Super slow stink mead - should I re-pitch?

I am fermenting a mead right now, started on 3/5/13. It was supposed to be a "3 week mead" recipe I got from LHBS and modified a little bit.
15Lbs clover honey
2lbs buckwheat honey
3 tsp tannin
1 tsp fermax
1 packet EC-1118

OG: 1.140
3 weeks later (3/27), gravity should have been down to < 1.010 but it was at 1.074.

Today (4/9) a week and a half later and it's only come down to 1.064.

It smells a little funny too, a faint smell like a horse stall full horse crap. Not very strong, but not very good either. I am wondering if that's just the buckwheat (it smelled pretty strong when I opened it up) or if there's some bad yeast mojo going on.

Should I re-pitch or what?

Stir frequently, and add some yeast nutrient today. After about another week, you can add some more nutrient.

An OG of 1.140 is very high, and it's doubtful that you'd ever get to 1.010- but you should get to 1.025ish if the fermentation gets going well.

Ok, done I will stir frequently and report back later with results. Thank you for the advice.

Do you think that the smell is related to a yeast issue? Do you think it indicates a problem?

strantor said:

Ok, done I will stir frequently and report back later with results. Thank you for the advice.

Do you think that the smell is related to a yeast issue? Do you think it indicates a problem?

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Yes, I think it's stressed yeast. Adding nutrients during fermentation really is important with mead, especially a higher OG mead, since honey has very little nutrients. Often, the nutrients are staggered and added at various times during fermentation. Degassing helps, too!

I've only made a handful of meads at this point, but staggered nutrient additions seem to make a HUGE difference in getting it to ferment out fairly quickly.

However, don' t lose hope. I think the name you've chosen for your mead, Super Slow Stink Mead, is spectacular!!

Well after following your advice, I went to stir it again today and I no longer detect any barnyard odor from it. Is my mind playing tricks on me, or can the smell actually go away? I figured that adding the yeast nutrient and stirring would only prevent it from getting any worse.