I've been brewing (from extract) for close to a year now and have managed to make a lot of good batches in a variety of styles. The problem I seem to have is that my specific gravity measurements for og or fg never make any sense at all.
For instance, this weekend, I basically followed a recipe for a high gravity Wee Heavy Scotch ale which called for 6 lbs dry extract and 6.6 lbs extract syrup. I boiled for 60 minutes, topped off to 5 gallons, allowed to cool, and took a measurement with my hydrometer. I got something like 1.040 (estimates from the recipe and confirmed using beer calculator should have been 1.090+ range). This happens frequently. I made another high gravity brew a few months ago and if you believe the calculations, it was 2% abv; trust me, it wasn't. My hydrometer is calibrated properly, I have been making the adjustments for temperature. I have no idea why my measurements seem so off. Any suggestions or tips? I mean, the beer I make is good, so I'm not sweating it too much, but I am puzzled.
Thanks!
For instance, this weekend, I basically followed a recipe for a high gravity Wee Heavy Scotch ale which called for 6 lbs dry extract and 6.6 lbs extract syrup. I boiled for 60 minutes, topped off to 5 gallons, allowed to cool, and took a measurement with my hydrometer. I got something like 1.040 (estimates from the recipe and confirmed using beer calculator should have been 1.090+ range). This happens frequently. I made another high gravity brew a few months ago and if you believe the calculations, it was 2% abv; trust me, it wasn't. My hydrometer is calibrated properly, I have been making the adjustments for temperature. I have no idea why my measurements seem so off. Any suggestions or tips? I mean, the beer I make is good, so I'm not sweating it too much, but I am puzzled.
Thanks!