Fermenting advice

I am brewing an Irish Stout from a Midwest extact kit. I am using dry yeast without a starter. i didn't take a reading when I started but it was suppose to be around 1.042-1.046. The temp is 69-71. Started fermenting within a day and went good for a couple days. Then it just stopped. I have been taking Hydro readings and it hasn't changed for 5 days and is only at 1.028. This brew is suppose to finish at 1.010-1.012. What advise does everyone have for me?

hydro was calibrated in distilled water

Search around the site for "stuck fermentation".

conventional wisdom is warm it up a little, rouse the yeast by swirling the fermenter. If that does not work, you may have luck pitching another packet of yeast because its not really a high alc environment yet.

What kind did you originally pitch?

And if that does not work, brew another beer to completion, rack the beer off and rack the stuck one onto the cake.

+1 on agitating and warming it up slightly; not too much of a higher temp (depending on the yeast it could add off flavor). I was able to get mine going again after a little agitation and a day of waiting.

When you swirl, though, be gentle. You want to rouse any yeast that flocculated too early, but you don't want to aerate your beer.

I wouldn't raise the temperature- 71 is plenty high enough. See if the rousing helps- if not, pitch a fresh package of yeast. What kind did you use initially? If you used a Munton's strain, or Windsor, they are noted to be less attenuative (but the last time I used Windsor, it went to town- go figure!) and you could pitch something like Nottingham this time, which will probably get it finished up.