Final Wort not a match

[rodimus80]

I have made many recipes using a computer program and the gives me the OG and FG I do partial-mash brewing and I can not get the wort to come close to the OG the computer says it to be. I have done eight different brew sessions and 6 different recipes and can not get the numbers. The FG never matches either. Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[trevorc13]

Check you thermometer. If it's off by a few degrees your fg will be off. You should also figure out your efficiency and set your computer efficiency to your brewhouse efficiency. You'll get more accurate numbers that way.

 

[Boleslaus]

Is the calculated OG always higher than your actual measurements? If that is the case then trevor is right, your efficiency is just lower than the standard 75%.

 

[sirhc1210]

Did you take your OG reading from the brew pot before adding top off water? If you did then you'd have to correct for the additional top off water added. The last post in this thread has an equation: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/oops-measured-og-before-topping-off-54691/

 

[rodimus80]

I do full boils take my OG at about 75 degrees and the FG are 70 degrees and my thermometer has been calibrated

 

[ajf]

Have you checked your hydrometer? If it reads 1.004 in water at the hydrometer calibration temperature (usually 60 F), you will have to subtract 0.004 from all readings.
If it reads 0.996, you will have to add 0.004 to all readings.
As trevorc13 asked, did you enter your efficiency? If you didn't then the program cannot accurately calculate the contribution from the grains.
No computer program that I am aware of can accurately calculate the FG. There are too many variables to be taken into account. My FG's are almost always lower than those predicted by Beersmith.
Do you apply temperature compensation to your hydrometer readings? A gravity reading of 1.050 at 75F would give a true gravity of 1.052 if the hydrometer was graduated at 60F.
Finally, how sure are you that you have the right amount of wort? If you are going by the markings on a bucket, they are often wrong. Mine is off by 6% which would give a 6% error in the OG reading if I used the bucket to determine the volume.

-a.

 

[rodimus80]

Have you checked your hydrometer? If it reads 1.004 in water at the hydrometer calibration temperature (usually 60 F), you will have to subtract 0.004 from all readings.
If it reads 0.996, you will have to add 0.004 to all readings.
As trevorc13 asked, did you enter your efficiency? If you didn't then the program cannot accurately calculate the contribution from the grains.
No computer program that I am aware of can accurately calculate the FG. There are too many variables to be taken into account. My FG's are almost always lower than those predicted by Beersmith.
Do you apply temperature compensation to your hydrometer readings? A gravity reading of 1.050 at 75F would give a true gravity of 1.052 if the hydrometer was graduated at 60F.
Finally, how sure are you that you have the right amount of wort? If you are going by the markings on a bucket, they are often wrong. Mine is off by 6% which would give a 6% error in the OG reading if I used the bucket to determine the volume.

-a.

i have always filled my buckets higher than the marks they are off a little all buckets are because there is always that little bit below the spigot that doesn't come out. The last recipe I did it wasn't a matter of temperature the program said it should be 1.071 OG and I came out with 1.051 OG thats not just a temperature variance the 75 degree initial hydrometer should only be off by .002 for temperature variance

 

[Boleslaus]

I still think it is an efficiency issue if every time you are lower than expected.

 

[jsweet]

You say you do partial mash; try plugging into the computer program only the extract you use, as if the mash gave you no additional fermentables. If that still comes out higher than your OG, then something is fishy. If not, then yeah, may be your efficiency or something.

 

[jsweet]

You say you do partial mash; try plugging into the computer program only the extract you use, as if the mash gave you no additional fermentables. If that still comes out higher than your OG, then something is fishy. If not, then yeah, may be your efficiency or something.

 

[Boleslaus]

Still really need to know if you actual OG is higher or lower than the calculated one.