Stall questions

[baumer64]

I did an all grain 5.5 gallon Cream of three crops ale on 2/15. My post boil OG was 1.057 using a refractometer. Just now I checked and it's only down to 1.030. The refractometer was new at Christmas and I calibrated it then.
Grains
7 lbs. 2 Row Pale Malt US
2.5 lbs. Corn Flaked
.75 lbs Minute Rice
.5 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine
Yeast is a WLP O80 Cream Ale (2nd generation)

Possible issues: I did a starter for the yeast as I thought I'd be brewing a week earlier but had some issues so the starter had gone for about 10 days before pitching. After the first 4 or 5 days I boiled up a little more DME and water to add to the yeast. The a couple days later I put it back into the refrigerator then brought it back out that morning of the actual brew session.

The mash went a little longer than planned as I had some trouble with my burner getting it to start for the heating of the sparge water. So the grains mashed almost 2 hours.

My basement where I've had it fermenting has been a little cooler than planned so the fermonster the brew is in has been steadily showing right around 60 degrees which I know is the lower end of the temp range for this yeast.

Should I try warming it up? Pitching more yeast? (I've got some safale US05 and some Nottingham. Also have two more 1/2 pints of the 080 washed from a previous brew.) Or just let it go for a while yet as is?

Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[McKnuckle]

Refractometers work well before fermentation. But in the presence of alcohol the reading needs to be adjusted.

Check out the refractometer calculator on the Brewer's Friend website, enter the OG along with your current reading, and see if you have a different perspective on the adjusted FG of your beer.

 

[RM-MN]

Refractometers work well before fermentation. But in the presence of alcohol the reading needs to be adjusted.

Check out the refractometer calculator on the Brewer's Friend website, enter the OG along with your current reading, and see if you have a different perspective on the adjusted FG of your beer.

After fermentation starts the best tool to use to determine the gravity is a hydrometer. The calculators will get you close but the hydrometer will get you accuracy.

Now id you only want to know if your beer is done, the accuracy of the hydrometer isn't needed, identical readings are. If you refractometer reading doesn't change between 3 days, the ferment is done.....or stalled. If you use a hydrometer on several batches and compare its reading to that of the refractometer you will get a sense if your beer is done or stalled.

 

[baumer64]

Thanks guys, I went back and checked with my hydrometer. Forgot about refractometer not working with alcohol present. Had in my mind when carbonation present.
Yes, it's down to 1.012 for an ABV% of 5.90. Target final FG was 1.009 so I'm pretty close. The OG was 6 points higher than target.
I'll still let it sit a few days then crash it. The sample was good but had a bit of a bitter after taste. No late hops were added. Just .7oz Crystal and .7oz Willamette at the beginning of the boil. Would the long Mash add bitterness?