Way below OG

[Undergradbrewin]

Just got done brewing up LHBS nut brown ale extract. The estimated OG is 1.044 and my reading was at 1.032. This is the first time I went over the asked for 2.5 gallons of boil -Instead I boiled 4 gallons (in a 5 gallon pot no problems!) Added maybe A gallon and a half on top of that after everything was said and done (and chilled). I remember reading here that the boil volume shouldn't affect the OG but I'm at a loss for what else could have caused this...:confused:

[Tronathon]

Did you measure the Gravity while it was hot out of the boil or chilled?

My first brew I measured the gravity out of the tun and it was .010 lower than expected because liquids are less dense when hot (duh).

But yeah, otherwise...hrm....did you not use enough extract?

I was under the impression that with extract there is a set amount of gravity added per pound since you're not extracting sugars from grain.

Tronbie

[Mikegobrew]

Good point Tron. There is a temperature converter for hydrometers on howtobrew.

You could have also not stirred and mixed the top off water enough with the wort. It'll all be mixed well by the yeast during the ferment, so not to worry if that was the cause.

[Tronathon]

I remember reading here that the boil volume shouldn't affect the OG but I'm at a loss for what else could have caused this...:confused:

I'm pretty sure that volume of the boil effects gravity, since gravity is the density of the liquid. If you dilute the extract in more water you'll get more, less dense liquid. That being said, with extract brews you're going to dilute them to 5-5.5gals anyway so I don't think it would matter as long as you use the recommended amount of extract.

Light DME adds 42 Gravity points per pound per gallon, so to make a 5 gallon batch at 1.042 you'd need 5 lbs I'm pretty sure. Maybe a 5.5lbs since you added water to reach 5.5gals. Either way, as long as you used the right amount of extract you should have hit your TG.

Also, if you boil lower amounts of a extract during the main part of your boil, you have a lower density boil and thus increase hop utilization so you'll get more hop flavor and bitterness out of your hop additions. Palmer suggests adding half of the recommended extract at the beginning of your boil, and then boiling as per the recipe then adding the last half of the extract during the last 5 minutes of the boil just to sterilize it.

hope this helps,

Tron

[Undergradbrewin]

everything was shook up and areated when I took the wort out for the hydro reading, it was cool and well mixed :/ -It is a store bought kid and did the 4 gallon boil instead of the asked for 2.5 gallon boil (which I was lead under the impression that would be better as long as you can cool it fast enough) Thus, like Tron said I changed the density of the saught after wort which would have to be cause for lower my TG. I suppose that is the only things that makes sense to me atleast. Is there anything I should do or can do about this or RDWHAHB and enjoy it when its ready?

[Tronathon]

You could boil some DME and add it to the fermenter and that would increase the ABV of the brew. That's what Vance told me to do with a brew of mine, cept I used honey boiled in water. The yeasties will still eat the fermentables, I'm not sure if this will effect the IBU's or anything, but if you use like a 1.25 lbs of DME it'll add about a 1% of Alcohol to the finished product, otherwise relax and have that home brew...

[Mikegobrew]

I'd RDWHAHB and drink it as is. I still have a hard time believing that the OG is less when it's extract. Do you always test post aeration? I always do before I aerate the wort. Not sure if the O2 would float the hydrometer or not. :confused:

[safletcher]

Relax. TBH, I've stopped checking OG. I'm in the same boat as you. I can't trust my reading. I know something is wrong. Once I accidentally ordered a lb. too much DME for a brew, but decided to throw it in anyway. When I checked the OG, it was substantially below what the calculated gravity should have been. Don't know what I do wrong, but in the end, I am looking for a tasty beer and not knowing the ABV isn't really a big deal for me.

[Undergradbrewin]

Thanks for advice everybody. I'm certainly not worried about it, I tend to be lax with these things -I'm just trying to learn all that I can and I know its best to just ask questions. I certainly don't always take the reading after I aerate the wort, which could affet it I suppose -not too many bubbles in my jar though. Accurate ABV certainly isn't a priority for me either, it is just part of the routine and was shocked to see it so far off... Though adding honey does sound pretty good :)
Right now its bubbling away, the krausen looks okay, partially covered with yeast the other half just looks like foam -but its only been 48 hours. I'll keep you guys updated on this one. Thanks again.

[corkybstewart]

If you have "X" amount of extract in "Y" amount of water you cannot get less than the expected OG. Now if you had ".7X' in "1.3Y" your OG will be fubared.

[Mikegobrew]

If you have "X" amount of extract in "Y" amount of water you cannot get less than the expected OG. Now if you had ".7X' in "1.3Y" your OG will be fubared.

lol. Thanks for clearing it up for us Corky. :)

[Tronathon]

Now if you had ".7X' in "1.3Y" your OG will be fubared.

Hey that's some super scientific jargon right there mike. don't disrespect!

[corkybstewart]

Hey that's some super scientific jargon right there mike. don't disrespect!
Some people(mostly geologists) consider geologists scientists.:D

[vance71975]

Just got done brewing up LHBS nut brown ale extract. The estimated OG is 1.044 and my reading was at 1.032. This is the first time I went over the asked for 2.5 gallons of boil -Instead I boiled 4 gallons (in a 5 gallon pot no problems!) Added maybe A gallon and a half on top of that after everything was said and done (and chilled). I remember reading here that the boil volume shouldn't affect the OG but I'm at a loss for what else could have caused this...:confused:


Ok does your Hydrometer have a thermometer built in? Mine does and i have had the same problem myself, BUT when i looked at the temp, even tho it felt cool to me, it was still 85 degrees, so i had to ADD to my SG to make up for the temp. I am betting that is what happened here OR and i know this is possible and does happen, Was the extract Canned OR was it Fresh Bulk extract? There can be differences from Batch to batch from extract providers. Also carefully read the kit instructions, many of the pre fab kits tell you to add sugar up to x number of lbs(even tho any home-brewer that has been around will tell you use DME instead.) Also If you added water up to 5.5 gallons that WILL cause the number to be different than expected due to the fact that those numbers are figured on 5 gallons. My bet, you added a touch more water than the recipe called for AND you failed to add SG points for the temp which in August is hard to get down below 80 unless you using ice in your chilling in some way.

1/2 gallon too much water and say an 85 degree temp would equal your gravity appearing less that it should have been, can you tell us what the exact temp your wort was when you took your reading?

Oh and for the record, Boil volume has no bearing on SG, Only TOTAL water volume when measured effects SG as long as it is MIXED WELL.

Basically what corky said, If you have one lb in one gallon mixed well it will ALWAYS be the same SG unless there is a difference in that batch of extract. BUT if you have one lb extract in 1.5 gallons of water well mixed you will get a totally different SG. Now i do know that there can be batch to batch differences in extract, and also differences between manufactures. I know personally i have bought Bulk extract, Both from breiss out of two different batches, and got a .004 SG difference between two batches of the same extract.