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Godfather50

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Arisaig, Scotland.
Hi all, I'm seeking advice from the brewers of big beers. This is my first and has a target ABV of 9.3%. Starting SG was 1.091. I'm using Wyeast Rngwood Ale yeast which states a tolerance of 10% ABV. I kicked off by pitching 350ml of yeast slurry and tried to shake as much air into the 23l batch as poss.

After three weeks at 23c the SG has gone to 1.032. My brew app tells me that the yeast should bring it down to 1.027 when fully fermented out. After three weeks, it has been at the current SG for over a week and rousing the sediment has not reduced it any further. So I think it's stuck at about 8.5% ABV. These are my thoughts:

A) Leave it alone and progress to secondary. It will be a bit sweeter and not quite so strong as I'd hoped - but will this matter?

B) Make up a one litre starter with enough spraymalt to have an SG of 1.091, using about 200ml of fresh slurry, shake the hell out of it, wait for high krausen and pitch it in. If this option, do I rack it off the old sediment or leave that in?

So, advice pleaded. .... A or B or if I'm way off beam may be offer C?

Thanks in advance.......
 
I'm not a brewer of big beers but have read a little about the ringwood strain. From what I've read it needs kid gloves and plenty of rousing at regular intervals (may be even as often every couple of days iirc). I know you said you've roused it already but it might pay you to do a bit of research/googling into this particular strain
 
Thanks for this MyQui. Been googling as you suggested. Most comment on dicetyl and also suggest a rouse. I've used the Ringwood strain on about four batches now and they've all been good as gold. But now it's up against a harsh high ABV environment. I think it needs a kick up the backside somehow - but I'm in new territory, so a bit hesitant. I did give it a good shake up ... But nothing came of it, so I don't think that is the answer here. But should I just leave it?
 
Well looking at the figures your target is an AA% of 70% it's at 64% now. The your target % isn't very high anyway so at 64% It might be worth leaving it. Does it taste too sweet?
 
I don't know. I've tasted it and it tastes sweet alright. But I don't think I've ever drunk a Barleywine - commercial or homebrew. It taste good, but this beer has to lay down for the next year! So I expect it's high IBU to settle into the background and it may taste very different. I am tempted to just to leave it, but worry that I'm being lazy. Also I don't want any bottles exploding when it is bottle conditioned in six months!
 
I've got a brew on with roughly the same readings. Mine had gone from 1.096 to 1.042 in 2 weeks but I gave it a slow stir on Wednesday and today it was down to 1.032 so maybe a stir will take it to the finish line.
 
Mj's belgian ale chews up to 14% and i've had 9.3% from it as it went from 1075 to 1004.

most of the fermenting has been done with your barleywine so perhaps a more robust re-hydrated yeast will finsh off the job.
 
Mine's just got down to 1020 from 1096 after 3 weeks. I just used a standard S05 yeast and it seems to have munched its way through it quite nicely. Maybe try some of this? I took a reading today and a quick taste revealed that it is definitely going to take a LONG time to condition. It's rocket fuel. Good luck. Hope you get it going again.
 
Mj's belgian ale chews up to 14% and i've had 9.3% from it as it went from 1075 to 1004.

most of the fermenting has been done with your barleywine so perhaps a more robust re-hydrated yeast will finsh off the job.

Wow that's some yeast! I'm gonna try my option B with some fresh Ringwood Ale yeast and hold your suggestion in reserve as my fallback. Thanks.
 
Just a little update. Option B failed. The fresh yeast started managed to ferment itself but didn't reduce the SG of the brew. Have now put to rest in a lengthy secondary. Will face an issue in six months. How to bottle carb it? It's got loads of sugar in there, so I don't want to add any more. Would a high ABV tolerant yeast carb the bottles - or blow them up! Think I've got myself a quandary.
 
Just a little update. Option B failed. The fresh yeast started managed to ferment itself but didn't reduce the SG of the brew. Have now put to rest in a lengthy secondary. Will face an issue in six months. How to bottle carb it? It's got loads of sugar in there, so I don't want to add any more. Would a high ABV tolerant yeast carb the bottles - or blow them up! Think I've got myself a quandary.

You're not that far away from your target. If you aerated your wort well you don't have that far to go. A wine yeast would have a better chance at finishing the job. you could try a re-hydrated MJ belgian ale yeast.

re: bottles : do a plastic bottle as a carb tester to be on the safe side.
 

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