[musicbymark]

GOOD NEWS: DON'T THROW OUT THAT WEAK BEER!!!!

I had fantastic results using this method. I think variations of this method it could work with almost any style, whether all-grain or extract, as long as you use an alcohol-tolerant yeast like Nottingham.

I organize group extract brewings in garages, up to 5 or 6 Bayou / Turkey burners and kettles going. I'm always answering questions, helping grind grains, measure hops, etc. --distracting me from my kettle.

Somehow my last 10 gal. batch of Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout clone (in 2 corny kegs) came out really light and weak. I was neither willing to throw it out or force myself to drink 10 gal. of weak beer I was too embarrassed to give away.

METHOD:
I took approx. 2-1/4 gallons of this weak beer from each (4.5 gal. total) corny keg and put it in my brew kettle, along with (approximately):

2 oz. KENT GOLDING
2 cups SUCROSE (table sugar)
12 oz. MOLASSES
8 oz. BLACK ROASTED BARLEY
12oz. CHOCOLATE MALT

(I also added 4 shots of espresso from my machine)

I did a 60 min boil --yes, I basically re-brewed, using BEER instead of water.
I added around 1 gallon of filtered tap water when I chilled the beer/wort, and poured it back onto the original NOTTINGHAM yeast bed (from both fermenters combined into one pale) in a fermenter.

Fermentation took off that night aggressively and came to a pretty sharp halt around 1 to 2 days later. It's possible all those yeast quickly devoured the fermentables, but also possible that the alcohol content climbed so high it killed off the yeast, though Nottingham has a fairly high tolerance for ABV. I let it go around 12-14 days and re-kegged it, adding around 3 shots of Everclear.

RESULTS: Good as ever - great oatmeal stout, heavy sigh of relief, & hefty stout supply for the Fall.

THOUGHTS: Since initial character was established by the Nottingham ale yeast, I wonder if using a higher gravity (ex. Belgian, or champagne/wine yeast) would more fully ferment available sugars w/o throwing off the flavor too severly?

Cheers,

Mark in the U.P. of Michigan

[jeffy]

Interesting.
I doubt that alcohol tolerance had anything to do with the yeast finishing. After boiling off the alcohol in the original beer, you have very little fermentable sugars added.  I mean 2 cups of sucrose and 12 ounces of molasses isn't going to add much to the gravity in 4.5 gallons.  That and 3 shots of Everclear is all you've got.
Lots of different flavors for sure, with coffee, mollasses, Everclear, roasted malts.  Did you add it back to the original beer or serve it separately?

[ynotbrusum]

Blending a subsequent batch might be easier but if that worked for you, then great!