Fermentation stopped @ 1.061

[Bloodspawn]

Brewed a Porter and measured the malt extract wrong. I wound up with a starting grav of 1.123 on the hydro. I did not have a big enough fermentation vessel to increase the volume so I just went for it. I used us-05 which has bottomed out at 1.061 on the hydro. My question is what can I do to get this down closer to 1.015? It tastes great but very sweet of course.

 

[cmbrougham]

Champagne yeast cures all (or most) under-attenuation ills.

 

[Bloodspawn]

Would you recommend just adding to the fermenter?

 

[Maine Homebrewer]

Your brew is close to ten percent alcohol and the yeast can't take it. This means that you won't get any bubbles in the bottles. Since this wasn't your target gravity, it's probably way out of balance.  I'd suggest you try a sample. There's a very good chance that it doesn't taste very good. While it's a shame to dump a batch, spending more time and money on it before tossing it is even worse.

 

[cmbrougham]

Yeah, just get a couple packets of champagne yeast (it's pretty cheap) and chuck it in. You can proof it in some warm water if you like. Let it do its thing--it's going to take awhile. Then, when it's finally done, bottle it and let it sit for a l-o-n-g time.

I don't think there is any need to dump it; the yeast is cheap, and will probably get it down to something a little less like motor oil. At this point, it's just a waiting game. You don't have much to lose now.

 

[Scott Ickes]

I've had trouble getting champagne yeast to work.  It's not adapted to barley sugars.  It works great on fruit sugars.  I'd use WLP099.  It's a true beer yeast and will chew through everything up to 25% (reportedly).

 

[Bloodspawn]

I didn't have any champagne yeast but did have some casking and bottling yeast. I used that and so fast so good, fermentation has stayed again, I'm fact we ate approaching the correct og. Should be able to bottle soon. Tasted a sample and was trading pretty good.

 

[Maine Homebrewer]

Tasted a sample and was trading pretty good.

Good for you!  I just dumped a batch, first batch I've dumped in years, because an adjustment in the grain mill resulted in my totally overshooting the target gravity.  Mine was undrinkable.  That's probably why I was pessimistic.  Glad I was wrong.