a 20g to net 10g and even then 1g short due to near 40lbs of grain. Anyway, great to watch more ideas for improvement I can make.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Mashing techniques for high gravity beers could be it's own video!

[@afhostie]

If you were to make a Belgian pale ale first, could you then just dump all the yeast from that into the Belgian dark strong or would that be too much yeast?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yeah thats a fine way to do it.

[@EtherealPrelude]

When you dump in one of those giant 2 liter starters, do you withhold that amount of water while you’re brewing so that your OG doesn’t get diluted?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That doesn't really concern me all that much. That starter beer is about 5% abv usually anyway

[@danbrown586]

Looking to do a batch like Weihenstephan Vitus, which they call a Weizenbock but seems more like a big Hefe. Targeting an OG of 1.075, FG of 1.019, using WY3068. Lots of the material on Hefes (including yours, IIRC) recommends against O2, starters, etc., because you want to stress the yeast to get the desirable banana/clove flavors. Still the case here?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Did you see the Christmas weizenbock I did last year? Might be some extra info in there for you. Vitus is a pale weizenbock and really relies on fermentation for most of the flavor. I think I underpitched my weizenbock as well and it was definitely a bit hot the first few weeks but got really good over time. I cracked a bottle 6 months later and it was incredible. Give it some time if you underpitch

[@danbrown586]

@@TheApartmentBrewer I hadn't seen that one; I'll have to check it out. Thanks.

[@innocentbystander2673]

Great info...although i kind of missed the cat. :)

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

He'll be back haha. Don't worry!

[@jazzyboydc]

If I win the mega. We gonna open a brewery and ur gonna be my brew manager

[@tommanning7337]

Right on!!!! 👍🏻👍🏻🍺

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cheers Tom!!!

[@jonisalmela2399]

what exactly is a starter, and how to make it?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

A starter is a small fermentation that takes place usually in a mason jar or flask where you pitch the yeast into a low gravity wort with the intention of multiplying the yeast cells and introducing them into a fermentation environment prior to sending them directly into a high gravity wort. I've got a video on my channel that goes over it

[@afhostie]

Age hot or cold?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Depends on the beer style. Imperial stouts, Baltic porters, strong lagers all should be cellared (50-60 F). Anything sour or with Brettanomyces, and some belgian styles can be aged hotter. Trappist styles actually are a bit of both haha

[@afhostie]

@@TheApartmentBrewer very interesting, I've gotten the impression that medium strength lagers seem to clarify much faster at 40f from what I've brewed.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I mean for what it's worth I'm only talking high strength things like doppelbock or maibock. Those are going to need months of aging. A medium strength lager doesn't need that long, I usually fine mine and leave it in the kegerator

[@Greta-Thunberg-How-Dare-You]

Mr Apartment Brewer! Is that a chalk board you are standing in front of? 😡

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Anything can be a chalkboard if you use your imagination enough

[@JusBrewing]

FIRST

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cheers Jus!!

[@JBernhard72]

at kzbin.info/www/bejne/bH-ZqqyOhdWlj8k .. if you made your starter from DME..... decant that starter wort MOSTLY off first before dumping the yeast

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Some of my best beers have been made with a starter that wasn't decanted. Never noticed any differences between decanted vs not