Priming after incomplete fermentation

[Gtrman13]

Well, a few weeks ago I brewed up a partial mash strong scottish ale. Emphasis on strong. By way of some miscalculations, I added way too much DME. Anyway, even after making a good healthy starter with Wyeast 1728, my yeasties eventually drowned and left me with an FG of 1.060. Yeah, I know, that's an OG for a normal beer. Anyway, I figured I'd just deal with it, but now I think I may be looking at a problem. Tell me if i'm wrong, but I assume that when I bottle, the yeast will be dead and my bottles won't carbonate. Anyone have any ideas to save this one? I'd rather not keg it. I snuck a taste when I moved it to secondary and it's pretty delicious. I can't imagine the yumminess after a year or so in the bottle.

 

[Brewham]

What was your starting gravity? How long has it been in primary? You can't assume the yeast are dead.

I would be afraid to bottle it as you will end up with some serious bottle bombs.

 

[dcp27]

make a starter with WLP099 and pitch it in during active fermentation, it'll get you down. supposedly is good up to 25%, so I don't think you'll have to worry about carbing it after.

 

[UserBanned]

Yup, pitch another starter. My Milk Stout has been stuck at 1.036 for 2 weeks. Just mixed up a starter a day and a half ago, and just pitched it today. Hoping it'll come down, but by all accounts, everyone I asked said that should do the trick. What you might want to do is, once the fermentation starts going in the starter, add about a cup of your beer to it, and let it sit another 6 hours to let the yeast acclimate to the new environment which already has alcohol in it. This way it won't shock the new yeast and kill them right away.

 

[Gtrman13]

Thanks for the replies folks. I went to my LHBS today and ran some ideas past the guys there. I ended up getting two packets of champagne yeast. I hydrated and pitched one earlier this afternoon, and I'll pitch the other at bottling time. This better work!

 

[dcp27]

are you just trying to be able to carb it, or get the fermentation going again? if #1, it'll work. if #2, it won't. champagne yeast will only really eat simple sugars and chances are its most just the more complex ones left.

how much DME did you end up adding btw?

 

[Gtrman13]

I was hoping to restart fermentation, but I guess that's not going to happen now. Oh well, I think it'll still do just fine. As far as the amount of dme... it's, um... 9 pounds. I dunno if that miscalculation deserves a or a :rockin:

So would it be wise to add even more yeast (maybe the 099) to restart fermentation? Or would this be unwise at this point? Sorry for all of this stupidity. These giant beers are somewhat uncharted territory for me.

 

[dcp27]

WLP099 would work, but your best bet would be to add a starter of it thats actively fermenting.

whats the size of this batch, cuz 9lbs of DME only puts you at 1.08 in a 5 gal batch

 

[Super64]

Was the 9 pounds of DME the only frementables in the recipe?

My QBrew says 9 pounds of DME at 5 gallons is about 1.079 OG. If that is correct, and you're at 1.060 now, that about 2.5% ABV.

I'm brewing an IIPA that started life at 1.078.

I'm using WLP001 in a started for a ABV% of 7.5 and also it's alcohol resistance.

My guess is either that or WLP099 will get you going again, provided there are no other factors we don't know about.

BTW, regards from Pepperell.

 

[Gtrman13]

No, there were about 11 lbs of grain that I mashed as well...

 

[Super64]

If my numbers are correct you're near 1.137 for an O.G.

Currently at 1.060 means an apparent attenuation of 56%, ABV is 9.9%

According to Wyeast, Number 1728 attenuates to 69-73% with an alcohol tolerance up to 12%

If your F.G gets to 1.044, your at 12%, but your attenuation is at 68%.

How long have you been at 1.060?