DME kits= low SG?

[waxhaw-new-brew]

Hey all, looking for some input please? I'm still relatively new to brewing and have been sticking to dry malt extract kits from brewer's best to get the swing and process down before I branch out and get imaginative...Today I did the HG Russian Imperial Stout kit, and the target SG was supposed to be 1.110+/-, but mine is at 1.070....I followed the directions to a "tee", the only mishap was the specialty malts/grains got a little scorched pre boil in a separate pot. The double IPA kit came in a little low on SG too, but final gravity was spot on. Any input/ideas why/what's going on here would be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[RM-MN]

With these kits the included malts will give you the proper OG if you used the correct amount of water but they are a partial boil with top up water. When you have the wort in the fermenter and then top up, getting the water and wort mixed properly is very difficult as the wort is much denser than the water. You would need to use a very long spoon and stir like a madman to get them well mixed. In this case we tend to tell people to ignore the hydrometer OG and use what the kit listed as accurate. When the yeast get active they will mix it all up but then it will be too late to take an OG.

 

[dfc]

I agree with RM-MN, but do have a little advice. Before taking your OG reading aerate your wort by running it through your bottling bucket into your primary and then take your OG reading. There are links in my signature that will show you exactly what I'm talking about. I took plenty of pictures.

The thread is more in depth than the video.

 

[waxhaw-new-brew]

thanks guys. that makes good sense to me. I try to be as "violent" as possible without making a big mess (to make the wife mad or not, that IS the question) while topping off but the wort is awfully thick...it was confusing because all the kits I've done seem to be higher in abv than what they claim (in my head anyway) but the gravities haven't been adding up as such.