Slow Ferm/Gusher Bug in Secondary

[tennesseean_87]

I brewed something like the Gunstock old ale at the beginning of the summer. After fermentation, I transferred to secondary for aging on a tiny bit of sugar to give a little CO2 blanket. It has since dropped 6 points form 1016 to 1010. I added some bourbon soaked oak chips 2 weeks ago and I'm about ready to bottle, but I think there's a little wild yeast/gusher bug in there that has brought it down this low, one I don't want around for bottle aging.

My options:
1. bottle with some wine yeast to ensure fast carbonation, then stove-top pasteurize to stabilize for long-term aging.
2. Use Chemicals (campden? Kmeta?) to stop fermentation/kill wild yeast, then bottle with new yeast.

Which option will be best, and if 2, which chemical should I use?

 

[tennesseean_87]

Bump. ANy ideas?

 

[ceannt]

What makes you think it has a bug? Is there a film on the surface? Nasty white bubbles? If not you are probably OK ... and the yeast is just still at it with that sugar you added

 

[tennesseean_87]

I'm pretty sure it's not the yeast, since I used S-04, which usually finishes much higher, and it is already down to 1.010--Belgian range. I used maybe an ounce of sugar (probably less) about a month ago, and it's eaten more than that sugar. I've had issues before with gushers developing in older bottles, so I suspect it's a similar bug--maybe wild yeast that is more attenuative or something. I want to bottle it soon (get it off the oak chips), and I don't want to risk such a long-term batch to gushers. If I measure it tonight, and it's still at 1.01, then I won't worry, but I suspect in the last two weeks it will have dropped a point or two. I'll bottle with malto-dextrine to make up some of the difference in what should be a malty beer.

 

[ceannt]

What did you mash at?
S-04 can be a real beast with big beers sometimes .... and attenuate more than you would expect ... takes a while ... but it will keep chugging for several weeks

 

[ceannt]

I never figure shorter than 6 or 7 weeks in primary before I even bother to check the gravity with bigger beers with S-04.
And I mash a couple of degrees higher than I normally would .... it has taken an O. G. of 1.081 down to 1.008... and that was mashed at 155... gently rouse the yeast every other day and be patient with it

 

[tennesseean_87]

Thanks for the replies.

I mashed at 155 and brewed in mid June, and it's been going slowly since. My experience with S04 was that it finished much higher than usual, but this was my first big beer with it. It's also my first kettle reduction, so maybe the wort was more fermentable than I thought.

I guess I'll bottle with maltodextrine and wine yeast to make sure it carbs up quickly. If I detect increasing carbonation, I'll still be able to pasteurize.