Another stuck fermentation?

[BrewAlchemy]

So i am currently at 1.040 and my OG was 1.079, i used Wyests American Ale yeast and it has been fermenting for about 7 days. Am i on pace for a stuck fermentation?

Heres the scoop my last batch I brewed I encountered my first stuck fermentation roughly same OG and stopped at 1.032. I dont know why this is happening I have never had stuck fermentations before.

I do have krausen on the beer still about 1/2 inch thick, but my airlock is only bubbling about once every minute or so. The krausen hasn't fallen down into the beer yet.

So the question at hand is, do you think im on pace for another stuck fermentation, if so, why? and how do I fix it if so.

 

[Jdk261]

How much yeast did you pitch?

 

[BrewAlchemy]

Nevermind, I started putting 2 and 2 together. So I just recently purchased a refractometer and that is what i have been using for my FG readings, well I never friggin knew they were extremely inaccurate when it comes to measuring final gravities. I just took a sample of my previous batch that I thougth was "stuck" because my refractometer was reading 1.032, just pulled another sample from it because i have refused to dump and my refractometer still read 1.032 but my hydrometer reads 1.016, Well ill be friggin damed, what good is a refractometer if you can take a FG. Sum bull**** right there, WTS OG-FG refractomter.

 

[freeflydude]

Refractometers measure the sugar content and not the specific gravity although you can estimate the gravity using refractometer readings. They are good for use in your initial wort readings before fermentation since sugar content is what your looking for. When the sugar is eaten away and replaced by alcohol they are no longer good for estimating gravity. The benefit to refractometers over hydrometers in wort readings is you can use a few drops to get readings instead of the 4-6 ounces needed for a hydrometer. Plus temperature is not as much of a concern since the sugar content remains constant whereas specific gravity changes depending on the temperature.