Fermentation Stuck?

I am using Wyeast Irish Ale and I inadvertently pitched it when the temp was still in the 80s (F). I threw it into the fridge to let it cool for the day and I came back to it when it was 60F. I took it out and it took 3 days to see any airlock activity and held at 72F. Then for the next 3 days it went crazy. It stopped and I figured it was done after a week in Primary. When I opened the plastic fermenter there was a spongy layer of yeast covering the entire top of the wort/beer. I took a gravity reading and it was still at 1.030! The FG should be 1.008-1.014! Did I shock the yeast? I understand ale yeast is top fermenting but I have never seen it create a solid mass on top of the fermenter before. What should I do?

Ok. I realized that maybe I am over thinking again... Here's what I plan on doing. Allowing the beer to ferment for another few days checking the Gravity every other day. If the gravity stays at a static 1.030 then I will search for ways to jump start the yeast back to life. If not I will wait until I hit my mark then cold crash it and rack to secondary. I have a feeling that I'm getting impatient. I will post my results to help any novice brewers like myself.

BenJSpain said:

Ok. I realized that maybe I am over thinking again... Here's what I plan on doing. Allowing the beer to ferment for another few days checking the Gravity every other day. If the gravity stays at a static 1.030 then I will search for ways to jump start the yeast back to life. If not I will wait until I hit my mark then cold crash it and rack to secondary. I have a feeling that I'm getting impatient.

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Follow your instincts here, you ARE getting impatient. No need to check gravity every other day either, wait another week, even two.

+1
Checking it more frequently will only add to the possibility of infection. Let it go for some time, maybe rouse the yeast after a week or so, let it go for another (like colo said), then check it.

BenJSpain said:

I understand ale yeast is top fermenting but I have never seen it create a solid mass on top of the fermenter before. What should I do?

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Search "krausen" haha

Yeah. I feel really dumb today. Oh well. I'm going to start working on Temp control. Do you think it's too late to cool it to 65F? I'll use the ice water/towel/fan method seeing how my highest setting on the fridge will be too cold.

BenJSpain said:

Yeah. I feel really dumb today. Oh well. I'm going to start working on Temp control. Do you think it's too late to cool it to 65F? I'll use the ice water/towel/fan method seeing how my highest setting on the fridge will be too cold.

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Not at all, the warmer temperatures to start will actually help get the yeast in gear, and cooling it now will give you a cleaner (but slightly slower) fermentation. I use water/towel/fan method, but switch out frozen "Simply Orange" bottles a few times a day