Hydrometer readings.

I just finished up another ale and took a reading with my hydrometer. It came in at 1.030 dead on at 60 degrees. I played with hydrometers in the passed but its been a while. Does this reading sound right, Right from the start. Recipe below.

6.6lbs Golden LME
1.5 pounds crystal 40 l
.75 pounds crytal 2-3 l(leftover from another beer)
2.0 oz cascade plugs 8.7%AA
.5 oz Crystal plugs 3.5%AA(leftover from another beer)
Dry ale yeast

 

how much water did you end up with (final volume)? The gravity is essentially a reading of density (I know, that is technically wrong, but metaphorically right). So, the more water you have, the less "dense" the wort is, and the lower your gravity will be. If this is a kit meant for 5gal but you ended up with 6 gal, your gravity will be lower than expected.

 

5 gallon total

 

Seems low for OG and High for FG. But then again I'm a newbee... Estimated some ingredients. Using QBrew.

Recipe test Style Generic Ale
Brewer joe Batch 5.00 gal
Extract
Recipe Characteristics
Recipe Gravity 1.066 OG Estimated FG 1.016 FG
Recipe Bitterness 49 IBU Alcohol by Volume 6.3%
Recipe Color 12° SRM Alcohol by Weight 5.0%
Ingredients
Quantity Grain Type Use
0.75 lb Crystal 10L Grain Extract
1.50 lb Crystal 40L Grain Extract
6.60 lb Golden Promise Malt Grain Extract
Quantity Hop Type Time
0.50 oz Crystal Plug 10 minutes
2.00 oz Cascade Plug 45 minutes

 

partial boil, and then topped off to 5 gallons with cold water?

FG is a little low...just about right for the usual "didn't get a partial boil mixed in with the top off water" kind of reading.

I don't have my charts and such here at work but I'd wager you're closer to a low 1.040~ish range.
There are online calculators, like beertools.com that'll tell you what 6.6lbs of DME in 5 gallons will equal (your specialty grains will not provide any sugars since they weren't mashed, and they are crystal)

 

your extract may not of mixed properly. its posable that it stratified. there is likely a thicker layer under the layer you took the gravity sample from ... if you haven't added the yeast yet i would shake and stir the living crap out of it then take another reading.

 

So is it a better idea to take your OG before adding top off water? Or just make sure you get it mixed very well, then take the reading?

Or does it matter?

 

Make sure its mixed very well then take a reading. if you take if before adding the topoff water you'll read very high. its really hard to miss your numbers with extract, assuming your volumes are what they're supposed to be.

 

Thanks aubrey.

 

Yeah I topped off to 5 gallons. I thought I mixed it well but they may not have been the case. Its churning and turning like crazy right now. I will take another reading later on when transferring and update.

thanks

 

Newest reading of 1.022 at 60 degrees. finished up in the primary and transfered to the secondary.