Original gravity is off, why?

I brewed a Holiday Ale today and when I went to get the original gravity, the hydrometer read that it was 1.050. It was suppossed to be between 1.070 and 1.078. I couldnt get a proper temperature reading because I put my thermometer in sanitizing solution and it leaked, now the dial is full of water. I do have one of those stick on thermometers on the fermenting bucket and it looks like it reads 64 degrees. So what could cause my OG to be off by so much?

You need to provide some more information. Was it a kit, or a recipe and if so what was the recipe? Did you add top up water, how much? Also, assuming you took your sample out of your bottling bucket after you added top up water, did you mix it well. If everything is not mixed right, your reading will be off.

Yes it was a kit. It was the Brewers Best Holiday Ale. I topped off and mixed everything thoroughly. I then used a baster to remove a sample into the hydrometer test jar and placed the hydrometer inside.

6.6 lbs. Plain Light Malt Extract
2 lbs. Plain Light Dry Malt Extract
1 lb 8 oz Crushed Crystal Malt 80L
4 oz Crushed Chocolate
4 oz. Crushed Black Patent
1 each Spice Pack *
1 ½ oz. Nugget Hops (Bittering)
1 oz. Willamette Hops (Finishing Flavoring) Last 15 min.
1 each Notttingham Yeast

It's literally impossible for your gravity reading to be off when brewing with extract unless one of the following happens:

1. You didn't stir well enough (concentrated wort likes to settle on the bottom underneath the top-up water; I trust you when you say that you stirred enough).
2. You added too much top-off water (measuring the gravity of six gallons instead of five).
3. You forgot to add some of the extract.

Really, there's nothing else. The sugars are in the bag/can; there's no efficiency calculation like there is with AG brewing. Even steeping grains are a non-issue, since you don't get any sugars from them.

So really, it's got to be one of those three things...

It doesn't really make a difference but Beertools says that your OG should be 1.067

I went and double checked it. It now says 1.060, that could be from the yeast. The wort level is exactly at the 5 gallon mark. When I added the extract, I took hot water from the pot to rinse out the cans to get as much extract as I could.

Ironically, I'm having the same problem with a spiced winter ale but mine was only off a little bit. The kit says OG should be 1.047 and I got 1.043 after temp correction. I stirred the hell out of it to airate so I don't think it is that. I'm not too worried but my OG on my last three batches have been 3-5 points lower than the kit says.

Does it have anything to do with not boiling vigerously enough or long enough?

Did you check to see if your hydrometer was rubbing against the side of the tube you have it in, sometimes they prop themselves up just enough to screw with you. I find the best thing is to give that thing a spin once it starts to level out and see where it ends up.

Make sure you spin counterclockwise or your beer will have to be dumped!!!!

I am using the same kit! After a week i am sitting at 1.025. I am going to ride it out for a bit longer! Let me know how this kit works out for you and i will do the same.

OG was 1.055

Donasay said:

Make sure you spin counterclockwise or your beer will have to be dumped!!!!

Click to expand...

bwaahahahahahaaa!!!

ahh...but yeah...your reading was incorrect...if you completely emptied out your containers it should be around 1.070 for OG.

like bird said it may have not been mixed thoroughly (you really gotta shake that sucker with extract) or you may have topped off to more than 5 gallons.

remember that the people who created the kit may have different methods than yourself (different calculations, different original volumes, etc.)

no matter what, i wouldn't be concerned about it...just give it a few weeks and take another reading...those yeasties will take care of it!

I've got the same problem as well, however I'm not using a kit. I just brewed a Belgian Wit last night and my estimated Original Gravity was supposed to be 1.046, however when all was said and done during my post-boil measure I ended with an original gravity of 1.036. Kind of depressing... especially since that can really throw off flavors, hop bitterness, alcohol content and much more. I've been reading that if you add too much top-off water to the carboy this can affect your OG. When I did the step infusion mash I followed the directions as best as possible, maybe off a degree here or there. Can that affect my OG? Also, during the 1 hour boil can burn off occur due through evaporation? I.E. - Say like when you can boil off some of the flavors you add from spices if you add them too early to the boil?