Missing the expected OG

I brewed a few weeks ago - pumpkin ale. The recipe was an extract recipe that I made based on a lot of various pumpkin ales and the Hops from ST Pumking. I plugged my recipe into beersmith - First time ever using any software - and I came up with an expected OG of 1.062. The thing is, what I have written down for the reading I took that night is 1.052. It unnerves me that it's so far off. Incidentally, I tasted the wort at bottling on Wednesday and it tasted phenomenal - not too sweet, not too malty, and not too bitter. Exactly what I was going for.

What could explain the discrepancy? Here are the possibilities I can think of

1. I was tired when I finished and the gravity was 1.062 not 1.052 and I misread or wrote it wrong - this doesn't SEEM likely to me, but because everything else seems unlikely too, it's possible.

2. I calculated wrong with beersmith.

3. My wort wasn't properly mixed - I doubt this too. When aerating the wort before pitching, I poured back and forth several times, each time, adding a little top off water - and I took my gravity just prior to pitching, after I had aerated.

4. For a while, I thought the answer was that Briess Golden light - which I used - was 8.75 plato or 35PPPG, which their website SEEMS to suggest, but someone pointed out that it's just a misleading way in which they list it on one section of the website and they are talking about the LME version, which they do not specify, and the DME version, what I used, is 43 PPPG.

What else? What else could explain this? I'm sure there are factors I'm not considering. If it is true that I misread or miss-recorded the gravity, there is no way I will ever know I guess, unless someone brews this recipe exactly the same and tells me the gravity they got and I compare.

Exactly how much extract and what type did you use? Any specialty grains? It's hard to miss an OG with extract. We can calc it for you.

7 lbs of briess golden light dme and 1 lb of crystal malt 20l steeped at 150 for 40 min

Too much volume in the fermenter, or too little entered into Beersmith?

Thanks but I'd have to be a gallon off...

I calculate about an OG of about 1.059. My guess is that your reading was off. Is your hydrometer calibrated?

gcdowd said:

I calculate about an OG of about 1.059. My guess is that your reading was off. Is your hydrometer calibrated?

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Yes, I did that right after. It's perfect. Also, I hit the exact final gravity beersmith thought it should be. Do you think I just read it wrong being tired?

It's possible. I wouldn't worry too much. You made beer and I'm sure it'll be great!

What temp was the gravity reading at? Did you top off with water or full boil? With the 7lbs of extract, you should be at around 1.056 or so, the extra lb of 20L may not have gotten great conversion, but you'd still be higher than 1.052. My guess is gravity reading temp, volume, or poorly mixed wort. Anyways, sounds like it turned out well and the only 'bad' thing is your abv may be slightly lower than you anticipated

Water volumes always seem to be the culprit in these situations

What was temp of the wort when you measured the gravity? If it was warm, your reading will be low.

Here is a calculator to help out with this:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/

Thanks guys. The temp was about 70. I was just about to pitch. Besides, it would have had to be 130 Deg to have made that kind of difference. Also, Since I just bottled this, I can assure that I didn't get my water volume too high by over a gallon - I got 48 bottles. I'm leaking towards "it was midnight and I read the hydrometer wrong". After I taste the carbed beer and verify its good, I'll post the recipe and maybe someone will make it and tell me what they get.