Problems fermenting out a garbage brew

[Rottnme]

I brewed a garbage brew in the style of a cascadian IPA two weeks ago and I'm having problems getting it to ferment out. I developed a PM garbage recipe with 6-1/2# of various grains (about half of which I had sitting around) mashed at 154 for 60 min, and 6# dark DME in the boil that I had had sitting around for a couple of years. ...yes years, it's a long story.

My brew day went well and my OG ended up at 1.084, .004 higher than calculated. I pitched a single pack of Windsor yeast that I had had sitting for approx 6 months at 68F and hed the temp there. I knew this was a low pitch rate and I was hoping that I would get lucky and it would do the trick. After 3 days of very vigorous fermentation it stopped almost completely. At 7 days I took a gravity reading and got 1.042. Seeing little fermentation activity and observing a still high SG, I decided to pitch a fresh pack of Nottingham that I did hydrate and after 7 more days I have seen very little activity and just tested the SG @ 1.039.

I'm not trying to win any contests here but I would like to see it come down some and figured that I would at least get into the low 20's with the additional Notty.

Any thoughts on what might be going on here or what I could try? It is limping along slowly but at this rate it will be October by the time it finishes. Does DME go bad after that much time?

 

[birvine]

Interesting. I hadn't heard the term 'garbage brew' before.

I had a batch a few months back that was very slow to get to final gravity. I gave it more time and it came closer ever so slowly.

B

 

[JefeTheVol]

Possible that the "aged" DME wasnt as fermentable as fresh DME. You might be stuck and have to try the various methods of unsticking your fermentation. In chronological order:

1. Time
2. Shake and shiver - rouse the yeast
3. Repitch Yeast - probably not necessary
4. Add something like amylase enzyme to finish it off (last ditch effort and you are desperate) + Shake and Shiver

Its entirely possible that the aged DME sugars reacted with something (I dont know what) in the can and reduced your fermentables. This would, indeed, raise your density and not contribute to fermentation.

 

[Zamial]

Old extract = harder for yeast to ferment out. Mix this with "lord only knows" what kind of grains and you have a recipe for a high FG.

IMO you have 2 choices:

1. Pitch a high grav yeast, champagne yeast or some other really agressive yeast

2. Get a bottle of Amylase Enzyme (NOT BEANO!!!) from you LHBS and add it to the beer. AE will only break down sugar chains so far and Beano never stops.

Personally since you have already added in new yeast I just stop screwing around and hit with the AE. I have had decent luck with AE but YMMV.