Advice/Feedback Requested on Adding Yeast at Bottling Time

[DavidDetroit]

Hello.

Thank you, in advance, for your responses.

I have a batch of Belgian with an OG of 1.104 and a FG of 1.004. It's been in the fermenter for six weeks.
I used two MJ-41s. I usually bottle after three weeks so this situation hasn't come up before.
I'm 50/50 on whether to add a packet of MJ-41 at bottling. I would re hydrate the yeast, added it to
my cooled/room temp priming solution (1 cup priming sugar and two cups water). Then I would place it in the bottom of the bottling
bucket and let the siphon swirl it and mix which is what I usually do, minus the yeast.

Question: Is six weeks (or seven weeks) short enough, time-wise, to skip adding yeast at bottling?
Question: Is the method of adding yeast that I propose a solid way to add yeast at bottling time?

 

[Clint]

I'd just do sugar. Is there a specific reason why you want to try yeast?

 

[Banbeer]

How cold has it been while it's been there. has it been cold crashed at all?

 

[KEG_KINGDOM]

I have heard of homebrewers adding kveik yeast when bottling due to kveik yeasts high attenuation although i personally haven't tried it.

 

[JonBrew]

I've had enough problems carbonating very big beers to say that I'd be adding yeast to that. Carbonation is so important to the Belgian beer character too. Look at it as an insurance; sure there's every chance that you could get carbonation without adding more yeast but how gutting would it be if you didn't and it turned out flat as a pancake? 13% is above the 'cut off' for most strains (including Belgians). I'd even be tempted to go with a made for purpose bottling yeast.

 

[DavidDetroit]

I'd just do sugar. Is there a specific reason why you want to try yeast?

It's a 14% beer and I was concerned the six/seven weeks (instead of my usual three) might not leave enough yeast in suspension. I'm not sure since I've never waited so long to bottle.

 

[DavidDetroit]

How cold has it been

17°C- 21°C and I don't cold crash.

 

[DavidDetroit]

I've had enough problems carbonating very big beers to say that I'd be adding yeast to that. Carbonation is so important to the Belgian beer character too. Look at it as an insurance; sure there's every chance that you could get carbonation without adding more yeast but how gutting would it be if you didn't and it turned out flat as a pancake? 13% is above the 'cut off' for most strains (including Belgians). I'd even be tempted to go with a made for purpose bottling yeast.

Specifically, is creaming the dry yeast and adding it to the priming solution the way to go? I can consider bottling yeast as well.

 

[DavidDetroit]

kveik yeast

I'll check that out as well. I have decent faith in the MJ-41 but it's the length of time that I don't want to ignore. thanks.

 

[Zephyr259]

At that abv I'd be going with a botting yeast as most beer yeasts are going to struggle. I've been thinking this process over too as I'm going to be bottling a couple of long aged sours. I would add the yeast slurry to the beer once the transfer is going, adding it directly to the priming solution might shock it with the high concentration of sugar, but then you do a 1:2 sugar water mix so that's much more dilute than what I make, and may not be a problem.

 

[Banbeer]

17°C- 21°C and I don't cold crash.

I don't know this style of beer as I've not brewed it but at those temps surely yeast will still be in suspension.

 

[JonBrew]

Specifically, is creaming the dry yeast and adding it to the priming solution the way to go? I can consider bottling yeast as well.

I'd agree with @Zephyr259 on that one. When I've done it previously I've added the yeast cream separately.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I have heard of homebrewers adding kveik yeast when bottling due to kveik yeasts high attenuation although i personally haven't tried it.

???

Surely for controlled carbonation you want a yeast with low attenuation, something that only chomps simple sugars and not anything more complex?

And you want to keep finished beer away from high temperatures in general, there's plenty of yeast that are happy at lower temperatures than kveik.

I must admit in this situation I'd tend towards the specialist bottling yeasts, they won't chomp anything they're not meant to, and will flocculate like a rock.

Or a generic wine yeast - no problems with ABV tolerance, no danger of it eating maltotriose etc, and often a killer factor to discourage competition from other yeasts.