4 days ago I brewed a brown ale and ended up with an OG of 1.034 when I was shooting for an OG of 1.046. I accidently mashed way too high, and assumed that must have been the problem, but tonight I just brewed a porter, and made sure I kept the mash temperture at 150F, and I still ended up with a low OG. I was shooting for 1.057 and ended up with 1.036.
I'm using deathbrewer's easy stove-top all-grain method. The last time I brewed using this method I had great efficiency, all between 75%- 80%. Now I'm getting 55% efficiency using the exact same method.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and it's driving me nuts. My LHBS might be milling the grains different, or I might have used a little less sparge water, I don't know.
Is it possible at all that my hydrometer could be messed up? It's such a simple device can't see how it could be screwed up, but who knows.
P.S. There were pieces of hops in my hydrometer sample, could that throw off my reading?
I'm using deathbrewer's easy stove-top all-grain method. The last time I brewed using this method I had great efficiency, all between 75%- 80%. Now I'm getting 55% efficiency using the exact same method.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and it's driving me nuts. My LHBS might be milling the grains different, or I might have used a little less sparge water, I don't know.
Is it possible at all that my hydrometer could be messed up? It's such a simple device can't see how it could be screwed up, but who knows.
P.S. There were pieces of hops in my hydrometer sample, could that throw off my reading?