Strange fermentation ended above FG. Can I do anything about it?

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sabrams86

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So I brewed a straight forward English style IPA with the following:

O.G. 1.060
F.G. 1.015 (estimated from Beersmith)
Current F.G. 1.020

10g Gypsum
11 lbs Maris Otter
1.5 lbs Crystal 30
1 oz Columbus @ 60 min
1 oz East Kent Golding @ 30 min
1 oz Fuggles @ 10 min
2 oz Crystal Dryhop (I haven't added this yet)

1 Package of Burton Ale Yeast (The kind in the glass vile)
60 min Mash @ 153-154 (Beersmith Recommended 152)
Batch Sparge
60 min Boil
5.5 Gal into primary

I didn't use a starter, I just pitched the yeast straight out of the vile. The fermentation didn't start for about 48 hours. Then I found the plug and blowoff tube had completely blown off and there was a large amount of beer sludge caked all over the fermenter and puddled all over the floor. I cleaned up and replaced the blowoff with an airlock. Once it stopped bubbling I measured the gravity over the course of the next few days and it settled on 1.020, a full 5 points high.

My Mash temperature started a touch high at around 155-156, then i threw in some cool water to drop it to 153. Did I just mash it too high and create a heavy body? Should I be concerned with a stalled fermentation? Or should I just go ahead and transfer to secondary for some dry hopping. Thanks!
 
How long has it been since you pitched? Every time I see these threads, the OP never mentions how long it has been fermenting.
 
I would still wait it out a few more days. There's a really good chance you'll finish high, with a higher mash temp. At the same time, it would be perfectly reasonable to expect fermentation to not have finished yet. Especially considering you underpitched. Your fermentation temperature would have an impact on time to completion, as well.
 
1.5 lbs of crystal + mashing high. I think you are probably done.

I mash IPAs low, below 150, and use maybe 0.5 lbs of crystal to get them to end dry.
 
I'd taste it, personally. I like some malty sweetness with dry hops, so 1.016-1.020 is usually my target, mashing high. I don't think it's too high of a finish for that kind of beer. Might think about just swirling the yeast up a bit and just dry hopping in the primary, two birds and all that.
 
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