Is my beer stuck?

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tabernak

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I started this Irish Red about 3 weeks ago:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=3358

The kit says SG should be 1.042-1.046 and FG 1.01 -1.012. It spent 1.5 weeks in the primary and 2 in the secondary, when I read the gravity 2 weeks ago when I racked it it was at 1.02 and 2 weeks later it's only down to ~1.018. Is it possible that this is done, or did I lose my yeast when I moved it? I noticed the airlock level still moved some the last couple weeks (I'd squeeze some air out and it expanded back later), so I'm not sure. My SG measurement was actually 1.048, slightly higher than the kit range, but I intentionally went low on the water.

Do you think this is ok and it can be bottled now? It didn't have any bad tastes when I checked the gravity... Do I need to add some more yeast to help it finish up? If so, could I just steal like 10%-20% of the yeast I plan on using for my next batch instead of waiting to get some new yeast bought?

Thanks in advance for any tips!
 
What temp has it been sitting at and what yeast strain is it. sounds to me like it isnt' quite done, but more info will help in determining what to do about it.
 
It's been sitting around 65 most of the time. It has spent part of its life at 70 or so (a few days), but not much and not in the last week. I just used the dry yeast that came with the kit, Munton's maybe? The packet is gone now, so I can't verify that for sure, the packing material just says "dry yeast".
 
I just brewed that kit, and it is indeed Munton's Dry Yeast. Mine was very agressive, and I had no airlock activity at all by day 3. After seven days, I took a hydro reading, and it was down to 1.011, so I racked it to a secondary. My temp was always around 70 degrees.
 
some yeasts need some coaxing to get them to finish. sanitize a long spoon and give that thin layer of yeast in the bottom of the secondary a swirl or two. Be careful to avoid splashing the beer. If possible get the temp up a couple degrees to help get them going. Munton's claims that it's yeast is very tolerant of temp changes during fermentation. However, they also mention that their standard yeast can have trouble completing fermentation and they recommend their "premium" yeast for all-grain brews. I know yours isn't all-grain, but perhaps that's a clue that this strain has a little trouble getting the job done. I've never used it, so maybe someone with direct experience can chime in.
 
Something else to consider is that unless you've had the beer sitting on the yeast cake for months and months, there will still be enough yeast in suspension to carb. Even when it's crystal clear there's still plenty floating around in the beer for carbonation.
 
Given that someone else just did the same kit and ended up at 1.011, I'd bring it up to 70F and wait two more weeks. The problem you are facing is a stuck ferment vs bottle bombs. Priming and bottling will re-start the fermentation. If the last 6-7 points also ferment out in the bottle, you've got 2-3 times the pressure you want. If you bottle without priming and the fermentation doesn't restart, you've got flat beer.

Two weeks at 70F without a gravity change would indicate the remaining sugars will not ferment.
 

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