SG readings

Evan · 11-22-2009, 09:57 PM

So i've been brewing for a few years and the last two batches have really thrown me for a loop. i take my SG reading pre-boil and then before pitching the yeast. i always correct for the temp of the wort. well today while brewing my IPA my preboil SG was 1.061 and it was to be 1.062 so i felt good. Then i boiled, hit my goal of 6.5 gallons, took another SG reading...and corrected for the temp and i'm at 1.064. i boiled off over a gallon?!? what in the world am i doing wrong. my post boil SG was to be around 1.072.

this happened to the stout i made last weekend as well. any ideas on what i'm doing wrong or not taking into consideration? I correct for the temp always.

boo boo · 11-22-2009, 11:09 PM

Ah, your calculations have to be off. If you boiled off a gallon at a starting gravity of 1061 and only hit 1064 at the end, then you screwed up the calculations somewhere.

Evan · 11-22-2009, 11:19 PM

i know...its bugging the crap out of me. guess i just have to brew again huh, haha. just weird, i've been brewing for 4 years. oh well, always learning i guess. need to be more on top of my numbers i guess

boo boo · 11-22-2009, 11:22 PM

Your preboil brew was well mixed before you took your initial SG readings? Sometimes stratification will cause a gravity reading to show lower or higher than it really is.

Evan · 11-23-2009, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boo boo

Your preboil brew was well mixed before you took your initial SG readings? Sometimes stratification will cause a gravity reading to show lower or higher than it really is.

yeah i always mix it well.

i think i figured out the problem this morning while laying in bed. this is my big IPA, and the last time i brewed it i noted i needed to increase the batch size because the hops soaked up a lot of wort. i didn't acount for the amounted soaked up, so basically i thought i hit my final volumn with the boil off, but really i just didnt boil off enough.