Bottling. Long fermentation.... Can we add a little yeast?

[brewjedi]

Here's the thought. If I ferment 20 days and I make a nice culture of yeast from the yeast cake of the primary, could help speed up the bottle conditioning process by adding some yeast that was set up for re-pitching from the primary? If so how much? I've got a 9.5% IPA that I'm bottling at 20 days. Got a nice batch of yeast from primary to re-pitch. Will it help or just go into shock when it hits that 9.5% beer? Started at 13.5% post boil. Currently at 4%.

[spiderwrangler]

Started at 13.5% post boil. Currently at 4%.

?

Is the yeast you are wanting to add yeast you pulled from earlier in the ferment of this beer? Are you doing anything to revitalize it? If not it may be just as tired as the yeast in your beer. If you are concerned about yeast health, you might be better off adding a bit more fresh yeast to get it done. Very little yeast is needed, and your existing yeast will likely eventually do the job...

[Ozwald]

I'm a little confused by your percentages as well. Percent of what? I don't think ABV as nothing has alcohol post boil nor would that number drop. ADF doesn't make sense either.

Otherwise, you could add some yeast back in, but if you were going to re-use off the primary cake, you'd have to do some serious rinsing & do a couple starters to bring it back up to decent health... something you should be doing anyways for repitching on a next batch. Or adding fresh, neutral yeast (much quicker & easier). Or just be patient & let the remaining yeast in solution do their thing.

That being said, I'm pretty big into reusing yeast after nursing it back to health but that's one yeast cake I'd dump without hesitation. Besides the fact that it sounds like a pretty big beer from your description & would require a considerable amount of work to nurse back to health, the amount of hops in any IPA is going to leave residual oils greatly affecting your cell walls. It's really more work that what it's worth on big hoppy beers IMO.

[spiderwrangler]

I'm a little confused by your percentages as well. Percent of what?

I'd thought it might be a gravity reading in Plato, but that didn't make sense either... 1.054 --> 1.016 , then just realized he is reading off a hydrometer that gives POTENTIAL alcohol... so 1.102 ---> 1.030.

[Ozwald]

I'm a little confused by your percentages as well. Percent of what?

I'd thought it might be a gravity reading in Plato, but that didn't make sense either... 1.054 --> 1.016 , then just realized he is reading off a hydrometer that gives POTENTIAL alcohol... so 1.102 ---> 1.030.

That's the way I was leaning, but I didn't know anyone who used that side of the scale so I really wasn't sure.

[Quin]

I think it's a good idea to add fresh yeast for anything over 6% abv. You are also giving them sugar (easier to process), so it's less of a worry about them being "shocked" from the alcohol.

[spiderwrangler]

You are also giving them sugar (easier to process), so it's less of a worry about them being "shocked" from the alcohol.

I don't think that the presence of sugar will really protect them from alcohol... either way they are going to be exposed to it...

[Ozwald]

fresh, neutral yeast

As in champagne yeast. Also solves the alcohol tolerance issue.