OG too high? (not that it would be a bad thing)

[Dave A]

Three batches in a row now I've had the same "problem." For the record my hydrometer reads 1.00 with tap water, is there a way to test it at the "high" end of the scale?

A month ago I brewed a batch of wheat (extract and specialty grains, wyeast 3068) that the kit said should OG at 1.048. When I checked it it was 1.051, not too far off so I figured that it was about right and the temp being ~5 degrees high should explain the difference.
It finished a touch high (1.018) so then I guessed that maybe I got more unfermentables from the grains than expected. It's still green but it tastes pretty good so far, we'll see.

Next is an octoberfest, again extract with grains but dry yeast and fermented at ale temp. The kit said 1.050 to 1.055, somehow I got 1.060! It went like crazy for 3 days and stopped, as in zero activity. four days later it was still at 1.022 so I racked to a secondary and pitched more yeast. After a week with no sign of activity it went into a keg at 1.021. Again, I'm thinking extra non-fermentables from the grains.

Last Thursday it happened again, Scotch ale this time. I was expecting 1.079, my hydrometer only goes to 1.080 but it was floating up around where 1.090-1.095 would be! I pitched a 3.5 pint starter of Wyeast 1728 and it's just slowing down now.

Is my hydrometer overly optimistic or am I doing something wrong/right? Any one else have this happen?

[Beerconnoisseur]

When taking readings via hydrometer, temperature can play a role when you are taking the reading. For example, if you have wort at 100 degrees F, it will have more entropy, and it will "appear" to be a more dense liquid than the same wort at 80 degrees F. ProMash software is a useful software utility for calculating these minor differences. However, I wouldn't expect your hydrometer to be off more than .001 or .002, based purely on temperature.

Another possibility is the reading itself. Are you measuring from the level of the liquid in the wort, rather than the meniscus? I know ASCII art is kinda wacky, but for illustration purposes, you would take the measurement as follows:

| - |
| - |
/| - |\
| - | ===== <---- Read this marking (at liquid level) on
| - | hydrometer, not line above it.

Of course, as long as the beer turns out the way you want, I would say you're doing OK. :)

[fuji6100]

Are you steeping any specialty grains in addition to the beer kit? I've used beer kits and specialty grains in the past, and the grains always boots the OG and FG a bit since what they contribute is mostly non-fermentables.

The perameters are just guidlines anyway, so as long as you are getting the attenuation you want, you should be fine.

[brewmonkey]

Wow, lot of variables invovled when brewing. With the extracts it could be anything from not enough water to the boil. When you boil your wort obviously you are driving off some of the H20 and condensing your wort. It can be helpful in some cases though.

Using grain can also be the source. The crush of the grain to the efficiency of the system being used. When they calculate the bill they give a general ball park figure as each brewers results may/will differ.

Being off 1P for a kit is not bad at all. If you were off by about 1.5-2P or more I would be concerned.

Another problem is the hydrometer or the jar you float it in. If the cylinder is to small the hydrometer will "stick" to the side and present a false reading. Triple scales are also rather difficult to read due to the scale being so small on it.

As pointed out already, you want to read your scale at the meniscus.

Handheld refractometers are a good tool, but once fermentation starts they are no longer usable to calculate gravity and you will have to use a hydrometer anyway.

[Dave A]

My hydrometer IS a triple scale model, calibrated at 70 degrees. All worts have been between 73 and 80 degrees at time of measurement, this should cause a small margin for error but nothing like the second or third brews I would think.

All kits were made with the ingredients in the kit and nothing else. They may have been boiled a few extra minutes, but the fermenter was topped off to 5 gal each time so I don't see how that could be the difference.

The hydrometer was always read at the liquid level (I've been keeping fish for years...) That gives me an idea, tomorrow the beer hydrometer swims in the salt tank!

Brewmonkey, A few good points! All grains were order crushed, the first kit was a "Grape And Granery" kit, the second was a "Brewers Best", both were in the same shipment (same crush?),
the last kit was from Northern Brewer, all three had a pound of grain. I'll have to check the conversion to P later, but it's the last kit that has me worried, 1.079 vs. 1.093 is a BIG difference and as much as I had been thinking that the grains were the difference on the first two, this one is too big a difference to have come from one pound of grain.

[danno]

here's a way to calibrate both ends of your hydrometer range...

http://www.knology.net/~sprevost/beerwine/cal.htm

one more question, are you doing partial boils? it could be your wort isn't fully mixed and you're reading a concentrated area...

[brewmonkey]

I have some really cool hydrometers that I picked up a few years back. There are three in the set, they are bigger so they need to use a 500ml cylinder to work properly(probably to much to sacrifice from a smaller batch). The first one goes from 0-8P the second goes from 7-16P and the third goes from 15-23P. They were about $13 a piece and can be purchased that way as well. I bought them through Crosby & Baker or LD Carlson (I cant remember right now) but your local HBSP should be able to get them for you.

They have a much larger and easier to read scale (they do come in 1.000 format as well) as well as a thermometer on the reverse along with the adjustment at the temp showing. They go up to 50C (about 120F) for adjustments, but I doubt you will ever need it that high.

For those brewing on a bit bigger scale or those who do not mind sacrficing some wort, these are the must have thing IMHO.