Advice on finishing a big RIS

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Rottnme

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I have an RIS that has slowed to a near halt. I am not accustomed to big beers like this so I could use a little advice from those who are as to how to finish this bad boy out.

OG was 1.105, the yeast is 1056 and I pitched a slurry per the Mr.Malty calculator. Mash temp was 154F. Fermetation temp is being controlled, 65F for the first week then raised 1F per day to 68F where it has been since. I tested after 7 days in the primary and the SG was 1.036. Today after 17 days I am only down to 1.035. Beersmith anticipates FG at 1.024. I am still showing some activity in the airlock though it is very slow and I have quite a way to go to hit the anticipated FG.

Would it be a bad idea at this point to swirl and stir everything up to try to get things going a little faster again or would one advise to pitch a little more yeast? Being that I am quite a bit off of my anticipated FG I would like to know that I got out of it what I could. Could it be that the yeast is just getting tired as it approaches its tolerance? Currently I should be a bit over 9% while should be able to go to 10%.

I am leaning toward a swirl and leaving it sit for up to 28 days in the primary before racking and I'm planning on an 8 wk secondary. Would a swirl at this point be ill advised? Would a yeast addition into such an alcoholic environment not get me the intended results? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Oh, and this beer tastes AWESOME!!!! It's young but man its good!
 
I'd swirl a few times. If you don't drop below 1.030, don't sweat it. Thats about 71% attenuation, which is a pretty good number for a RIS.
 
I would swirl the yeast to get it into suspension and raise that temp up to 72-73. No fear for off flavors as the bulk of fermentation is over now.
 
I think that is about as low as you're gonna go with mashing done at 154*. Most of my big beers I mash at 149* max.
 
Is autolysis a concern if I swirl say once a day and let it go out to 28 days?

I'll be happy so long as it turns out as good as it tastes now, I just though I'd at least be abe to get it to within .005 or so.
 
thumbs up to the "raising the temp" a lot of breweries raise their temp after initial fermentation subsides. They tell me it can be crutial to achieving complete attenuation.
 
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