62% AA on Winter Warmer - Normal for recipe?

[Treebeard89]

So I did my second brew with a buddy three weeks ago and its definitely terminal but above the target FG. Last minute i realized one smack pack of Wyeast London Ale wasn't enough yeast so I did a 2 liter starter for 24 hours. Started at 1.082 and fermented very vigorously, definitely needed a blowoff hose for the first couple days (5.5 gallon starting volume in a 6.5 gallon carboy). Primary fermentation was around 67 degrees, I was worried about it being stuck after a week and a half so I gently tried to rouse the yeast and moved it next to a heat vent to bring it up to 69-70 degrees. The beer was down to 1.031 in two weeks when i racked to a secondary carboy to add some cinnamon sticks and ginger, five days later it is still at 1.031. Target FG was 1.020.The airlock is bubbling every 20-30 seconds which is more than it was at the end of Primary.

I'm worried about creating bottle bombs since the AA is like 62%. I guess my question is would the combination of LME, Honey, and Maple Syrup along with the steeping grains create enough unfermentables compared to an all grain brew to make this low attenuation normal? The beer tastes good if slightly sweet but that seems appropriate for the style. I used the recipe calculator.

Recipe:
Amount Fermentable Bill %

11 lb Briess Amber LME 81.5%
1 lb Honey 7.4%
0.25 lb Maple Syrup 1.9%
12.25 lb Total

Steeping Grains:
0.75 lb Belgian - Special B 5.6%
0.5 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 40L 3.7%

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

since you said you needed a blow off tube most likely you lost a bunch of yeast out the top? that can cause problems with attenuation, your mixture is fine and had a very high starting gravity so without the recipe or yeast I cant comment too much

 

[Treebeard89]

I didn't really lose a lot through the blowoff hose, it just filled with bubbling Krausen and turned the sani in my bucket light brown. It just would have overflowed an airlock to some degree. It was an 80 minute 4 gallon boil with water and the 2 Liter yeast starter making up the final volume. Yeast was Wyeast 1028 London Ale, 24 hour 2 liter starter made with light DME.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

for a English yeast, most of the time they need to be roused several times for a high gravity beer, I think I would have waited for at least 2 weeks for this beer and roused twice, keep it at room temp for another week and you might get a much lower ending gravity that yeast has roughly 70 to 75% attenuation and Flocculation: medium. Optimum temp: 60°-72° F so its not a high alcohol producer

 

[Treebeard89]

Well my friend is gone this week and he wanted to be here for bottling, so I guess i'll gently try and rouse the yeast again and give it another week. Can't hurt I suppose.

 

[jammin]

I'd add 1/2tsp of amylase enzyme. That should get you down to 1.015-1.020 in about a week to 1.5weeks

 

[EbonHawk]

How did you aerate your wort prior to fermentation? I've had some stuck fermentations before I started oxygenating with pure oxygen and a diffusion stone. I have stirred oxygen (air) into a stuck fermentation with a spoon too (just watch for degassing; not as bad for beer, but mead can get violent on ya). You always run the risk of screwing something up trying to aerate or oxygenate this late in the process though, but I have had to do it several times. Usually with good results, but I know I've been lucky.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

by the way thats already 8.14% alcohol so if you can stand the thickness thats not bad for that yeast, not sure your going to get much more

 

[Head First]

If your air lock is still bubbling, the yeast is still working. Yeast doesn't follow a schedule when you ask to much out of it. Leave the bubbler on the carboy and roust it back in, sit back and wait. Sometimes yeast just gets lazy and falls out before its done. You can't hurt the beer by rousting it with the bubbler on as the vessel is topped off with C02 from the working yeast, but if you open it and stir it you chance problems with oxygen and sanitation. Patience is absolutely necessary with bigger beers. At least 4 to 8 weeks for fermentation is a probability not a possibility with your situation. If it bubbles say once every 30 to 45 seconds it's still working.

By the way Wyeast lists this strain as tolerant to 11% ABV so it may not be done yet. Be patient.