After brewing, OG was 1.044
To compensate for the high FG of my last brew, I decided to pay extra attention to fermentation. I believe I narrowed the problem down to lack of aerated wort. Yeast need oxygen and I don't think they had enough. Regardless, I mashed at a lower temperature (149), added a yeast nutrient, added whirlfloc, and was sure to properly aerate the wort. Mashing with the Anvil at 75% power seemed to hold a more consistent temperature rather than spiking every time the heating element was on. I also kept the fermenter upstairs where it stays a consistent 70 degrees. Fermentation seems to be going much better this time around. The airlock was moving less than 24 hours after brewing and showed a lot of activity over the following 24 hours.
Fermentation stalled out around 1.020, so we've made another malty session ale. I'm fairly certain at this point the yeast isn't getting enough oxygen. For the next brew, I'll be hydrating the yeast and shaking the spiedel for at least 1 minute after pitching.
Recipe
Note: the recipe lists US-05, but I actually used CellarScienceĀ® Cali Dry Yeast (12 g). This yeast is new and wasn't listed in brewfather at the time. This yeast had great reviews and was $1 cheaper, so I decided to try it.
Note: Fermentation didn't actually stall. Refractometers don't accurately measure liquid that contains alcohol.