Stout, too much sugar, will it all ferment?

I've had the same problem but found the beer actually ferments to almost acceptable levels all said and done. The carbonation helps to offset any lingering sweetness just like the bitterness of coffee and sugar. The yeast has a magical retention percentage and won't ferment all the sugars for some reason or another. It has to be that or the yeast is being euthanized from the alcohol and dieing off before the sugar is used up. White labs and a few others make some beer yeast cultures that can stand 17 percent alcohol, but require extra attention. I'm interested what anyone else has to say about this too,

-gcitagh

The more sugar you add, the higher the alcohol content!

cheers

Baldric G_Cowboy_is_That_a_Gnu_Hurd? wrote:

measure. I;m

can't you just add some Red Star champagne yeast to it? it will handle the higher alcohol content. rich

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 14:04:19 -0600, G_Cowboy_is_That_a_Gnu_Hurd? said in alt.beer.home-brewing:

Or not all the sugars are fermentable.

My suggestion is to rouse the yeast by shaking your fermenter and get the stuff back into suspension. You're using an ale yeast so keep the temperature at the recommended level, even a bit higher will be alright as most ester production occurs near the beginning of fermentation and doesn't really affect the taste of stout too much. And, don't be impatient, leave it for a while and you will probably find the gravity will gradually drop. I would not add wine yeast, it will spoil it for sure. If it still too sweet and too alcoholic when you come to bottle, you can dilute it. I recommend you use generic brand soda water. 1.25L costs less than 90c. Sterilise the the top of the bottle before opening and pour in and mix lightly. Steve W.

however at some point the yeast will be maxed out.

5 to 6 percent is about the limits of beer yeasts. 18 percent is okay for a wine yeast. caution is advised. beers with high leftover sugars tend to give you those fabulouz hangovers in the morning. my usual is just to use malts, so my usual is no sugar and double the grains. it woorks quite nicely for me. i use the sugar compounds, only at bottling. consider splitting your mix into 2 buckets, and just adding malt and hops and water, to fill the gap. keep good records. would love to hear your results. talk to a good and knowledgeable beer shop fella about changing the yeast, in mid stream. the guy has to know his product or just walk away. i would say dilute and see what happenz.

Nope...most any beer yeast will got to 10-12%

But a wine yeast makes lousy beer

Nope...unfermented sugars give you sweetness and carbs. Hangovers are usually caused by fusel alcohols which are formed by fermenting at too high a temp

I give up...

--------->Denny

most of my reference books recommend beer yeasts of 3 to 7 percent. please advise what beer yeast you have with 12 percent alcohol. dug88