Can't budge stuck ferm

I would say it's done. You could try warming it up into the low 70s but I don't think it will change. The high mash temp is probably to blame. Don't be in a hurry to dump it. Taste it and if it tastes good then package it. Sometimes (not always but sometimes) a beer with a high fg due to elevated mash temp can have a thicker body without tasting overly sweet.

 

Do not dump, bottle or rack to secondary. Which ever you like.

 

It's likely the high temp caused the problem. Here's a pretty good discussion on the topic:
https://byo.com/mead/item/1543-understanding-enzymes-homebrew-science

Dropping the ferm temp is also a problem area. You really don't want to drop temperatures once fermentation is cranking along. This is especially true as you approach FG. Ideally you want to raise temps 1 - 5 degrees to keep those little buggers happy.

That said, you have nothing to lose but some effort if you continue. It's possible it still might be very drinkable. If you are determined to save the batch you might consider blending it another brew (lower FG, higher IBU, etc) to be closer to your goal. FWIW, my scotch ale at one year old is just now starting to taste good.

 

I'd verify that you have the full liquid amount called for by the recipe and its predicted FG. I'd also bring up the temp as mentioned above to see if the yeast like being on the tropical beach.

 

Do anything but dump

If I didn't like the taste - I'd personally rack it off into secondary (into the keg in my situation) and put it under some light pressure. Bide my time and taste ever so often. You could also think about some secondary ingredients that might go well with the residual sweetness that may be there,

Just don't dump!

 

I would suspect CO2 coming out of solution threw your FG reading off. I have had this happen many times...to the point where I almost never believe/take a FG anymore...let your taste buds decide if it's done in the future (then again I force carbonate almost everything). You can wait and degas your sample, but I wouldn't bother.
Also, projected FGs are notoriously lower than actual FGs in some calculators/estimators.

 

Is Beersmith one of the calculators you mention here? I routinely get FGs slightly higher (1.025 vs. predicted 1.020 on a recent imperial stout, for instance) than what BS predicts. I've always assumed it was me not spending enough time detailing my profile and process in the software.

 

With that mash mishap/temp.. she's done.

You can try a fast ferment test..

Pull out a couple hundred ML and pitch a tablespoon of bread yeast into it, and put it in the warmest spot of your house. Check a day or 2 later, same FG it's done.

 

No shame in missing a target. It happens to a lot of guys.

Dump it? Child, please.

 

A big reason for differences between BeerSmith predicted FGs and actual FGs is that BeerSmith doesn't care what your grain bill is when calculating predicted attenuation.

 

Well, that's good to know. Do you know if most programs like that? I'm assuming you've dealt with that with BrewCipher -- I've been meaning to test some recipes to see how it compares.

 

BC is the only one I know that does. At least it was when I first developed BC. It's the main reason I did it.

 

Would it make sense in circumstances like this to pull a quart or so and do something like a forced fermentation -- give it a big pitch, like a sachet of dry yeast, give it a high temp, like 75 or 80 degrees, and see what happens. If those conditions don't budge the gravity, it seems like it would be safe to bottle.

 

Yes...but not exactly...after a few or 100s of batches, a fudge factor starts to emerge...and a thoughtful homebrewer starts to take that into account and adjust accordingly. Like @VikeMan says, " BC is the only one...that takes GB into account"

 

Well my personal software does as well.

 

I'm going to go ahead and agree with this, as Scottish Ale yeast is a notorious underattenuator, even in ideal conditions.

Curiously, though, what did your grist look like?

 

Percentages?