n8huntsman

Recipes 

I followed the extract version of this: https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/6351/doubleIPA.pdf

Used 8 gallons of water and a 90 minute boil as instructed. SG came out 1.056. How the heck am I that far off?

bicyclefence

Recipes 

Weird, I just signed up and came to these forums to post the exact same question. I used this extract recipe, full 23 liter, 90 minute boil and came out with an SG of 1.042. The only thing I did differently from any other brew was taking the hydrometer reading before it cooled completely. It was probably around 90F whereas I had to wait until approximately 70F before pitching the yeast.

Anyone's input on this would be greatly appreciated.

aiptasia

Recipes 

My guess is that the recipe is for a 6 gallon batch, and you used 8 gallons of water and didn't get as much boil off as you'd expected. That, or you didn't get a good conversion on your grist. Check the grind on the grains and the pH of the mash water (5.2-5.4 ideal). In the future, to adjust gravity you can add some more fermentables to your beer. It's a good idea to have a little extra light/pilsen DME around for just such an adjustment.

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RM-MN

Recipes 

Since you used extract, the only way you can truly miss the OG is to have too much water in the fermenter. If you have 6 gallons of wort, your gravity will be what is predicted but if you used top off water your off OG is due to the mixing. You simpley cannot easily mix water and concentrated wort easily and it is so easy to get a sample with more water than wort.

bicyclefence

Recipes 

I boiled approximately 23 liters for 90 minutes which brought it down to maybe 18 liters by the end of it. Then I topped it back up to 23 liters before pitching the yeast. Is it not recommended to do this? I figured it was fine since most extract recipes I've done require 5 liters of wort and topping up an additional 17 liters.

johns

Recipes 

that the problem. 5 liters will deffinatly affect your efficency, or make a batch for 6 gallons and adjust your grain bill (fermentables) accordinyly. I have make that same mistake also. In the future use more grain and your OG will be higher. Another thing is that when you dry hop, the hops take alot of water thus lowering the total volume in the fermenter. Its a common problem with this reciepe.

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RM-MN

Recipes 

Um...John...This was an extract batch. His grains were specialty grains, not base malt.

n8huntsman

Recipes 

I did a full 8 gallon boil. I didn't measure the volume after the boil but it looks to be around 5 gallons. Hard to tell in my 15 GL fermenter. I did not use any top off water. Should i add another can of dme or more dextrose next time?

RM-MN

Recipes 

With that info I'd say more DME. Did you chill the hydrometer sample before you read it? Sampling hot with a hydrometer calibrated at 60 would give you wrong info too.

n8huntsman

Recipes 

Sorry, I meant LME, not DME. But now that I mentioned it, would DME be better than LME for some reason? The sample was at 70° when I took the reading.
By the way, at 12 hours, there were no bubbles but deffinately a pressure differential in the airlock. Now, 22 hours in, and it's bubbling like crazy My sample that I pulled already had the yeast in because I forgot to take it prior to pitching. I left it on the counter and it's already foamed over with a snake like froth. Pretty cool looking. I'm excited even though this beer is gonna be weak. Do you think it will taste watered down?