Ack! Goal OG 1.060 actually read 1.080 -- because I read after pitching a starter?

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pilafdm

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Hello!

This is about my 10th brew and I'm accustomed to things going more or less well. However, today I realized I had forgotten to take my OG reading after I had already pitched and put the carboy away.

So, I dug it out, took a reading, and got 0.020 more than I was expecting. That's a lot!

I made a reasonably sized yeast starter that was a bit on the thick side, and I pitched a whole White Labs vial into a 3 gallon batch. I also was not super diligent about temps, but I'm reasonably sure it was 70-75.

Could reading after pitching the yeast starter and/or the temp explain why I'm so far away from my target OG? If not, I'm either going to wind up with a very heavy APA or I'll wind up with an APA that has a FG way out of style guidelines -- or both, right?

Should I do anything? I don't have much room to extend the wort with water, though that had crossed my mind...
 
OK, I took a reading by siphoning right off the top, and how got a reading of 1.070. I hope this follows a trend!
 
If you used extract, followed the recipe, have correct water volumes, then your OG can only be as calculated give or take a few gravity point.

Sounds like you have a measurement problem, whether it was water volume, extract fermentation volume, or faulty hydrometer.

Check your hydrometer with water at 60-65 degree. It should be 1.000.
 
there are a few possible reasons:

- you have 3 lbs of DME...many brew shops by bulk DME and repackage into smaller retail sizes. Both shops that I frequent normally leave these a touch heavy...a few ounces heavy on 1lb bags, but I've had several 3lb bags as much as 9 oz heavy.

-you mention pitching a "thick starter" as well as a full vial of yeast?? Any unfermented sugars in the starter will increase your OG. This is usually insignificant, but depending on your process...and what you mean by "thick"
 
Also, I partial mashed using BIAB. Maybe I got slightly more efficiency than needed? I'm hoping that all such things are factors and that my OG is really more around 1.063-4.
 
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