A couple of things here:
1.) As a general rule, temp control is really only CRITICAL in the first 3-5 days after pitching. After that, with most yeasts (Chico/Cal Ale/most English yeasts/german ale yeasts), you can let them run wild (up to around 70-74* for most yeasts). I learned this by trying to brew every week and only having one fermentation fridge. After 3-5 days, take the fermenter out of the fridge, and let it run at 70* (assuming somewhere in your house is around that temp).
2.) Is your hydrometer calibrated? You are correct, that gravity is VERY high, the beer has only attenuated by 35% ((1.056-1.036)/.056)…typically, you want between 70 and 90%).
3.) As a general practice, do not rack the beer off the yeast at all until your desired FG is reached. Whether you believe in the benefit of a secondary or not (I for the record, do not), minimal, if any attenuation will happen after you rack as you are leaving the yeast behind.
If this is actually the gravity of this beer, you really only have one option in my mind, which is krausening the beer. Basically, take about 100 grams of DME, boiled in 1 liter of water, chill to 65* and pitch some yeast as normal. Once it starts going, dump the whole thing into your CS. This is not ideal flavor-wise, but you have a clear stalled fermentation here, and if you don’t do this, you will wind up with (1) a sweet beer, (2) bottle bombs (if you bottle…EXTREMELY dangerous to persons and pets), or most likely (3) both.
I know this is contrary to what you are probably hearing, but after the first 3-5 days, don’t worry about switching out your bottles in your swamp cooler. In fact, I would probably move the whole thing (fermenter and water bath) to an area of the house in the high 60’s/low 70’s. Again, the ‘bad’ flavors are generally only made if you let temp swing early on. If the temperature of the fermentation gradually increases (particularly as it is finishing), 9 times out of 10, you will make great beer. I am guessing the frozen bottles probably dropped the temp of the ferment too early on and the yeast dropped out. :cheers:
And for the love of God, whatever you do, do not blame your wife :mrgreen: