Missing my OG....

[The Mad Hatter]

I think I am having a problem with missing my OG. Today I brewed a Bock from my LHBS. It was 6.3# of LME, 1# Chocolate Malte, 1.5oz Hellataur(SP), and .5oz Tettenager (SP). I would suspect, or at least I thought the OG should be 1.060+. I came in at 1.040 @ 80*. So I am getting a corrected reading of 1.043. Or at least I think I am if I am reading the hydrometer correctly.

When starting the boil, the directions say to boil 2 gallons of water. (After the steeping grains) I have been doing 2.5 gallons to account for the evaporation loss. Once the boil is complete, and the wort has cooled to below 80* I then transfer to the primary bucket. Usually I am spot on at two gallons. I then add three gallons of cold tap water to get my five gallons. The last two batches, I have added a little extra tap water to make about 5.25 gallons this way I will have exactly five gallons after racking from the secondary to the bottling bucket.

I think my problem is during my boil. When I do my boil off, I do it on the kitchen stove. I boil it what I would say is a violent boil. and I do not think I could possibly boil any harder than what it is now. Could it be that I am boiling to hard? I have a Scotish Ale that is also a kit. Sould I try to boil it not so hard to help keep the OG up, or am I way off base. What should the OG of the Scotish Ale be? Thanks for the assistance, I appreciate it.

 

[batches_brew]

Maybe your wort hasn't mixed with the water well enough.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Maybe your wort hasn't mixed with the water well enough.

I am not sure that is it though. I pour the water directly onto the top of the wort. After 3.25 gallons or so of water there is a great deal of foam on top of the wort. Then I arrate on top of that for a full five minuets. I am still thinking that I am possibly boiling the wort to hard. Anyone else?

 

[Yooper]

Actually, when I do the math (actually, Beersmith does the math, because I HATE math), 6.3 pounds LME in 5.25 gallons is exactly 1.043! That's exactly where the recipe comes out.

Edit- did you say 1 POUND of chocolate malt?

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Actually, when I do the math (actually, Beersmith does the math, because I HATE math), 6.3 pounds LME in 5.25 gallons is exactly 1.043! That's exactly where the recipe comes out.

Edit- did you say 1 POUND of chocolate malt?

Doh. No that is a typo on my part. It should be 1/2# of Chocolate not 1 pound. I may have to get into this beer smith thing. Cool though that it came out spot on as to what Beer Smith said it should. :rockin:

How about this recipe just for kicks. This one I will be doing maybe tomorrow...

Scotish Ale

3.3# Briess Sparkling Amber Malt Extract
2# Amber DME
.5# Crystal Malt
.25# Choclate Malt
1oz Roasted Barley
1oz Fuggle (Boiling)
.5oz Fuggles (Aroma)

Again this one did not state in the direstions what the OG should be. Anyone want to take a crack at it? Thanks again Yooper. I appreciate you help!

 

[Yooper]

Well, I'll run that through Beersmith. There is a free trial you can download, and it works well but I think it only lets you save so many recipes. What lovibond of crystal are you using?

I never heard of "sparkling" extract- that must be something fairly new? Edit- I just looked it up on Briess' website. It's a lower fermentable extract, made with base malt, crystal 60L and munich malt. I've never used it, so I'd have to "guess" the results.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

What lovibond of crystal are you using?

No idea. I just looked at the sheet again and all it says it Crystal Malt.

 

[mooseisloose]

I think I am having a problem with missing my OG. Today I brewed a Bock from my LHBS. It was 6.3# of LME, 1# Chocolate Malte, 1.5oz Hellataur(SP), and .5oz Tettenager (SP). I would suspect, or at least I thought the OG should be 1.060+. I came in at 1.040 @ 80*. So I am getting a corrected reading of 1.043. Or at least I think I am if I am reading the hydrometer correctly.

When starting the boil, the directions say to boil 2 gallons of water. (After the steeping grains) I have been doing 2.5 gallons to account for the evaporation loss. Once the boil is complete, and the wort has cooled to below 80* I then transfer to the primary bucket. Usually I am spot on at two gallons. I then add three gallons of cold tap water to get my five gallons. The last two batches, I have added a little extra tap water to make about 5.25 gallons this way I will have exactly five gallons after racking from the secondary to the bottling bucket.

I think my problem is during my boil. When I do my boil off, I do it on the kitchen stove. I boil it what I would say is a violent boil. and I do not think I could possibly boil any harder than what it is now. Could it be that I am boiling to hard? I have a Scotish Ale that is also a kit. Sould I try to boil it not so hard to help keep the OG up, or am I way off base. What should the OG of the Scotish Ale be? Thanks for the assistance, I appreciate it.

I would never go to a "violent boil" a rolling boil is all you need, if you can see it's boiling (rolling) it's good.

 

[Yooper]

No idea. I just looked at the sheet again and all it says it Crystal Malt.

Well, ok! I ran 40L through Beersmith (it doesn't add anything to the OG anyway) and came up with 1.039 for a 5.25 gallon batch, and 1.041 for a 5 gallon batch. I looked up the expected points from the LME from Briess' website.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Well, ok! I ran 40L through Beersmith (it doesn't add anything to the OG anyway) and came up with 1.039 for a 5.25 gallon batch, and 1.041 for a 5 gallon batch. I looked up the expected points from the LME from Briess' website.

Thanks Yooper! you rock! :rockin: