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Author Topic: Valhalla Honey Beer doubts  (Read 956 times)

Offline copachino

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Valhalla Honey Beer doubts
« on: March 01, 2021, 04:10:50 pm »
hi all im trying to make this recipe, but i have a doubt, the recipe call for 15% ABV but fermentis S 04 yeast can only tolerate 11% ABV, so im a little confused, do i have to use after 11% a wine yeast to continue the halted fermentation?

Offline Bob357

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Re: Valhalla Honey Beer doubts
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2021, 04:54:55 pm »
Yeast often are capable of exceeding their listed alcohol tolerance by quite a lot. The secret is a massive pitch, plenty of oxygen and sufficient nutrients. My biggest concern with S-04 would be early flocculation. If you insist on using S-04, be prepared to do plenty of babysitting. It will need to have the temperature increased at the first sign of flocculation and the yeast will need to be roused regularly. A less flocculent yeast would be much easier for a beer that big.
While many wine yeasts have much higher alcohol tolerance, they're not very good at metabolizing maltose. I'd definitely stick with Ale yeasts.
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Offline copachino

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Re: Valhalla Honey Beer doubts
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2021, 07:25:30 pm »
I only have s04, s05 and munich yeast i could try with us 05 though, the recipe call for late additions of honey so i was thinking about to leave the yeast floculate and the add the honey and pitch some kv 1116, as far as i know this will kill de us 05 and ferment as a mead the rest of the honey, but i coyld brew something this weekend and use the slurry to make the braggot, i believe its the easiest way to pitch a masive amount of yeast at once.

Offline erockrph

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Re: Valhalla Honey Beer doubts
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2021, 08:31:54 pm »
A big pitch, and a second dose of oxygen about 12-24 hours after pitching will net you a fair amount of extra attenuation in big beers. If you want to use the S-04, I'd say brew something in the 1.050-1.060 OG range with it and use the whole yeast cake for the braggot. Hit it with an extra shot of oxygen the the next morning if you can, too. I've gotten barleywines as high as 18% using this technique, coupled with a mash targeted at making the most fermentable wort possible.

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« Last Edit: March 02, 2021, 04:41:02 pm by erockrph »
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Offline pete b

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Re: Valhalla Honey Beer doubts
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2021, 02:42:42 pm »
The alcohol tolerance isn't like a switch, if the yeast is plentiful and healthy it won't just all die when 11% is reached. The advice above about pitching on a yeast cake, or I would add, pitching two packs of ale yeast, along with additional aeration, nurients, and ramping up temp during fermentation should do the trick.
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