Fermentation problem

SG 1.068 (Stout), after 2 weeks in the fermenter my FG is 1.030.  What gives?

The batch is 13 gals.  I used 3 White Labs 004 Irish Ale.  After a week it was 1.032, so I put in two pouches of SafeAle dry Ale yeast.  Seems to have had little effect.  I don't understand... 

Are you measuring your gravity with a refractometer or hydrometer?

Hydrometer

*bump*

It sounds like the fermentation has stalled or something is off with your hydrometer.  With all that yeast you poured into it, you should have had plenty of action. 

What was your mash temperature?  Did you do a starch test to make sure you had converted all the starches to sugars? 

I did not starch test... I am not that advanced/experienced.  Don't think there are any issues with hydrometer. I have two refractometers (both calibrated with distilled H2O b4 use), my SG model puts it at 1.042 and my ABV puts it at 7.2%... it makes no sense!  BS3 estimates ABV at 5.1%.

I did have some mash temp troubles, however.  It started out hot around 154-156 and had to pull it down to 148... probably half the mash was at 146-147.  It took a good 25 min to get the temp down.  Then the sparge was weak with temp ranging 170-165.  Finally, this being my first brew session in Arizona, I could not get my wort below 90 in one pass through my conterflow chiller (in GA I could get it to 80 in one pass).  So it sat at 120 when I put it into my chest freezer over night where it slowly cooled to pitch temp of 68.  Fermentation was at 68 for two weeks.  I am going into the third week today, debating whether or not to secondary or just leave it.

Starch test is very simple.  You can pick up iodine solution at any pharmacy.  Place a few drops of clear wort on a white plate or bowl, add a drop or two of the iodine solution, and the wort ill turn blue if there are starches present or yellow if the starches are all converted.  Rinse the wort and iodine down the drain and clean the plate/bowl if you are going to use it again. 

Since most of the mash is compete by 20 minutes in, you probably have a bit more dextrins that you planned for.  Open the recipe and change (edit) the mash profile to give you a mash temperature of about 155F to see where that puts your FG estimate.  It won't be dramatic, but it should add a few points to the estimated number.

If you pull another sample, taste it.  If it is still sweet, you have a stalled fermentation.  If not, then you are most likely done. 

If it is a stalled fermentation, I would recommend making a sugar solution (not too much, maybe a 60 grams of sugar [2 oz.]), add a bit of yeast nutrient to it, and transfer your wort onto that into a secondary fermenter.  I've found very few other ways of restarting a stuck fermentation (though I have not dealt with it more than a couple of times).  It is one of the very few times I have ever used a secondary fermentation.

Let us know how it turns out.

Thanks for to info.