Strong Scotch Ale fermentation help!

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bbrim

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I brewed a Strong Scotch ale 4 weeks ago, I pitched Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast that had been washed from an 80 schilling. I had 100 ml of slurry that I pitched, it was very healthy it had quit fermenting about three days earlier and been washed the day before pitching. My Strong Scotch Ale came out to 3 gallons at 1.087 and I shook vigorously for about 2 minutes to ensure there was oxygen in the wort. My mash was at 148, I fermented at 60 degrees, and the yeast has an average attenuation of 71% (I know this figure isn't perfect). Tonight I transferred the beer to secondary and the gravity is at 1.029, that is 64.8% apparent attenuation. My fermentation may have been a little cool for a beer of the gravity or I may not have gotten enough oxygen into the wort, maybe something else went wrong. Anyhow, I'm sure this needs to ferment more and I am considering pitching champagne yeast. My question is will champagne yeast take hold in a beer of this alcoholic strength or is it too late to pitch another yeast. Another option is that I have WLP001 American Ale yeast that I could make a started of and add at high krausen. Will champagne yeast work at this point, should I make a starter with champagne yeast, or should I use american ale yeast?
On another note, the beer is super smooth, you can sense an alcoholic presence but it is not hot or abrasive at all. Fermenting a big beer on the cool side is definitely worth the trouble. Thanks for the help.
 
It sounds like you pulled it off the primary too soon. I would stick to a neutral ale yeast that can go to the gravity you desire. Champagne yeast may very well work but I would personally stick with beer yeast.

In the future when the beer appears to have stopped, then warm it up and give it a few more days to attenuate.
 
Yeah I'd sat the same thing, Don't be so quick to rush your beers, especially big ones. Bigger means more time.

Lazy Llama came up with a handy dandy chart to determine how long something takes in brewing, whether it's fermentation, carbonation, bottle conditioning....

chart.jpg
 
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