Seriously Frustrated (Stuck Fermentation)

[wyzazz]

Your advice is to dump it? There is no infection, it tastes pretty good for being this high gravity (still chimes in at around 7%) but could use more balance in the IBU department which I can change with isoHop. Dumping it is not an option, and unless there is an infection, it is never an option if you ask me.

I wouldn't dump it either.

 

[bknifefight]

Ok, so I read up on the enzymes and it turns out that they do break down during a boil. I will add some more and see what that gives me tonight when I get home.

 

[Zamial]

Ok, so I read up on the enzymes and it turns out that they do break down during a boil. I will add some more and see what that gives me tonight when I get home.

Great plan.

I JUST got my BW to drop by using AE. I got alot of airlock activity that started very, very slowly and built up to a steady gas exchange before it died off over the last few weeks. My story is here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/stuck-barleywine-looking-input-200495/

I put 1 TSP sprinkled on the top of the wort dissolved in nothing, never heated. Powder from jar right into wort, I did not even mix it in. I got .014 points from it but it tastes WAY better. I am now checking SG daily 24 hours apart to be sure it is done.

The thing that concerns me is the extract and no OG. I have heard stories of old extract doing odd things like this. A common extract issue on normal grav beers is stopping at 1.020 like a horror story. If we compound THIS same issue buy using more extract in a massive beer I can see how you MIGHT be able to double or triple that number at the same time, doing the same to the OG...so 1.060 becomes more believable as a finishing gravity. especially if your estimated grav was huge.

I used rooftop ABV% calc and got: about 8.3%-8.5% depending on temps of the reading. In reality you really only need a few more points...to get to the 10% range which you should be (and I am) happy to be in!

All that being said. I would give the AE another go, see what happens... GL!

 

[bknifefight]

Ok, I added the amalyse and thoroughly roused the yeast back into suspension. No krausen rose from the beer and the airlock did not start bubbling again. I will give it a week and test the SG but it seems to have not made a difference, at least when it comes to visible signs of fermentation. I will be bottling my stout on Sunday and will rack this beer onto a nice hearty cake of WLP001 to see if that makes a difference, if the amalyse didn't touch it.

 

[kanzimonson]

For the next year just keep racking and racking onto every yeast cake until the carboy is full of yeast.

Or better yet, how about throwing some brett or other bugs in there? Take this thing to the ultimate experimental level.

I'm sorry I'm so defeatist about this but it seems like you've tried every trick in the book. If multiple yeast cakes, enzymes, yeast rousing, and temp adjustments can't get it to ferment out, then there's not much else you can do. Did you see recently how Dogfish decided to dump a batch of 120 IPA because they couldn't get it to attenuate? Just drink it. All 420 calories of it.

 

[bknifefight]

For the next year just keep racking and racking onto every yeast cake until the carboy is full of yeast.

Or better yet, how about throwing some brett or other bugs in there? Take this thing to the ultimate experimental level.

I'm sorry I'm so defeatist about this but it seems like you've tried every trick in the book. If multiple yeast cakes, enzymes, yeast rousing, and temp adjustments can't get it to ferment out, then there's not much else you can do. Did you see recently how Dogfish decided to dump a batch of 120 IPA because they couldn't get it to attenuate? Just drink it. All 420 calories of it.

Just so you know, your defeatist attitude is not helpful at all.

 

[Revvy]

If it is finished, then it is finished....age it out and enjoy it down the line. Many Barelywines are sweet anyway. Stick some oak in it if you want, or leave it alone. Come back to it in a year, take some of it and freeze concentrate it and bottle that, then bottle the rest and enjoy for what it is.

It will be awesome, it's a barleywine after all. You can't really make a bad barelywine, as long as you get through the hurdles of fermentation you will be golden.

My 5 year barleywine looks like it may be finished at 1.040, despite the second yeasting of cali ale AND the racking to a secondary with a pound of candi syrup and trapist high gravity ale yeast.

Am I worried about it? NO. Am I going to mess with it by adding amalyze to it? NO. I just racked it to a glass tertiary, stuck a T-shirt on it, and put it next tho the furnace in a dark corner of my GF's basement. The warmth may get it to drop or it might not.

I tasted it yesterday after racking, and despite it being very alcoholly (at 12.5% abv) it is very tasty. In 6-12 months I will dry hop it and bottle it, and forget about it for 4 more years....and it's going to be one of the best beers I ever brewed. At least the biggest and mellowist.

Sounds like you've done enough. If it tastes fine, even sweet, then walk away for awhile and let it mellow and age, show it some respect, and you will be richly rewarded.

 

[kanzimonson]

Just so you know, your defeatist attitude is not helpful at all.

I apologize. I hope you can get it where you want it.

 

[bknifefight]

An update for anyone who is interested:
I transferred onto the yeast cake (WLP001) from my Stout 2 1/2 weeks ago. I added 1/2 cup of corn sugar while racking. It seemed to start fermenting WHILE I was racking! Since then it has been churning and bubbling in the fermenter. I checked the gravity and it is now at 1.048, so it is dropping, very slowly. Whenever I tilt the carboy, I will see bubbles rise in the beer and start a small "krausen" on the top of the beer. It doesn't ever stick though and I assume that is from Fermcap I used in the beer. Either way, it is fermenting still and I plan on letting it go for quite some time to see what will happen.

 

[wyzazz]

Great news!

 

[bknifefight]

Now I just need it to drop another 18-20 points and it'll be where it should be. I'm not sure if that's realistic or not, but I can dream...

 

[bknifefight]

1.040 today. Go yeast go!

 

[wyzazz]

It's a Festivus Miracle!

 

[starrfish]

GO Festivus! But I'm NOT wrestling anyone! Esp not a yeasty! that would be slimy!

 

[bknifefight]

Today's reading is 1.030, may be a little higher. I knew you could do it WLP001!