Getting pissed,Sg is just getting more off.

Addicted · 03-30-2010, 01:31 AM

What the hell am i doing to get my Sg off so far?,I've been extract brewing for a few months now with an electric keggle full boils.My Sg was always pretty close to what the Midwest kits said but it seems to be getting worse with every brew!,I have my whole process dialed in very well and can brew and clean up in about 3 hours but this Sg thing is pissing me off.

I brewed a Fat tire Ale tonight and brewed it full boil in an E keggle,hit exactly five gallons of final volume.The Sg is supposed to be 1.042-1.046.Mine was 1.052.What am i doing wrong?

jgourd · 03-30-2010, 01:33 AM

I would have added water to get the right SG and put 5.5 gals in my fermenter.

Addicted · 03-30-2010, 01:36 AM

Am i supposed to end up with a final volume of 5.5 gallons?If so I'll just add a little to the boil volume.

joex444 · 03-30-2010, 02:09 AM

Well, the Midwest instructions do say 5 gallons, right?

Extract brewing is very much predictable. If you've hit your final volume, then you've hit the gravity. You can't decouple the two.

1.052 = 6lbs DME + 5 gallons. End of story. If you have some specialty grains, its possible you've got more sugar than Midwest predicts.

Or your hydrometer is off, you've forgotten to adjust for temperature, or the thermometer you used in figuring out the adjustment itself needs adjustment.

Addicted · 03-30-2010, 02:48 AM

I made sure that the Wort in the hydometer was 60F.Maybe the efficiency of the grains was higher than predicted from midwest.,It was 6 lbs lme and some grains.

jgourd · 03-30-2010, 01:11 PM

You may have had more volume evaporate during the boil than anticipated. That would increase the SG.

Cheaton · 03-30-2010, 04:18 PM

Maybe there's something off about your Hydrometer. Calibrate it in 60 deg F distilled water and see if it is correct.

Gremlyn · 03-30-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Addicted

I made sure that the Wort in the hydometer was 60F.Maybe the efficiency of the grains was higher than predicted from midwest.,It was 6 lbs lme and some grains.

Not really a measurable factor for specialty grains in extract brewing. An extract kit should really be within +/- 0.001 no matter what.