Need advice on carbing from someone more experienced

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plumbob

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I've got a big RIS in the primary right now.
I'd aticipated 1.105 OG and 1.030 FG...

But this is where it stand now:

1.111 OG
1.025 after 8 days (and it tastes like hot gasoline, that doesn't worry me)

That makes it right at 11% ABV now, racked the wort right onto a cake of Wyeast 1084 which theoretically can handle 12% according to Wyeast.

I'm going to let it go in the primary as long as I can, god forbid it attenuates anymore though. I don't think it will, its clearing nicely and there is no activity in the blowoff.

So! Will this carb without extra help? Should I add a wine yeast at bottling? Am I better off resigning to drinking this still?
 
Do another hydrometer test in a couple days. If the numbers match,bottle it. bottle priming only adds about .5%ABV anyway,so it should be ok. But it's going to need some conciderable aging time.
 
if you're planning on bottling it within the month you probably won't have an issue carbing. if you're worried about it at 1/2 packet of re-hydrated US05 to the bottling bucket.

i made a RIS similar to yours, I primary'd for a month then secondary'd for about 8 months. i added some yeast at bottling and it carbed. it's over a year old now and it could still use some more time.
 
Looking at the numbers,it's likely at FG now,between actual & projected. so if 3 days from now it matches,you should have plenty of yeasties to carb it with. But as motobrewer said,& I mentioned,this isn't going to be a quick turn around. RIS's,& other big beers take a while to carb up,let alone condition. And at least 2 weeks fridge time for decent head & carbonation,ime.
 
Get a cheap packet of champagne yeast and add half a pack at bottling.

The beer may have stopped at 1.025 because you reached the limit of the yeast you have. It is small insurance. Maybe it is labeled at 12%, but you abused it by putting it into the high sugar environment. PacMan is supposed to be good to 12%, but my experience is that it has a hard time going over 11%.

Champagne yeast only ferments simple sugars, so will only ferment the priming sugar and not bring the beer down further.
 
Will bottling within the month harm aging? I don't intend to drink it for a good long while, but if it will age just fine in the bottles that is much preferable to having it holding up a fermenter for six months.
 
It'll age fine in bottles, but if you can afford the secondary space, bulk aging is the way to go with bigger beers. Personally, I'd add a bit of high alcohol tolerant yeast at bottling, but I'd also bulk age a big RIS like that for a few months before bottling.
 
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