Restarting old yeast in stuck fermentation

[snipper_cr]

So I brewed a summer rye ale following this recipe
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/summer-ryepa-160096/
Although further down you can see I screwed up all the calculations and ended up with a OG of 1.081 instead of 1.050. I didnt expect to screw up so I didn't make a starter.

So I just left my beer for 6 weeks to do it's thing and finally decided to check on it. Tastes great but only problem is I got the stuck at 1.025. Is there any chance of restarting this? I know going from 1.081 down to the lower 1.01x is pretty tall order without a starter. Is there some yeast I can add to finish it up and drop it down those extra points?

Fermented at 62 degrees.

I know between terrible math and pitching without a starter (I always use starters!) were bad mistakes but I'd like to revive this one.

Thanks!

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Try warming it up. Rouse the yeast to get it back in suspension. If you have more of the same strain, make a starter and pitch it when you rack it.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Warming it up and giving the fermenter a few good rocks/swirls should be your first course of action.

If that doesn't work, try pitching some more of the same yeast or something generic like Nottingham.

 

[snipper_cr]

Thanks all! It's supposed to (finally) warm up a bit here in the midwest so I'll move the beer outta the basement and try to nudge it back into work.

If I pitch some notty's or other dry generic, would I follow normal re-hydrating procedures?

 

[snipper_cr]

Well warmed it up to 75 degrees, rocked it around a bit and waited. Still stuck at 1.022.

Pitched some nottys at 75 degrees and waited. Still stuck at 1.022

Is it possible that given a much higher OG (1.089 I think) that I am just at my lowest limit? Would there be a problem if I went ahead and bottled anyways?

Any other suggestions? It tastes great so I am wondering if I am just stuck on this gravity reading. I think my main fear is getting bottle bombs when I move the beer into the bottles and the yeast maybe starts up again.

 

[pr0cess]

Using http://www.rooftopbrew.net/abv_calculator.php the magic box tells me your ABV is 8.9%, you might need a higher alcohol tolerance yeast to get any more sugars out.

 

[snipper_cr]

Would you recommend Champagne yeast?

 

[Justibone]

Would you recommend Champagne yeast?

They would do it. I'm not sure how they would affect the taste.

(Champagne yeast can go to 18% or more, and certain ultra-ABV yeast can go past 20%!)

 

[snipper_cr]

I hope it shouldn't be a problem. I am not expecting it to go too much lower I just want to push it down those few extra points. Plus if I am looking to bottle it I'll need some active yeast left.

 

[defenestrate]

i would say you are pretty much done... with out making a starter and starting at that OG that is a pretty tall order for the yeast. have you tasted the beer? i brewed an IPA that stuck at 1025 before and it actually tasted pretty good. i dont think you are going to get much benefit from dropping the gravity anymore... something with that much alcohol is going to need some malty backbone. its certainly not a pale ale anymore... looks like you got a imperial RyePA!!

 

[snipper_cr]

I don't really care about the alcohol content. Like I said, I am really just worried about getting bottle bombs (from left over fermentables) or not getting any carbonation (yeast unable to ferment extra sugar).

It tastes great and want it to hurry up! I am just wondering if it could taste better or if I will have botteling problems.