Stopped at 1.030?

[gdizzle]

Here is a Sweet Stout:AG , for 5gallon
7 3/4lbs Domestic 2 row
1 lb Roasted Barley
1 lb Vienna
8oz Flaked Oats
8oz Victory
6oz Patent
1 lb Milk Sugar
willamette
Yeast: Dennys 1450 Fav

OG 1.057, but batch was bigger than I thought, 6 gallons. I used 1 gallon too much in the Mash.
Smack Pac of Dennys got real big. Pitched at 70 (no starter). very little activity
Checked 1 week into, was at 1.030.
Primary has been at 68 - 70 consistently.
Checked 3 weeks later, still 1.030. Decided to add another Yeast, with a starter. used the WLP 007, supposed to be fast, high atten. eat through the sweet. Still no activity.
Any ideas on why this would stop at 1.030? My software says it should get to 1.014??

 

[GinSlinger]

Hydrometer or refractometer?

 

[gdizzle]

Hydometer and refractometer to get OG. Now just use Hydro to take readings.

 

[BigFloyd]

Hydometer and refractometer to get OG. Now just use Hydro to take readings.

This. The presence of alcohol causes the refractometer to give artificially high readings.

 

[Cyclman]

There are online calculators to determine actual FG when using a refractometer: http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/

 

[Calder]

No way was that ever going to get down to 1.014. The lb of lactose will leave you at 1.007 if everything else fermented 100%. Closer to 1.020 would be more realistic expectation.

What was the mash temp? A high mash temp would do this to you. If you think you mashed low 150/152, you probably should check your thermometer.

 

[BigFloyd]

Closer to 1.020 would be more realistic expectation.

+1.

I just bottled a similar batch (1.057 OG) 5 days ago (at 1.021 FG). Target FG (with lactose) - 1.021. If I took the lactose out of the calculation to see the difference, it dropped to 1.014.

Did you do a starter or just use the one smackpack? If no starter, you seriously underpitched which could affect attenuation. Rather than way underpitching liquid, it would have been better to simply pitch a pack of rehydrated S-04.