Hello,
I brewed a 5-gallon batch of the Pliny the Elder Double IPA kit from MoreBeer (using LME). My initial gravity was 1.075, and my final gravity is 1.020, resulting in an ABV of about 7%. Where might I have gone wrong to avoid this in the future? This is my first-ever brew, and I realized after dry hopping that I forgot to add one of the hop additions off the burner, but I added it then.
Both liquid and dry malt extract tend to be very rich in dextrins, which are not fermented by brewing yeast. This most likely explains the high FG.
Someone will undoubtedly offer better advice. Looking at the MB site the OG appears correct. As this is your first brew, it’s entirely likely you underpitched the yeast slightly and the beer may have not finished fermenting yet. If you haven’t bottled yet, can you move it to a warmer location? Of course the difference between a 7.2% beer and an 8% is not much. How does it taste?
If you’re sure it’s done fermenting, then package, carbonate, and consume.
As mentioned, extract in general can be less fermentation and leave a higher FG
Did you give it plenty of time (say 2.5 - 4 weeks) and check FG twice 2 - 3 days apart to make sure fermentation is finished?