OG and FG both different than specified...

[408IPA]

This is my first time doing an all extract kit, previously I have done a couple specialty grains so nothing crazy. However with this kit my OG was supposed to be 1.054 and my reading came out to 1.056...I'm not too worried about that because the recipe was for 5.25 gal and I always fill up to 5 gal even. The thing that is tripping me out is that the FG is supposed to be 1.013 and my reading was 1.010...Now at first I thought maybe it was because I was fermenting at 76 degrees so i corrected my readings and I'm still getting a beer that is 6%. Not that I have a problem with a 6% beer at all, the stronger the better but could this be because i only used 5gal in a 5.25gal recipe? I'm just kind of scratching my head on this one, I don't understand how my FG got so low...Thanks in advance guys

 

[unionrdr]

Somehow you wound up with more fermentable sugars. Or the yeast just attenuated a bit more. Having .25G less water has a little effect on it insomuch as the beer having a tad more flavor/body.
My ales do that,& they're fine. Lately,I can get a 1.50 to go down to 1.010. It's all good.

 

[EROK]

That's a close miss. :cross:

If you are that close RDWHAHB. No one hits it perfectly on both ends all the time. One or two points off is not bad at all.

Peace. -EROK

 

[smalliewader]

I bottled a Belgian wit last week that was similar. Recipe called for an fg of 1.011, mine went to 1.006. I used a different strain of yeast though and chalked it up to better attentuation. I don't sweat the readings much. I brew like I cook...... loose. Just eyeball it. As long as the fg is low enough to bottle and continously stays there, it's all good.

 

[408IPA]

Ya the other crazy thing was that this fermented in 4 days! been checking the gravity the past couple days and its stayed at 1.010. Tomorrow is day 10 so I guess its time to bottle and condition for 3 weeks.

Again thanks for the peace of mind guys!

 

[phenry]

FG is never a set number on any batch, but rather an estimate. You can't really tell the yeast what to do. Even with identical recipes brewed with the same yeast can have a different FG, since every fermentation is different.

I will ask though, what did you brew? Fermenting at 76*F is pretty hot for most styles.

 

[dfc]

I'd wait at least another week before bottling, but that's just me. I always do a MINIMUM of 3 weeks. However, the small difference in gravity I wouldn't sweat. I won't be cliche by typing RDWHAHB, but if I were you I'd listen to the people that type that response.

 

[408IPA]

I brewed a Mexican Cerveza and I live in California so its been regular 90's so its a little tough to keep the temps were I would like to keep them. So whats the general rule of thumb for you guys? 2-3 weeks primary with 3 weeks bottle conditioning? If that's the case I need to get my pipeline going asap!