Gravity Help

[DocHop]

Hey all,

I'm making a version of Old Monster barleywine from Brewing Classic Styles. It calls for 16.7 pounds of light LME and aims for a pre-gravity boil of 1.098. I have added approx. 15 pounds of Northern Brewer Gold LME to 6 gallons of water, heated to dissolve the extract, and yet my gravity is currently about 1.055. How can this be? I'm tempted to add DME to reach the desired pre-boil gravity, but a little freaked out about the strange hydrometer reading. Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[ArcaneXor]

It's probably not completely mixed.

 

[Revvy]

Read this- Attention new brewers, yes your original gravity reading is wrong. Don't panic.

 

[DocHop]

So how can you ever check a "pre-boil" gravity?

 

[amandabab]

So how can you ever check a "pre-boil" gravity?

If your heating the water to dissolve the extract before boiling use a mashing hydrometer. They are calibrated at 155 instead of 60.

 

[DocHop]

Ahhhh...temperature! That hadn't occurred to me. Thanks.

 

[helibrewer]

So how can you ever check a "pre-boil" gravity?

It really only applies to full boil batches. Because your amount of water is more than your final batch size the pre boil gravity is lower than your final post boil gravity. It basically lets you know that your pre boil volume is correct for the amount of time you have programmed to boil.