End of the world stout - update (1/19/12)



EWS - Secondary







After three weeks of slowly feeding this monster, it is a relief to have it in secondary.

As planned, I split the stout in two. 1/2 will become the end of the world stout, the other a chocolate stout to be ready soon.

End of the world:

I started with 5 gallons of 1.10og wort. Pitched two re hydrated packs of Nottingham. Fermented this for a few days down to around 1.03 before I started the feedings. I ended up giving it 9# of sugar and 3 different strains of yeast.  It also sat on Cocoa nubs and




Cocoa nubs and vodka soaked vanilla bean

a vanilla bean for the last week.  There was a gallon of sludge at the

bottom, so I only got around 4.5 gals into secondary. 





It now sits at 1.029 sg with a virtual starting gravity of ~1.182 for approximately 20% alcohol.  That is if the estimates and calculations scale that high.  Either way this beer is big!





Fermentation is not pretty



This beer will age for a few months on 1 oz of French oak cubes before I bottle. 

The sample I took was full of crud floating aroung (Yeast still trying to do their job)  This will all fall out during aging, but I wanted a sample now!  I was able to strain a few ounces through a paper towel.  What came out the other side was quite nice.  I saved this and a few ounces of 1997 Sam Adams Triple Bock that I will sneak into work for a tasting ;)





Chocolate stout:

Its little brother started life as 2.75 gallons of 1.1sg wort. I topped this off with another two gallons of bottled water, pitched a re hydrated pack of yeast and sealed it off for the two weeks. I added some cocoa nubs and a vanilla bean, let it sit for another week.  Kegged it today, so expect a tasting in a week or so!

This one ended up at 1.01fg for almost 6% alcohol.