Barley wine - stuck fermentation or just lots of residuals?

[CJBrew]

Hi, back in November last year I did a big partigyle mash, with the following grain bill:

6.5kg Pale
3.5kg Wheat
0.25kg Torrified wheat
0.2kg Special B
0.15kg Chocolate malt
Mash with 27l water, at 68'C for 90m.
7.7l decocted and boiled for 15 minutes, then returned to mash, to raise to ~76'C (mash out)

Took the first 12.5l to make barley wine. (Plus two batch sparges for the beer og 1051, 25l).

So for a final 10l of barley wine:
Boil 60mins with 25g of Green Bullet 13%
10m with 28g of Cascade + 1/2tsp Irish Moss
50g of Green bullet at flame out.

I used S-33, just rehydrated (no starter -- maybe a problem).

O.G. was 1100, I racked after one week and S.G was 1055. OG is still around 1050.

The big question I suppose is whether to pitch some champagne yeast to finish it off. Thoughts anyone?

cheers
Chris

[gnorwebthgimi]

If you started it in November and s33 did this to 6.5% ABV and it hasn't budged much since, I'd say the yeast has done all it's going to do.

I've made Mead in the past with an FSG of 1.020, which was sweet but ok, still maturing two years on at 18%+ ABV.

1.050 would put a dessert wine to shame, it would probably be undrinkable. But adding new yeast is risky as this will alter the flavour profile.

I'd be tempted to spilt the batches and hedge my bets, put a high alcohol yeast into one and leave the other to mature.

Have you sampled, does the wine taste sweet?

[CJBrew]

I've sampled -- it tastes quite rich and malty-sweet but I had loads of high alpha hops in there and roasted malts, so I think the sweetness is balanced out somewhat. I think it's got to be worth the risk the alter the flavour, in order to have a properly finished wine.

Is Champagne yeast the best option or would it be worth considering other wine yeasts? Or maybe T58...