[FCBrewClub] Barely wine question/yeast question

[Ted Manahan]

Hi Thomas -

This is a common concern with high gravity beers. Fermentation (primary and 
secondary, and even tertiary) can last for a couple months. After this 
amount of time exposed to a high alcohol environment the yeast can be very 
weak.

Rather than use a new variety of yeast, I recommend pitching a fresh culture 
of the same yeast as was used for the original fermentation. This is because 
different yeast strains have slightly different abilities to ferment sugars 
and you may find that the new variety will ferment some "unfermentable" 
dextrins that the original yeast did not ferment. The result would be over 
carbonated beer.

Note that some commercial brewers do use special bottling yeast 
successfully, so this can certainly work. Of course, they have plenty of 
experience with their yeast strains.

For what it's worth, I usually don't pitch fresh yeast with my barley wines. 
I'll bring one to the next club meeting for comparison.

Good luck!

Ted

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Thomas H. Ramin" <thomas.ramin at comcast.net>
To: <fcbrewclub at lists.robsims.com>
Subject: [FCBrewClub] Barely wine question/yeast question
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 20:39:24 -0700

Hi All,

   I am planning to make a barley wine. I am thinking of using a English ale
yeast for the fermentation. Do you think carbonation of the barley wine can
be assured by adding  a yeast with a high alcohol tolerance at the time of
bottling ( for example 'Wyeast High Gravity Ale Yeast ) ?  I am afraid that
the high alcohol content might kill the ale yeast ao no carbonation is
possible

    Is there anything that could go wrong by doing this  ?

  Thanks,

  Tom

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