Extract O.G. missed by a mile! HELP!

I created my own Pale Ale recipe using beer-calculus and missed my estimated O.G. of 1.051 by .020! I ended up with 1.071! I can't figure out what happened. I ended up adding another gallon post boil to bring it to 1.058. I do full boils starting with 6 gallons and boiling down to 5. Here is the recipe. http://hopville.com/recipe/1244909/american-pale-ale-recipes/blue-skunk-pale-ale

I steeped my grains for 30 minutes @155 in 3 gallons and removed, rinsed then brought up to 6 gallons, added the first malt addition(3lbs 6oz) @155 and added FWH(.25oz Casacde) than brought up to boil, added 60 min addition(.75oz Csacade) got a good hot break, and went from there with 15(.5oz Willamette) 10(.5oz Willamette) 5(.5oz Willamette) 1(1oz Willamatte).

I got caught up in conversation and forgot to add the late malt addition(3lbs 8oz) @15 and ended up adding it @5 but held off chilling for a few minutes to sanitize/pasturize.

Not only was my O.G. higher than estimated but I've also got alot of sediment in the bottom of my carboy. I strained the hops out so I have no idea whats at the bottom. Its about an inch+ deep! I'm also worried the added gallon of water is gonna change my IBU which should be 42.3(according to beer-calculus).

I have a barleywine(http://hopville.com/recipe/1195400/american-barleywine-recipes/blue-skunk-barleywine) I'm brewing next weekend that I formulated using beer-calculus and want to figure out what happened so I don't make the same screw up. HELP!

FYI, I took the gravity reading several times at 65degrees in the boil kettle.

Bump, Seriously, i need help!

Have you calibrated your hydrometer recently? How are you measuring your volumes, and how sure are you that they're accurate? Did you stir really really well to make sure the late addition extract was completely incorporated and the mixture was homogeneous? It's harder and takes more stirring than you'd think.

Don't worry about the sediment, it's just the smaller hop particles and break material, and shouldn't have any effect on fermentation. Diluting with water will lower the IBU, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. The good news is that you made beer.

JuanMoore said:

Have you calibrated your hydrometer recently? How are you measuring your volumes, and how sure are you that they're accurate? Did you stir really really well to make sure the late addition extract was completely incorporated and the mixture was homogeneous? It's harder and takes more stirring than you'd think.

Don't worry about the sediment, it's just the smaller hop particles and break material, and shouldn't have any effect on fermentation. Diluting with water will lower the IBU, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. The good news is that you made beer.

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This,

Some quick math, assuming about 40 points per pound per gallon gives me about 1.055 in 5 gallons. Either your wort wasn't sufficiently mixed, your hydrometer is wonky, or your volumes are off.

Rohlk said:

I do full boils starting with 6 gallons and boiling down to 5...

I got caught up in conversation and forgot to add the late malt addition...

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I'm thinking you might have been distracted and boiled down a little too much.

-Mike

7 lbs of DME will get you to 1.064. Add 12 ozs Crystal, which will get you about 2 more points, I would have calculated your OG at 1.066. 1.072 is too high.

The problem with your calculator is that you have DME dialed in as 34 points per pound, when it is actually 46 points per lb.