Under-Attenuated, Stuck fermentation?

[technobabble66]

Howdy,
I have a problem with my latest batch.
It's meant to have fermented down to 1.015, but is currently sitting on 1.018-1.020 after 5 weeks

It's an Old Ale of ~6.5%alc, i started fermenting it a few days before i went away on holiday, and by the time i left for the airport it had largely fermented out. So it's basically 5 weeks later now, and it's sitting ~3-5 points above where it should be. I've done several hydrometer tests in the last week i've been back - they all reading exactly the same. This is also after i'd left them sit for 15mins to 3hrs. So i pulled a hydro sample a few days ago, it had a little yeast come out with it & i even poured a little extra bakers yeast into it. Sat it in a warm water bath & did a forced fermentation test on it. It still reads exactly the same as the others 3 days later.
The yeast was a rinsed Notto, so i thought it'd be fine to attenuate properly.
A taste test of the sample is that it doesn't taste sweet necessarily, but i don't know if it could be a bit drier - who knows? It's a bit harder to tell in a dark, old ale than a lager! It might be fine as is.

Is this under-attenuated? Will i have bottle bombs if i bottle this now? If so, what the hell do i do with this?
If the yeast is kaput, will it carbonated in the bottles?

Help is greatly appreciated - i need to bottle this sucker asap so i can brew the next one!

The recipe was:
TOP Clone
OG = 1.061
FG = 1.015
IBU = 30.7 (33.7 if adjusted for whirlpool)
EBC = 48.8
alc = 6.4%

5.46kg Simpsons MO
0.45kg Simpsons Choc
0.225kg Simpsons Crystal mix (50/125/50 Pale/Med/Dark)
0.1kg Wey Acidulated

2g CaSo4 & 3.5g CaCl into Mash & boil each, plus 0.8g CaSO4 & 1.3g CaCl into sparge
BIAB Mash with 24L, Sparge with 11L
Mash at: 55/67/72/78 for 5/65/10/5
Boil for 90min

25g Northern Brewer @ 60min
14g Fuggles @ 60min
14g EKG @ 10min
1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient & 1/2 Whirlfloc tablet @ 10mins

Whirlpooled for 30mins, then through plate chiller to 24°C

Pitched rinsed Nottingham yeast slurry.
Fermenting at 16°C (aiming for ~17-18°C)

 

[JaseH]

Seams like you've done everything you can to confirm - I'd call it done! Whack that sucker in a bottle :drinks:

 

[technobabble66]

Thanks!
1.020 seems a little high though

 

[technobabble66]

Also, should I be concerned whether the yeast will b able to carb it once bottled?

 

[JaseH]

It is a little high, but usually a fast ferment test will tell you if it has any more left in it? Did you aerate the sample well, shake it regularly? Can you verify your hydrometer is reading correctly? I assume your taking the hydrometer sample readings at a reasonable temperature?

Under 1.020 is a little high but not out of the ball park with some darker malts and a high mash temp.

 

[nacnud]

I bad a brown ale a few weeks back that was meant to go down to 1.015 but stopped at 1.022. After adding more yeast, swirling gently, warming up to 20 degrees and leaving for 2 weeks it still hadn't changed so I took the advice of several brewers on here and bottled it. It came out great. Carbonation was spot on and it doesn't taste much sweeter than I had expected. I bottled a few in PET bottles just so I could give them a squeeze every few days.

I'd say bottle them in PET if you have it and just keep an eye on the carbonation.

 

[Kiwifirst]

I had the same issue with a ESB, I have since discovered that my hydrometer is 1.003 out. So my stuck at 20 is really 17.

My SG was higher than expected but I didn't think much to that.

 

[jaypes]

Your yeast will be fine and there will be plenty in suspension to carbonate in the bottle.

Did you hit your OG?

Looks like a noice recipe, very similar to my Brown Hornet Porter