First stuck fermentation? (Yeah another stuck ferm question)

[stosh]

I've done some reading on my situation before I decided to post and wanted feedback on my thoughts. This is my first potential stuck fermentation. I've done some other high gravity beers with no problems.

I brewed a barleywine on 1/5/19 that should have a FG of 1.030 with a OG of 1.116. It's been in primary since then and has been at 1.050 since I measured with a hydrometer last weekend. It doesn't taste overly sweet.

• Recipe Type: BIAB

• Yeast: WLP 004

• Yeast Starter: Yes

• Batch Size: 4 Gallons

• OG: 1.116

• FG: 1.030

• Boiling Time: 2 Hours

7 lb Maris Otter
5 lb 2 Row Pale Malt
2 lb Munich 10L
1.10 Oz Carafoam
0.50 Lb C80

1 Oz Nugget @ 60min
2 Oz Tettnanger @ 5min

Mashed at 156 for one hour

The remedies I've found are swirl the carboy to rouse the yeast, raise the temperature, pitch more yeast, or it could be done.

Not so sure it's done since it's so much higher than the FG. I've found thru reading that if it was stuck that high it would likely taste very sweet since the sugars haven't been processed by the yeast. So maybe it's done? I don't want to risk bottle bombs and this had a pretty high OG so maybe it just needs another 3-6 months?

Not so sure about swirling the carboy only because of aeration. I don't know how much swirling would need to be done so I'm not sure how big an issue aeration would actually be. If I took this route would it have to be swirled enough to bring the whole cake back into suspension?

Raising the temperature? I used WLP 004 and stepped it up to make sure there was enough yeast. Also aerated it with O2 and a stone. 004 says to ferment between 65-68 F. My basement is constant at 68 so that's where it's been sitting.

Pitching more yeast? Assuming it's done if I pitch more yeast would it really hurt the beer? What yeast would I pitch? I've seen arguments for pitching a different strain and the same strain originally used. Information overload for me.

I'm leaning toward two options. 1)Let it sit another 2 months and check gravity again 2) If gravity hasn't changed then pitch more yeast

What do you folks think?

 

[RM-MN]

Raising the temperature? I used WLP 004 and stepped it up to make sure there was enough yeast. Also aerated it with O2 and a stone. 004 says to ferment between 65-68 F. My basement is constant at 68 so that's where it's been sitting.

Your basement might be a constant 68 but the beer temperature wasn't. At the peak of fermentation the yeast raised the beer temp to probably 72 to 75 degrees. They loved that and fermented a lot of the sugars as well as creating a lot of intermediate products. Then the easy to eat sugar ran out and the beer cooled. With that the yeast decided to take a nap instead of doing the hard work of cleaning up the last of the sugars and the intermediate compounds. I'd say your best bet would be to warm the beer up. It's already created all the off flavors it can and now needs some prodding to finish the job.

 

[RPh_Guy]

That yeast's alcohol tolerance is listed at 8-12% and the beer is currently 10% ABV.

You need to pitch an ale yeast with higher alcohol tolerance if you want more fermentation and/or natural carbonation.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

lol. death by alcohol poisoning. yeast murderer.

 

[yourlastchance89]

If you brew another beer with WLP004 you can try racking your current barleywine onto the yeast cake of that beer. You can also try adding enzymes to your current barleywine. I've never had a stuck fermentation, but from what I've heard, re-pitching rarely helps, I would think especially if you're pitching into a solution that already has alot of alcohol in it.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Once the ABV reaches the yeast's alcohol tolerance, no more fermentation will occur because the yeast are basically poisoned.

None of repitching the same yeast, adding enzyme, warming, nor swirling will help.

 

[Parrothead1]

Make a starter and pitch at hi krausen

 

[hottpeper13]

The beers I make that are north of 1.100 are mashed at 148* for 2 hours, I use a diastaticus yeast and they still finish at 1.016 - 1.020. Most are RIS's with more unfermentable sugar,but you get the idea. If you repitch you should think about using one of the POF- diastaticus yeasts or the new Norwegian yeasts as they are known for high gravity.