NB Petite Saison - taste?

If you made 5 gallons with that kit and your Final Gravity was 1.042, something went wrong with your yeast because the Original Gravity should have been right around that range. What temp did you pitch the yeast at? Did you verify in any way that the yeast was healthy?

 

If so, that would mean there was basically no fermentation. Was there airlock activity at all?

Edit: just to be sure...you do know that FG is the gravity after fermentation is finished, right?

 

Carbonation will change the reading. But you can pour a sample and de-gas it by swirling for a while, until it stops making bubbles.

 

I actually have no idea what effect carbonation has on a reading, but that doesn't mean you can't decarb a sample. Swirl or stir the sample up to get all the Co2 out and let it sit for a little bit. Repeat if needed.

EDIT: Ninja'd by Vikeman.

 

From the minimal notes I took (memory no good- brewed in '11) on this batch I left it 6 weeks in the primary before bottling, so about the same as you. However I did use a different yeast, Wyeast 3538 Leuven Pale Ale, which means our flavors would be somewhat different anyway. My ingredients were about a week from shipment when I brewed, and temperatures look about the same too, although I raised mine during fermentation slightly.

If your gravity didn't drop due to a lack of fermentation, as others suspect, then the flavors you mention sound exactly like what I got from a failed starter. If it turns out your FG reading was off, maybe just give it some more time in the bottle before trying it again, although three weeks warm/ one week cold is my general bottling time.